My Epic — Aaron Stone [guitar, vocals], Tanner Morita [guitar], and Nate Washburn [guitar, bass] — are releasing an EP featuring live recordings of songs off their new album Loriella, which arrived earlier this year via Tooth & Nail Records, along with a YouTube live performance video called Loriella: The Film. Watch and listen below.
"Whether fans get a chance to see us on this record cycle or not, we were excited to bring Loriella to life in a slightly more grounded way and showcase all the energy, heart, joy that went into it," the band says. "Fully conceived and produced by the band, Loriella: The Film uses visually heightened performances to bring the maximalist production of Loriella into the real world. Loriella: The Film is what happens when the artistic intention of a music video is brought to the energy of a live show."
ABOUT MY EPIC:
My Epic tune into this moment of reawakening on their fourth full-length offering and Tooth & Nail Records debut Loriella. Balancing waves of warm distorted fuzz with lush melodies and cinematic production, the group make the kind of music that rouses the senses and might just encourage you to open your eyes, mind, and heart a little wider.
"The record is about having lived long enough to lose your innocence and still being able to find joy, hope, peace, and faith," explains Aaron. "I can be a critical person, but there's a difference between being critical and cynical. I understand why people end up choosing cynicism, because sometimes it can seem like the best way to make sense of all the data in the world–but I think cynicism is death. It's part of my aim to fight cynicism at every turn. The album is about discovery and re-engaging life with purpose on new terms of your own."
Throughout the past two decades, the band have quietly, yet consistently engaged a devout fanbase with a simultaneously anthemic and intricate approach to alternative rock. They've progressed across the likes of I Am Undone [2008], Yet [2010], and Behold [2013]. The latter notably catapulted onto the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart. Generating millions of streams, their catalog expanded with fan favorite EPs such as Viscera [2016], Ultraviolet [2018], and Violence [2019]—which HM Magazine hailed as "a blend of indie-alternative enchantments." Meanwhile, Cory Brandan of Norma Jean lent his voice to "White Noises.” During 2020, the band signed to Tooth & Nail, turning the page on another chapter as they set their sights on their first full-length since 2013. In between, life happened as band members became dads and moved around personally and professionally.
For the first time, Nate assumed the role of primary producer, and Loriella materialized over the course of two years in three different studios. Along the way, they nodded to early inspirations such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, and Third Eye Blind.