Long before East LA’s newest indie power trio became Lone Kodiak, singer/guitarist Dainéal Parker and bassist Daniel Alden were in a Portland band called Emberghost. Having risen to the upper ranks of a crowded PDX “post-hardcore” scene with their aggressive mix of anger and sorrow, Emberghost reliably sold out large venues like The Roseland and earned itself a trip to NYC to meet with Sony Music. It was around this time that their co-vocalist, the extraordinarily talented Sarah Jennings, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Sadly, she would not recover.
Though Lone Kodiak is a young band, the music conveys a rich history, littered with difficult, sometimes devastating memories and profound experiences alluded to in a reflective, nostalgic tone. There was some reluctance to start again from the beginning – but once they picked up drummer Andrew Smith, who injected an unexpected energy into the music they decided that if they were going to do it at all, they were going to really do it.
And they have.
Produced by Johnny What (BRÅVES, Nikki Reed) and mastered by Grammy Award winning, John Greenham (Ice Cube, Bastille, Katy Perry, Sam Smith), “Calm Down” is the first single from the band’s forthcoming debut double EP, Feet in the Water. The song’s uplifting vibe comes from lush layers of strings, handclaps, shimmering guitar work, and atmospheric vocals, a sound the band has called “campfire rock,” intimate and honest like a bedside lullaby, with the power to rock an arena.
The band is giving the song away to tide us over until the release of Feet In The Water later this summer. Click the SoundCloud link below, and click the “More” tab on the webpage for your free “Calm Down” download…your “Calm Download.” See what I did there? Enjoy!
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