Islander have released a new video and single entitled ‘Summer.’ It’s the first single with the band’s all new lineup featuring different members in every slot minus singer Mikey Carvajal. ‘Summer’ also marks the band’s departure from their former home of Victory Records.
Despite the change up in musicians, the song still carries all the hallmarks of a strong Islander track. Guitars still invoke a lot of reverbed, washed out tones and sounds pretty huge. Carvajal’s vocals move easily between his rapping and singing, his lyrical sights set on the shallowness of social media when the country faces a cultural and political blowout.
The band spoke to Alt Press about their recent move off Victory Records. Carvajal said, “It just wasn’t a good fit for us anymore. I think people are waiting for us to have some kind of crazy Spinal Tap story, and it’s just not like that. We are taking it slow and making sure it’s a good fit before we ‘put a ring on it,’ so to speak. The industry is changing, and it’s important for us to stay relevant to what’s going on today instead of what worked years ago.”
He’s also optimistic about the new lineup in the band, saying, “The new guys [David Sharpe, Chris Carvajal, Eric Pedersen, Andrew Fleming] are killing it, [and] I couldn’t have asked for a better group of dudes.” Time will tell what’s next for the new Islander, but things look good based on this new track.
Islanders latest album “Power Under Control” finds them doubling down on their alt-rock, punk via hip-hop inspired sound that’s more modern than retro. The highly anticipated sophomore album was released on August 5, 2016.
Our review for “Power Under Control” can be found here.
Upcoming Shows:
Aug 09 Moon Room Denver, CO
Aug 11 Amsterdam Bar and Hall Saint Paul, MN
Aug 12 The Annex Madison, WI
Aug 13 The Forge Joliet, IL
Aug 16 The Machine Shop Flint, MI
Aug 17 Rum Runners London, Canada
Aug 18 Sneaky Dee’s Toronto, Canada
Aug 19 Bar Le Ritz PDB Montréal, Canada
Aug 20 Mavericks Ottawa, Canada
Aug 22 Photo City Improv Rochester, NY
Aug 23 Cattivo Pittsburgh, PA
Weblinks: Facebook / Band website / Twitter / Instagram
Video for ‘Summer’