The new two-track release Earthrise/ Gaia by Thought Trials is a sharp pivot from earlier post-rock material into something heavier, more aggressive, and more direct.
Built on a foundation laid years ago by Josh Martin, the songs pull from blackgaze, screamo, post-hardcore, and black metal atmospheres.
They’re also the first Thought Trials recordings to feature live drums, performed by Chris Wall. The lineup now forms a full live band, and this shift in scope is matched by an expanded thematic weight and sonic intensity.
Martin explains the core of the collaboration: “I wrote the framework for them years ago—scratching an itch I had for wanting to make something fast and heavy, a little outside the bounds of the post-rock box I had found myself in.”
From there, he brought in familiar collaborators Erin and Lauren Davis. “This is just stuff I could never create by myself. Erin has awesome technical ability and an ear for memorable leads. Lauren brings concepts and lyrics that turn riffs and beats into a SONG.”
The vocals from Davis are central. Across Earthrise and Gaia, she spans a wide range—emotionally, technically, conceptually. The lyrics trace an arc of ecological collapse and personal reckoning. “These are the songs I would play if I was directing the Battle of Helm’s Deep fight scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” she says, half-joking, but it’s not far off. The tracks erupt with urgency, built for moments of chaos and resistance.
“Earthrise is the perspective of how man saw the Earth from the moon. The famous image was captured by Bill Anders during the Apollo 8 mission,” Davis explains. “I asked, ‘How did man see the Earth before we destroyed it?’ And that sparked the lyrics for the song.” One line—“This change is too fast to not look up”—cuts straight to the point: we’re living in an accelerating crisis, one that won’t wait for us to catch up.
Gaia inverts the perspective, giving voice to the Earth itself.
“Gaia is Mother Earth, the Greek goddess of Earth, and I wanted to capture the perspective from her. What would she say to the current administration who denies climate change? What would she say to the people trying to put in effort for environmental change?”
That shift in lens—from human to planetary—grounds the track in mythic defiance. “These places we get to be free and ourselves are being destroyed,” she adds. “I wanted to emphasize the impact one’s choice has on others, including the Earth we live in. This planet made us—it can wipe us away clean if she wanted to. But we have this chance now to take care of her even while the administration is blinded by greed. Taking care of our planet is resistance. A way of doing that is learning to love ourselves.”
Davis trained for years to deliver the vocal power these tracks demand. “I wanted to prove to myself I have the skillset to be just as good as other male vocalists in the genre,” she says.
Her performance on Earthrise and Gaia meets that bar—raw, complex, and versatile. It builds on earlier collaborations with Martin, including the single “Kintsugi” and the politically charged “Uvalde,” which addressed gun violence in the U.S. “There was incredible feedback from friends that we should write more songs together. I felt inspired to grow in my vocals.”
Thought Trials will perform this new material live at Post. Festival in Indianapolis later this year, sharing the stage with Converge, This Will Destroy You, Emma Ruth Rundle, and We Lost the Sea. The project, once a solo studio vision, now feels built for stage and impact.
Outside of Thought Trials, Davis is taking time to reflect on her next steps. “I’m always open to collab and do vocal features with other bands and artists in the meantime. Greybloom is no longer active, but anyone can listen to all music for free on Bandcamp.” She also points to Secret Gardens—“They aren’t local in Dallas, but they will be taking over the world soon.”
Martin gives nods to two bands from Buffalo worth watching. “Del Paxton—been around something like ten years, consistently putting out great emo music with a nice mathy touch. FFO Braid, Mock Orange. On Topshelf Records. A newer band I need to shout out is Gatto Black. Sal is their main creative and he’s got an awesome screamo/hardcore with catchy hooks thing going on. FFO AFI, Have Heart.”
Earthrise//Gaia voices what needs to be said, with force, clarity, and craft. These aren’t just songs. They’re pressure points in time.
