Signed with Blue Grape Music, joining a roster that includes Code Orange and Spiritual Cramp, hardcore punks from GEL will release their new EP, Persona on August 16th. The new EP features five tracks including the lead single, “Mirage,” which has been released alongside a music video directed by Eric Richter. Today, the band dropped their new video for the title-track and you can watch it above.
“Persona” follows “Mirage” (which garnered attention from the likes of Stereogum, The FADER, BrooklynVegan, Revolver Magazine, Alternative Press, and more) and offers another taste of the evolution in GEL’s sound. The track takes their ultra-visceral hardcore and somehow pushes it even further into the red, adding a dynamism that’s as infectious as it is intense.
GEL’s debut album, Only Constant, was highly acclaimed, earning a 5/5 rating and solidifying their place in the hardcore scene. With Persona, the band aims to build on that momentum while showcasing an evolution in their sound. Produced by Jon Markson, Persona captures GEL’s dynamic energy and collaborative creativity, promising a nuanced yet fiercely catchy experience that remains true to their hardcore roots.
Persona proves the band won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Produced/engineered by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, Jivebomb), the EP captures GEL embracing a bold sound without sacrificing even an ounce of the primal energy that makes their music so special. The band worked more collaboratively than ever before, tapping into the creative confidence gained through relentless touring to push themselves in new directions.
Vocalist Sami Kaiser describes the new record as “a step forward” for the band. “We really wanted to fill out the songs more and make them more nuanced,” Sami explains. “It’s different, it’s catchy, but it still really sounds like us.”
Guitarist Anthony Webster adds, “Only Constant was the cap on us doing that style of hardcore. At this point, we just have more of a sense of what a GEL song is and wanted to apply that to different songwriting.”
GEL’s intense live performances and their blend of hardcore with punk influences have earned them a reputation for unmatched energy and urgency on stage.
The band will be supporting the release of Persona with a series of tour dates across Europe and the US, including stops at major festivals such as Hellfest and Louder Than Life.
Tour Dates:
6/27 – Ysselstey, NL – Jera on Air
6/28 – Munster, DE – Vainstream Rockfest
6/30 – Clisson, FR – Hellfest
7/2 – Wiesbaden, DE – Kesselhaus
7/3 – Hamburg, DE – headCRASH
7/4 – Roskilde, DK – Rosklide Festival
7/6 – Belfort, FR – Eurockeennes
7/7 – Ypres, BE – Ieperfest
7/20 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
7/26 – Norwalk, CT – District Music Hall ^
7/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^
7/29 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall ^
7/31 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East ^
8/1 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West ^
8/2 – Louisville, KY – Porto ^
9/10 – Washington DC – Atlantis *
9/11 – Buffalo, NY – Rec Room *
9/12 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground *
9/14 – St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill Duck Room +
9/15 – Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s +
9/16 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge +
9/18 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry +
9/19 – Cudahy, WI – X Ray Arcade +
9/24 – Detroit, MI – Edgemen Printing +
9/25 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups +
9/27 – Louisville, KY – Louder than Life
9/29 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall Upstairs +
9/30 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room +
10/2 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge
10/3 – San Diego, CA – SOMA Side Stage +
10/4 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey +
10/5 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar +
10/7 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s +
10/8 – Portland, OR – Mission Theater
10/10 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock
10/12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court +
10/13 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater +
10/15 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck +
10/19 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom +
10/21 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair *
* w/ MSPAINT, Destiny Bond, The Mall
+ w/ MSPAINT, Destiny Bond
% w/ Have Heart
^ w/ FIDDLEHEAD
