Over the past two years, Texas post rock and ambient infused emotive screamo act I SEE LAND have released a couple of EPs and gone on a few tours, and now they’re on the verge of releasing their debut LP, slated to be released through We’re Trying Records on July 20th. We have teamed up with the band to give all fans of SAETIA, RESPIRE, and PAGENINETYNINE a good example of a restyled and refreshed brand of the heart-rending genre that has been widely misunderstood for its mainstream appeal. We’re eagerly trying to correct any misconceptions and give you a full range of screamo bands, and I SEE LAND is a truly interesting, unconventional, and worthy addition to the catalogue.
Here’s what the band had to say about the record:
Overall, this album is reflective of the changes we’ve gone through as individuals and as a band over the last year. Since we released our last Ep, I’ll Probably Die Here, we’ve experienced a lineup change along with some big moments in our personal lives. With this self-titled album, we have tried to embrace the DIY ethic that has been central to everything we’ve done as a band so far. Every aspect of this album was done by us, on our own terms; from the conception of the songs to the recording, mixing, and mastering process.
Also, we feel the sound is in radical contrast to our previous releases. We left I’ll Probably Die Here with some feelings of disenchantment. We were in a state of flux, with musical ideas that were incohesive. Truthfully, it was all a bit rushed and undercooked.
This feels like a course correction for us. While this album is inspired by a variety of Screamo artists like pageninetynine, Portraits of the Past, Saetia, and Suis la Lune; we feel it stands alone as an original work. We spent months writing and refining the songs until they became something we were satisfied with.
Listen and see some additional insights on 2 of the tracks below.
02 / “Empath”
This track came together rather quickly. It contains many of the same themes from “Heat Death of the Universe.” Musically, it has a bit more depth than Heat Death, with various layers of instrumentation, primarily from the guitars, creating and atmosphere of melodic uncertainty. Lyrically, the song takes on issues of mental health, giving perspective on what it’s like to live in the hazy state of being medicated in the name of mental stability.
05 / “Heat Death of the Universe”
This turned out to be our favorite song on the LP, which is ironic considering the fact that we gave up on it several times. This song, in many ways, is a throwback to some Screamo classics. However, we put our personal twist on it, clashing a harsh vocal style with melodic instrumentation over the second part of the song. We feel like we fit a lot of dynamics and musical motifs into a song that is only 2 minutes long. Lyrically, the song addresses many of the issues that we’ve discussed previously. The song meanders between questions of existential dread, human suffering, and dealing with scars from the past.
Catch I SEE LAND on tour at the following stops in late July and early August:
