It’s time to get real with this one. MT. ORIANDER and AMID THE OLD WOUNDS have just released a split 7” EP today, and if you’re looking for something to hit you right in the chest, this is it.
Released through Time As A Color and a handful of indie labels across the globe, this record doesn’t hold back on the feels. From the opening notes of You Chip Away Everything That Isn’t An Elephant by MT. ORIANDER, you know you’re not just in for a song—you’re in for a ride through nostalgia and bittersweet reflection.
Keith Latinen, of EMPIRE! EMPIRE! (I WAS A LONELY ESTATE) fame, brings those familiar twinkling guitars, easing you in, only to flip the script with a soaring section that punches right through the heart. Think MINERAL meets PENFOLD, but with a story that feels like you’ve just walked into a JD Salinger short story, or maybe something Douglas Coupland would’ve penned in his prime.
It’s a track that takes you through childhood memories, giving you the comfort of familiarity just before yanking the rug out with a gut-wrenching reveal.
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On the flip side, the IDIOTEQ featured AMID THE OLD WOUNDS brings a quieter but no less powerful vibe. Field of View is a slow burn, a steady, brooding track that feels like the soundtrack to someone making peace with their past—letting go, but never forgetting. Daniel Becker’s vocals weave through a journey of loss, healing, and moving forward, even if that means accepting that some fights can’t be won. It’s the kind of song that makes you sit with your thoughts for a while after the last note fades.
Then there’s Hypothetically Speaking I, a short but impactful track that keeps the mood steady. It feels like a bridge between Becker’s contribution on last year’s split with NO ACTION and this EP, pulling themes of abandonment and the questioning of old belief systems into the spotlight. It’s that awareness of needing to break away from the past that gives the song its weight.
This split isn’t the kind of record you blast on a carefree drive to the beach. Life’s not always sunshine, and this EP leans into that with full force.
The artwork, hand-drawn by Tommy Lester (Diddums Doodles), complements the EP perfectly—detailed, raw, and thoughtful, much like the songs themselves.
Whether you grab the deep blue sea or shallow waters vinyl variant, this release comes wrapped in sand-colored paper with a shaped sticker, complete with lyrics and a download code.
So, if you’re into the emotive stylings of EMPIRE! EMPIRE!, PENFOLD, or the more reflective moments of DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL and BON IVER, this one’s going to hit home. It’s a soundtrack for the moments when life feels heavier, but it’ll remind you that in that weight, you’re not alone.
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