The (Short) Story of I Have Dreams: From New Ethic to A New Kind of American Saint

Recently, we came across a YouTube video titled "The Story of I Have Dreams" which delves into the history and impact of Florida screamo band I Have Dreams, and it's worth a watch.

Initially known as New Ethic, the band emerged in early 1998 in Tallahassee, Florida. Its members included Ben Seals (bass), Clayton Rychlik (drums), Daniel Chapman (guitar), Jonah Chasen (guitar), and Allen Compton (vocals), who came together from various local bands.

New Ethic gained traction with their unique sound and summer demo, which was distinctively packaged in brown paper bags with hand-drawn lyric sheets. Tragically, their ascent was halted by a car crash that claimed the life of Daniel Chapman. The band played their final show in August with Mike Hansen, Daniel's close friend, before reforming as I Have Dreams, with Mike Peters joining for additional vocals.

I Have Dreams is celebrated for its singular legendary EP, Three Days 'Til Christmas, a poignant piece with two other versions, one unreleased and another as a single-sided vinyl prototype. The band's performances were scarce, but their influence in the genre is undeniable.

After Daniel's death, the band members sought to continue the processing the grief of Daniel's loss through their music, leading to the formation of A New Kind of American Saint and their only demo Take A Shit. This iteration included Nathan Hageman on guitar. They planned a split record with Poison the Well, but it was delayed and eventually abandoned due to record label conflicts with Trustkill Records.

Ben Seals, the band's bassist, tragically also passed away in 2021. 

Be sure to watch the full 10-minute video by Kaz in the embed below.

Earlier this year, YouTube user jeff 9000 remastered the Three Days 'Til Christmas EP:

A set was captured in their hometown of Tallahassee in 1999:

The band's later iteration, A New Kind of American Saint, played shows through the following year: