Arcadia Ego, a Liverpool-based post-hardcore quartet, drop their debut EP, Can You Still Feel Me?, on February 28, 2025, and today we’re pleased to give you an early listen of all new songs, through a special premiere below!.
Formed in 2023 with members from across northern England, the band has become a steady presence in Liverpool’s rock and metal scene, driven by a unique sound and a commitment to delivering intense live performances. They juggle their music with studies at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, gigging relentlessly while writing and recording, hitting the studio in late 2023/early 2024 to shape this project.
The EP blends post-hardcore, emo, shoegaze, and pop-punk, opening with “CYSFM,” where twinkly guitars give way to wailing screams that end with the titular question. Vocals range from softly spoken to piercing yells, backed by relentless drums, thumping basslines, and throttling guitars.
“As for our creative process, we bring together a myriad of influences, such as Title Fight, Fugazi, Orchid, Deftones and Bring Me The Horizon, in order to create something unique and true to us.” – says the band.
It’s not a polished effort—it’s rough, reflecting the band’s raw state when they formed. The tracks tackle heavy themes: self-destruction, self-worth, drug abuse, religion, and loss. The title, taken from the closing lines of the final track, “Ink,” captures a sense of grasping at something slipping away—whether a person, a part of oneself, or something intangible.
View this post on Instagram
“Silence” probes self-hatred and destruction, depicting a mind that invents hatred and intolerance where none exists. “Stab me with the words I can’t hear” anchors the chorus, a stark image of internal noise drowning out healing. It ends with “Feed me to the dying silence,” a bleak wish to vanish into isolation, seeing no other way forward.
View this post on Instagram
“Moonlight,” written by band member Nat, confronts a Catholic upbringing turned disillusioned. Losing faith left a void Nat filled with damaging vices, trying to feel whole again. The song unfolds as a one-sided internal dialogue, questioning why religion took hold and what broke it, expanding into a critique of the Catholic Church’s positions on LGBTQ rights and other issues. It’s a mind turned inward, searching for answers in the wreckage.
The EP’s cover art—a fog-enshrouded image of Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral—mirrors its weight.
View this post on Instagram
The cathedral, a daily sight for the band, looms with an eerie, apocalyptic feel, tying directly to “Moonlight’s” themes and grounding the project in their city’s stark landscape.
For Arcadia Ego, Can You Still Feel Me? marks their first chapter, a jagged exploration of doubt, acceptance, and loss.
They’re already recording a second EP, aiming to reach more listeners in 2025.
Locally, they’ve found support among Liverpool’s underground punk bands but face resistance from promoters and venues that prioritize indie over their sound.
Thanks to promoters like NoPlay, a punk scene is emerging, but it’s dwarfed by Manchester’s, lacking the attention it needs. With more focus, Liverpool’s underground could reveal bands like Arcadia Ego, ready for wider recognition.
