BANKS ARCADE SIGN TO UNFD + RELEASE NEW SINGLE ‘DON’T START’

UNFD is pleased to announce the signing of New Zealand-via Melbourne band Banks Arcade.

Bringing a fresh dose of modern heavy to Australian shores, Banks Arcade straddle elements of hard rock, electro and metalcore, taking influence from names like Northlane, The Prodigy and SAINt JHN. Today’s news comes alongside the reveal of their frenzied new single ‘Don’t Start’, a determined effort both musically and visually, that will no doubt snap heads. Meanwhile, the group detail their newly-formed worldwide management and booking team below.

“It has an unwavering confidence to it,” Banks Arcade vocalist Joshua O’Donnell declares of ‘Don’t Start’. “The song is aimed at those who try to tear us down behind closed doors but would never have the guts to front up and say something in person. It also speaks to the fact that most people talking shit the loudest are only doing it because they are threatened by you. It’s important to back yourself and not get too caught up on what others say.

“We are all trying to do this life thing right and we have to heal from shit, and most of the time people saying negative things are just using that as a way to deal with their own trauma. I just let it roll off my back and choose to focus on getting better at what I do.”

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO ‘DON’T START’

READ THE FULL BIO HERE
Reflecting on their ambitious beginnings out of Auckland just a handful of years ago, O’Donnell shares that the first lyrics Banks Arcade penned together were “I always wanted to make history”. Heard on the single they would eventually title ‘Ambition’, this sentiment has carried through in every highly considered creative move the band has made since. From their compelling visuals and stage presence to their boundary-pushing sound, this history-making urge is evident from all angles of the Banks Arcade camp.

This unshakable sense of vision and resolve has taken the group to new heights on each release. Following their 2018 debut EP Endnote Banks Arcade backed it up with 2020’s Fever Dreams, spawning colossal singles like ‘Sick’ and ‘Drown’ while amassing over 1 Million streams. Snapping all sorts of industry attention in its wake, the five-piece were soon signing deals with Ryan Richards at Future History Management (Holding Absence, Loathe, Sleep Token +), and building a worldwide booking team comprising Select Music (AU/NZ), Sound Talent Group (The Americas) and United Talent Agency (ROW) alongside joining the UNFD camp.

On signing the group for management, Ryan Richards says:
“Future History are delighted to welcome ‘Banks Arcade’ to our management roster, and to be once again working with our good friends at UNFD. With the band’s genre-defying musicality and vision, coupled with their ambition and tenacity, we look forward to building their live profile in Australia and New Zealand for the rest of 2021, before taking Banks Arcade global with the stellar Worldwide team in place from the offset.”

On coming to sign Banks Arcade, UNFD’s Luke Logemann shares:
“Earlier this year, we got an email from producer George Lever telling us about this incredible record he’d just made with a young New Zealand band called Banks Arcade. From the moment we hit play on their new music, everyone at the label fell in love. We managed to spend some great time with the band and see their first Australian show earlier this year. This is a band pushing musical boundaries and pouring themselves into their lyrics and art, and we can’t wait to share their music with the world.”

‘Don’t Start’ is out now via UNFD. Stay tuned for the debut album from Banks Arcade in 2022.

BANKS ARCADE IS:
Joshua O’Donnell
(vocals / guitar)
Jason Meadows (guitar)
Kenny Kemsley (keyboards)
Harlan Allen-Jones (bass)
James Feekes (drums)

INVENT ANIMATE SIGN TO UNFD + ANNOUNCE NEW EP ‘THE SUN SLEEPS, AS IF IT NEVER WAS’, OUT SEPT 23

Fresh from a string of US signings including Hollow Front, Vatican, Sleep Waker and Moodring, UNFD is now pleased to welcome fellow US heavy mainstays Invent Animate to the roster.

Today’s signing news is bolstered by the announce of the band’s new EP The  Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was and the reveal of its first single ‘The Sun Sleeps’. Out in full September 23, the EP finds Invent Animate opening up a powerful discourse on the ricochet effect of trauma and addiction.

Searingly close to drummer Trey Celaya and his family’s story navigating a drug addiction crisis, it comprises a one-two punch of songs describing both perspectives of this tragic and deeply painful scenario. The first track, today’s ‘The Sun Sleeps’ sheds light on the story from the perspective of the drug affected, meanwhile the accompanying ‘As If It Never Was’ explores the view of those left reeling in the sphere of impact of drug addiction.
 
Speaking of ‘The Sun Sleeps’, Trey shares: “We wanted to explore both sides of a deeply painful situation, and to draw out how nuanced and weird and difficult these things can be.

“I think people are learning in the modern day it’s not as simple as ‘this is just a bad person, and they were addicted to drugs and they did it to themselves’, there’s always a string of trauma and things that are not dealt with and stigmatised mental health that sets off a spiral. Even if one person is clearly in the wrong, it doesn’t exempt them from being a victim in another sense.”

Speaking conceptually of the EP as a whole, he adds: “Despite all attempts to keep our darker reality shadowed in secrecy, there comes a moment in time when the truth can no longer be hidden behind closed doors or empty excuses. And at once, everything is revealed, as if the Light is a constant law of nature laying bare the secrets we believe are ours to keep. In this infinite moment, the bond shared between two loved ones is severed. The flow of time does not wash away the scars, it only immortalises what is suspended in the balance – the pain of loss, the gift of hindsight, and the curse of hope. What will always be a memory. This EP is a true story of addiction and the trauma that lies in its aftermath of a secret too dark to be hidden.”

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO ‘THE SUN SLEEPS’
READ THE FULL BIO HERE
About Invent Animate:
Amid a generation gripped by loneliness, fear, and a desperate concern for the state of the world, Invent Animate are grabbing fans by the hand and choosing to walk with them.

There’s a sense of duty among the band – comprising vocalist Marcus Vik, bassist Caleb Sherradan, drummer Trey Celaya and guitarist Keaton Goldwire – to bare their own pain and tragedy for their listeners, indeed creating a safe, familiar place for listeners to process their own. It’s this deeply empathic and concerned approach to their output that sets Invent Animate apart, and has seen the band develop a close knit, cult-like following over their 10+ years together.

“I think what’s really important to our generation of music consumers is finding something beautiful out of all the chaos,” shares bassist Caleb. “It’s important to us – we’ve got a lot on our plate, life is weird, life is hard – but we’ve come to understand how important it is as artists to be there with our listener, to be vulnerable ourselves so they might be able to say, ‘thank you, you guys helped me articulate this’ or, ‘you guys helped me walk through this journey’ because of what we’ve created.”

Stationed across Texas, Colorado and Sweden (following Vik’s recruitment in 2019), Invent Animate are now in prime position to break new ground on their new label address. Now rubbing shoulders alongside a plethora of previous touring partners including Silent Planet and ERRA, and Spotify “sounds like” mates such as Like Moths To Flames, Void Of Vision and Thornhill, the four-piece perfectly complement the UNFD roster with their blend of ambient metalcore, djent and prog.

Invent Animate release The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was on September 23.
INVENT ANIMATE IS:
Marcus Vik (vocals)
Keaton Goldwire (guitar)
Trey Celaya (drums)
Caleb Sherradan (bass)

INVENT ANIMATE // THE SUN SLEEPS, AS IF IT NEVER WAS
OUT SEPT 23 VIA UNFD:

https://unfd.lnk.to/thesunsleeps

TRACKLIST:
1. The Sun Sleeps
2. ,
3. As If It Never Was

UNFD WELCOME MOODRING TO ROSTER + RE-ISSUE ‘SHOWMETHEREALYOU’ EP w/ BONUS SINGLE ‘EMPTY ME OUT’

Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Moodring mark the latest brood to join the UNFDroster. An intriguing mix of alt-rock, shoegaze, grunge and nu-metal sensibilities, frontman Hunter Young describes how the band’s name acts effectively as a disclaimer for this group’s ethos.

“Moodring is not easily defined; our sound can and will change, morph and evolve, even across the course of a single song. Our identity is genre-fluid,” reveals Hunter.

“Lyrically, Moodring is pure teenage angst,” he adds, speaking of deeply personal vignettes which hint at toxic relationships and cycles of abuse; “When people contact me via the Moodring page and tell me something like, “I relate to this”, I legitimately feel bad for them. I’m like, “Fuck, I’m sorry, I really wish you didn’t.” But, in my experience, that is how human beings relate to each other, through misery.”

Today’s signing announcement, which comes shortly after recent US signings including Hollow Front, Vatican and Sleep Waker, coincides with UNFD’s re-issuing of Moodring’s recent EP, Showmetherealyou. Co-produced by Young at his home studio, the re-release comes with the addition of a bonus single ‘Empty Me Out’.

“’Empty Me Out’ is about cannibalism,” explains Hunter. “The lyrics were inspired by the character Gluttony from an Anime series, ‘Full Metal Alchemist’, who has an insatiable hunger, I found that concept really intriguing. Musically, the track is darker too, and stems from the heavier side of Moodring, showcasing how our sound cannot be easily defined or categorised.”

Rather than Anime, its brand new music video (watch it HERE), channels 80’s Hollywood, taking inspiration from the cult classic vampire film The Lost Boys.

About Moodring:
Forged in a furnace of experience, experimentation and existential crisis, Moodring is an entity orbiting a lone, core ambition: to create music with no ceiling.

“I grew up on the alternative bands of the 1990s,” says frontman Hunter Young; “No matter what new interests might come and go, I am forever drawn back to the classic albums of that era; they feel larger than life, not bound to a fad or trend – timeless. That’s what we aspire to with our band, to create songs that can transcend any scene.”

Between them, the members of Moodring – Young, guitarist Sean Dolich, drummer Lindy Harter and bassist Kalan Blehm – have a musical rap sheet longer than any of them care to recall. Yet, despite all this musical promiscuity, it wasn’t until May of 2019 that they finally found the vehicle that could carry forth their most authentic creative selves.

“We were searching for the sound in our heads,” says Hunter. “In modern life, we all struggle to stop, to be still; I know that there are few things that can hold my attention for very long. But when we are writing music for Moodring, we feel a different level of focus. Once we’d tapped the right vein, the sound just started to gush from us.”

Moodring’s Eureka moment came with ‘Gasoline’. A driving slab of rhythm guitars and atmospheric leads topped by moody, ethereal vocals, the song freed the dragon Hunter had been chasing. And, cage unlocked, the songs which comprise debut EP Showmetherealyou burst forth – Moodring was born.

Moodring is: Hunter Young (vocals/guitar), Sean Dolich (guitar/BV), Lindy Harter(drums) and Kalan Blehm (bass). Showmetherealyou is out now via UNFD.

DEAR SEATTLE MARK HUGE RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE ‘IN MY HEAD’ + ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE TOUR

Back with their first taste of new music since 2019’s acclaimed Don’t Let Go album, one of Australia’s favourite modern rock acts – Dear Seattle – are back with new single ‘In My Head’. After premiering via triple j‘s Good Nights yesterday, today’s official release comes alongside the announce of a long-awaited Dear Seattle headline tour, before the band premiere the ‘In My Head’ music video this Friday June 11 via Youtube at 4pm AEST.

Glowing yet melancholic in sound, Dear Seattle vocalist/guitarist Brae Fisher shares that ‘In My Head’ describes the familiar feeling of being stuck in your own head while trying to connect with others.

“It’s been a minute, but we’re so damn excited to be back with new music! ‘In My Head’ is about stepping back into your regular life after a period of withdrawn reflection, walking around like a spectator to your own life. There’s a thin barrier of disconnection as you try to adjust and settle back into everyday interactions, which is just enough to make you notice the true absurdity of monotonous small talk and forced conversations,” he says.

“It’s a more nuanced and mature direction for us but still keeps the classic Dear Seattle sound with an emotionally charged singalong chorus and introspective verses, so it  felt like the perfect song for us to return with. We can’t wait to get back out there and play some this song and our other new tunes for you live.”

STREAM THE NEW SINGLE ‘IN MY HEAD’ NOW:
https://dearseattle.lnk.to/inmyhead

Following recent appearances supporting Dune Rats on their national tour, playing Summer Sounds in Adelaide earlier in the year and appearing at Next Exit Festival (Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane + more) last month, Dear Seattle are finally appeasing the masses with the announce of their national single tour. For the first time since selling out all shows on their 2019 Australian headliner, the band will head around the country next month with support from Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. Full dates and ticket details below.

‘IN MY HEAD’ MUSIC VIDEO
PREMIERES THIS FRI JUNE 11 AT 4PM AEST VIA DEAR SEATTLE’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

About Dear Seattle:
After snapping heads with their 2017 self-titled EP, (spawning tours with the likes of Tired Lion, Balance And Composure, Hockey Dad and Trophy Eyes, and festival slots on Groovin’ The Moo, UNIFY, Festival Of The Sun and Party In The Paddock), Dear Seattle asserted themselves as one of Australia’s most exciting young rock acts with the release of their 2019 debut full-length Don’t Let Go.

Exploring the stress and challenge of being a full-time musician, anxiety (‘Bigger Than My Brain’), self-doubt (‘Daytime TV’), reckless living (‘Homegrown’), the fake nature of the music industry (‘Try’) and perhaps most searingly, the death of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Brae’s father (‘I Keep Dreaming’), Don’t Let Go packed in poetic lyricism and plainspoken Australian storytelling, all peppered with an endearing dose of self-deprecation.

Offering a depth and dimension not too often found in their genre, Dear Seattle captured industry and audience hearts alike upon the album’s release in February 2019. Don’t Let Go garnered praise from the likes of Pilerats (“stellar”), The Music, (“hard not to fall in love with”), New Noise (“an immaculate effort”) and more, saw the band invited to play triple j’s lauded Like A Version segment, copped a nomination for Best Rock/Punk Album at the 2020 AIR Awards and spawned a huge headline Australian tour to celebrate. To date the record has also amassed over 7.5 million streams.

Now with a few years and some more life behind them, plus a renewed focus to write completely for themselves, Dear Seattle return with ‘In My Head’ before looking to release more new music soon.

SLEEP WAKER SIGN TO UNFD, ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘ALIAS’ OUT JULY 23

Sleep Waker — comprising guitarists Jake Impellizzeri and Jason Caudill, vocalist Hunter Courtright, drummer Frankie Mish, and bassist Aaron Lutas — are the latest act to sign with UNFD. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based band will release their second album Alias, serving as a label debut, on Friday July 23. Pre-save it here.

Today’s announcement sees Sleep Waker have also share the video for the album’s first single ‘Distance‘. Watch it here.

“’Distance’ is about loss — more specifically, losing someone very close to you,” says Courtright. “For me, it’s about witnessing my grandfather struggle with dementia. His passing really hit me and it was a very hard and emotional experience. I immediately knew I needed an outlet for that feeling and started working on the lyrics that eventually turned into ‘Distance’.”

Mish furthers, “When writing ‘Distance,’ we realised this was the perfect song to round off this album. We had most of the songs finished and this demo just sat there as a lead and a chorus, and the further we got into the process, the more we realised we really needed something to stick out as a major emotional point in the album. Once that clicked, the song just easily flowed out.”

Overall, Alias is the sort of album that asks listeners to examine who we are, how we quantify our reality, and what it means to be alive. Although rooted in many of the same conceptual themes and ideas that gave the band their successful start in 2017, this time they’re diving even deeper. This time, it’s not just conceptual exploration. This time it’s personal.

“When I had the idea to start the band, I had insomnia and sleep paralysis,” says Mish. “It was a big thing in my life. I had the name Sleep Waker, I was playing around with logos and stuff like that. And then Hunter mentioned he had insomnia as a kid. So we bonded over that connection.

“Each release has had a theme built around experiences we’ve had in dreams, or concepts based around sleep,” he continues. “[2017 debut EP] ‘Lost In Dreams’ established that, and [2018’s debut album] ‘Don’t Look At The Moon ‘was all about sleep paralysis. But we tag-teamed the lyrics this time. I write from a lot of my personal experiences of nightmares and dreams. Overall, our overarching theme has always been the band name itself.”

“I’ve had hallucinations,” Courtright reveals. “I’ve had the feeling of someone sitting on my chest, and monolithic figures staring at me from the corner of my bedroom. That stuff’s definitely still interwoven throughout the album. But things really took a shift this time. On this record, my lyrics are quite literal and personal. Everything I wrote was either situational to my life, or about how a person can be changed by a life event or circumstance, thus creating an alias.”
CLICK BELOW TO WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘DISTANCE’

Part of the problem in trying to tie the Sleep Waker story up in neat bows is that the band’s constituent parts are still in the middle of it, working on where it goes. Alias represents but one chapter, albeit a significant one.

To stretch the metaphor, think instead, of the five-piece as lightly restful before, while this record sees them drop deep into the REM-phase of sleep. It’s fitting then, that its songs keep coming back to the questions of who we are, what we are, what is real, and if we can even trust our own judgement to answer those conundrums.

Influences range from Philip K. Dick to Twin Peaks, The Matrix and Blade Runner, to Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop.

In a world of synthetic reality, AR, VR and simulation theory, questioning whether we’re really awake or just experiencing a construct of reality can no longer be dismissed as a crackpot notion. We don’t yet know enough about the wider universe to definitively answer many of life’s biggest questions. So as the lines between life, art, and experience become ever more blurred, why shouldn’t Sleep Waker blend pop culture with their own personal realities? And yet, in amongst all of these otherworldly sci-fi settings and lofty ideas, you have incredibly heavy, very real, and hard-hitting sentiments.

Sleep Waker is: Hunter Courtright (vocals), Jake Impellizerri (guitar), Jason Caudill (guitar), Frankie Mish (drums) and Aaron Lutas (bass). Alias is out in full July 23 via UNFD.

UNFD SIGN SAVANNAH METAL BREAKOUTS VATICAN

UNFD is pleased to welcome Savannah metal-outfit Vatican to the family as its latest signing, who join the likes of Silverstein, Stray From The Path, ERRA, Frank Iero, and more on the label’s roster.

After developing a name for themselves and garnering press praise from Revolver, Kerrang!, New Noise, and more with 2019’s full-length Sole Impulse, the five-piece are now storming out of the gates hard with their new double-single effort Become A New God.

Featuring singles ‘Absolute Reality’ and ‘Fractured God’, the latter of which premiered by SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal this week,  the release finds Vatican tackling the complexity of the human experience and all its brokenness, uncertainties, strangeness, and need for constant self-reflection and improvement. Today’s release also comes alongside the reveal of a music video for ‘Fractured God’.

Vatican vocalist Mike Sugars offers some deep insight about each track here:

“‘Fractured God’ is about questioning who you are, and what makes up your individuality,” he explains. “Are we truly individuals, or are we products of ideals passed on from last generations? Do we have our own ideals or are we just vessels for those we inherited?”

Regarding ‘Absolute Reality’, he adds, “We talk about undeniable truths, and how hard they are to find. There’s a constant flow of information and disinformation in the world today, and it flows at an ever-increasing rate. How can we possibly take all of this and use it to create real context in a technological landscape where this information is disseminated out to users who just chew it up and repeat it?”

He finishes: “Become A New God, as a pairing of these songs, is trying to question what it is to be human in an increasingly complex world and time.”

While edging on sub-genres like djent and industrial, Vatican draw on influences like Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan, while also sitting tightly against new wave risers like Knocked Loose and fellow Southern heavyweights Kublai Khan.

Guitarist Tom Lovejoy shares how their ethos as individuals and as Vatican cuts through in Become A New God, saying:

“Part of what I think we all represent as people and a band is the idea of taking yourself to task when challenges come up, and figuring out the healthiest, most constructive way to deal with it. That’s why some of the lyrics are extremely blunt, and why the title of the record is, too; it’s not shrouded in metaphors. It’s just a quick way of saying, ‘Accept that maybe you’ve fucked some things up and it’s nobody’s responsibility but yours to fix that.'”

Become A New God is out now via UNFD.
VATICAN IS:
Mike Sugars (vocals)
Tom Lovejoy (guitar)
Nolan Mobley (guitar)
Josian Soto-Ramos (drums)
Jonathan Mackey (bass)

Stream the new double single
‘Become A New God’ now:

unfd.lnk.to/becomeanewgod

UNFD CELEBRATE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN 2021 + ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE ECO-FRIENDLY VINYL RE-ISSUE SERIES + LAUNCH UNFD PODCAST

UNFD is proud to celebrate its 10 year anniversary in 2021 with the launch of an exclusive eco-friendly vinyl series, as well as a podcast focused on deep diving into the artists, story and legacy behind each album being re-pressed throughout the year. More details below.

About UNFD:
In 2011, UNFD was founded as a label rebrand from the already established Boomtown Records (2002-2010). Initially launched as an independent Australian label specialising in hard rock and heavy metal music, UNFD has worked with some of the most iconic Australian artists in the heavy space including The Amity Affliction, Northlane, In Hearts Wake, Thy Art Is Murder, Hands Like Houses and many more.

2021 finds the label with an established global presence, with staff operating out of its offices in London, Los Angeles and Melbourne, and close to half of its current roster consisting of non-Australian artists working with the label globally. A household brand in the Australian heavy landscape, UNFD also assists with the curation of heavy music festival UNIFY Gathering, rebranded its online merch store to the now widely known 24Hundred in 2013, and leads a thriving Facebook community called UNFD Social Club with over 5,000 members.

UNFD is part of the wider UNIFIED Music Group family. Read more about UNIFIED’s brands and services here.

About the UNFD eco-friendly vinyl series + official podcast:
To celebrate its 10 Year moment, UNFD has hand-picked 10 albums from its first decade to re-visit via an eco-friendly vinyl press and a dedicated episode of the just-announced UNFD Podcast featuring artist interviews and deep dives. Inspired by the success of In Hearts Wake’s 2020 album KALIYUGA, each record re-press is made using recycled materials with no plastic shrink wrap, while the pressing process itself was carbon offset.

On celebrating the label’s first decade, UNFD General Manager Luke Logemann says:

“In our first 10 years, UNFD had a simple goal of just establishing ourselves and curating a roster of artists that helped represent our passion for music and independent label brands. As we move into our second decade doing this, we find ourselves thinking more and more about community and impact. Starting with a series of releases that aim to limit our environmental impact and create meaningful moments based around meaningful music, that felt like the best way to celebrate.”

The official UNFD podcast launches today featuring an Introductory episode with Logemann discussing some of the history and evolution of the label, as well as announcing the first albums to be getting the special re-press treatment – In Hearts Wake‘s acclaimed ‘Earthwalker’ / ‘Skydancer’ albums, recorded together and released 12 months apart in 2014/15.

IHW vocalist Jake Taylor’s interview on the podcast (hosted by The Faction/ex-Triple M’s David Nash) will land next Tuesday.

Stay tuned as UNFD continue to celebrate the legacy of some of its most loved albums throughout 2021, with a new re-press feature record & podcast episode revealed each month until December.

New exclusive LP launching every month
Available for pre-order at:
 unfdstore.com

Subscribe to the UNFD Podcast here: