E.R.I.E. ‘Suburban Mayhem’ Release Party (w/ Seize Atlantis, ALMA)

E.R.I.E. came on to the Albany, NY scene in 2020, the week a global pandemic began to rear its ugly head. What began as a passion project dreamt up while singer/songwriter TJ Foster was laid up in a hospital bed for emergency heart surgery, quickly turned into a fully-formed quartet that consistently wins over audiences with their catchy songs, camaraderie and energetic live performances.

Their debut album, Don’t Wanna Live, Don’t Wanna Die (released on Mint 400 Records), takes listeners on a journey through existentialism, mortality, and the universal challenge of trying to make the most of our time here. With their blend of Springsteen-tinged pop/rock, E.R.I.E. has been compared to artists like The Gaslight Anthem, Frightened Rabbit and Frank Turner. The band – guitarist Matt Delgado, drummer Chad Flewwelling and bassist Levi Jennes, alongside Foster – is currently writing and recording the follow-up at home in Upstate New York.

“…a class act with lots of passion and a great chemistry, making them very easy to like and cheer for…” – Nippertown

ALMA is often compared to artists like Sylvan Esso, Tune Yards, The Staves, and Dirty Projectors. Their music is immersive, chock full of vocal harmony and homegrown production. ALMA worked with industry giants, Elliot Moss (mixing) and Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (mastering) to bring their genre-bending freshman album, MOSAIC, to light.

ALMA is comprised of Alba S. Torremocha (vocals, strings, bass, drums, guitar, uke) Lillie R. McDonough (vocals, piano, glock, violin, hammer dulcimer), and Melissa K. Carter (vocals, guitar). The trio formed officially in 2019 out of a shared delight in harmonizing and experimentation with quirky instrumentals and old-fangled synthesizers.

“Stark, raw, and powerfully moving, an understated yet heartbreaking work of cinematic beauty.” — Under The Radar