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Envy On The Coast
Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 08-Nov-07 @ 01:45 PM|
HQ: Long Island, NY NOW PLAYING: Lucy Gray (PHOTO FINISH) WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: Because despite their roots in the Long Island hardcore scene, Envy On The Coast's eclectic brand of rock is utterly indefinable. YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE: Glassjaw / Brand New / The Sleeping By now, most regular AP readers are familiar with Strong Island's hardcore legacy; however, how many of you can say that you met your musical hero while scoping out power tools? "I ran into Glassjaw guitarist [Justin] Beck when I was shopping at Home Depot with my dad in 10th grade," gushes Envy On The Coast frontman Ryan Hunter when asked what it was like to grow up during the height of the scene's mainstream explosion. "I also worked at a music store where all the guys from Brand New and Taking Back Sunday would buy stuff. Just talking to them was really inspiring [and] watching those bands' dreams become a reality really gave me a lot of hope-and I think that's influenced us more than anything else." Originally formed three years ago while all the members were still in their teens, Envy On The Coast-which also features guitarist/vocalists/keyboardist Sal Bossio, guitarist/vocalist Brian Byrne, bassist Jeremy Velardi and drummer Dan Gluszak-may polarize potential fans with their debut full-length Lucy Gray, but they wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm already anticipating reviews that say, 'Long Island kids are confused with where they want to go,'" Hunter says with a sigh. "The sad thing is we're so far from confused. We have no reason to constrict ourselves to one different style because we're influenced by so many different things." While the band's 2006 self-titled EP may've landed them on the Bamboozle lineup and scored them a coveted slot on the inaugural AP Tour, not even the band's biggest cheerleaders (such as the aforementioned Beck), could have anticipated what they'd accomplish with Lucy Gray. With its waltzing keyboard line and Hunter's uncanny vocal resemblance to Daryl Palumbo, the opener "Sugar Skulls" is a perfect amalgam of both waves of Long Island hardcore. Further in, electronic flourishes and a double-time break keep "Mirrors" full of schizophrenic surprises, and plaintive ballads like "(X) Amount Of Truth," which features a guest appearance from As Tall As Lions' Dan Nigro, prove the band are as adept at harmonizing as they are at hammer-ons. However, that doesn't mean the recording sessions were easy. As the deadline approached to turn in the album, these childhood friends actually started to panic. "It definitely was a hard experience because it was the first time that something that's supposed to be enjoyable all the time wasn't," Hunter explains, adding that not having a voice for the 10 days he was scheduled to track vocals didn't help the situation either. "Then we went on tour with Circa Survive and that was the most inspiring thing ever," he continues, crediting the tour's co-headliners for helping the band focus on the music and ignore whatever was distracting them. In fact, after the AP Tour, the band were so stirred they wrote and recorded "Vultures," which turned out to be one of Lucy Gray's standout tracks. "It wasn't the most awesome process in the world, but I think what came out of it was really cool," Hunter insists. "The record has a certain character that bleeds through-and hopefully that makes up for all the sleep we missed while we were creating it." Jonah Bayer |
