There is a quote that I have heard many a time growing up—“fake it till you make it.” And that quote has come in clutch on several occasions, as life tends to come at you faster than you can anticipate. But even though they have made it, Summerbruise is still out here making waves as everyone’s favorite “fake emo” band. The Indianapolis-based act releases music that can be as humorous as it is emotional, whether they are touching on daily struggles or venting about completely meaningless tasks. In the fall, they will compile twelve of these types of songs into Infinity Guise, their first album with a major label. This is a huge milestone for Summerbruise, and they are celebrating the news with the release of “VAN,” which features Stoph Colasanto of Carpool.
An anthem for those who are feeling the effects of social burnout, “VAN” is all about retreating from the world. It starts out strong with lyrics like, “Another notification but my mind’s on an indefinite vacation / I tried replacing ‘sorry’ with ‘thanks for your patience’ / But started saying nothing at all,” taking us to a fragile place. The fragility of this place then gets tested the more the track plays out, as friends are avoided, drinks are cut off, and judgement is cast by bar-goers. All the while, the band’s creatively dynamic sound comes through, filling the track with cool emo rock, screamy layers of vocals, and playful melodies.
Infinity Guise will be Summerbruise’s first official release as a unit, as the band started out with lead vocalist and lyricist Mike Newman in 2015 before expanding into its now five-member lineup. It now includes Stanli Fryman on drums, John Parkison on bass, and guitarists Mitch Gulish and Cora Kunda. About the album, Mike explains,
“This was our first time in the studio since officially expanding from two members to five, and our first time ever writing together as a full band. Having so many more hands on the ball was exciting on its own, but the fact that some of those hands were fresh off of recording two of my unbiased favorite releases of the last few years (Arcadia Grey’s ‘Casually Crashing’ and saturdays at your place’s ‘always cloudy’) meant I got to watch what I would humbly consider a dream team of four of the most talented musicians I’ve ever known take these little stems and snippets of my ideas and develop them into songs I never could have dreamed of.”
Infinity Guise will be released on September 19 via SideOneDummy Records. You can listen to “VAN” here.
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