The iconic words of Australian poet Bon Scott, “It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ‘n’ roll,” ring true for a local band, E.R.I.E., that’s bringing the challenges of underground rock band life to life through an ambitious three-part release cycle.
E.R.I.E., a quartet blending heartland rock and pop-punk influences, is preparing to release “The Highs, The Lows, and Everything in Between,” a concept album detailing the ups and downs of a band’s journey in the music industry. Taking an unconventional approach, the band is splitting the album into three separate releases, each capturing a different phase of the journey.
In September 2023, the band released “THE HIGHS,” followed by “THE LOWS” in December. The third part, “And Everything in Between,” will drop in late February. After all three EPs are out, E.R.I.E. plans to combine them into a full-length album.
This ambitious plan required the band to expand its operational approach. Lead singer TJ Foster explained how the process began after the release of their 2023 album “Suburban Mayhem.”
“I had a lot more to say, and the whole underground musician journey sparked something new for me,” Foster said. He went on to explain how their friend Angelina Valente told them about a grant from Saratoga Arts, which funded their project.
With the grant, E.R.I.E. pitched an idea to break the album into three parts: the beautiful, the painful, and the gray areas in between. Saratoga Arts approved the pitch and provided the band with a $2,500 grant, which helped cover the costs of the expanded recording process.
For previous albums, the band self-recorded in Foster’s basement, but the scale of this project required a larger setup. This time, they enlisted their friend Alec Lewis to help record and produce the album, with Mike Dwyer mixing the tracks at The Bunker in Catskill. This collaboration allowed E.R.I.E. to achieve what bassist Levi Jennes called their “sonic potential.”
The recording process also led to some personnel changes. The band rotated producers and even switched lead guitarists with each release, with Lewis himself stepping in as the latest guitarist for the band. Lewis described his personal “high” from the creative process, saying, “The highs are always trying to make things better than the last thing I made. That’s the biggest rush for me.”
The creative energy shared by the band members is evident in their music, especially on “THE HIGHS,” which features songs like “Hard Headed”—a high-energy anthem about rocking out—and “A Lot to Think About.” Jennes also highlighted the band’s growth as performers, which shines through on “the lows” track “Good Time.” This song delves into the pressures of maintaining a social media presence in the music industry, a challenge that three of the band members face. The track uses creative sonic elements to reflect the emotional strain and frustration associated with balancing artistry and salesmanship.
Looking ahead to “And Everything in Between,” Foster anticipates capturing the overlooked aspects of band life, such as rehearsals, long recording sessions, and the monotonous routines of setting up and breaking down shows. Once all three EPs are released, the band plans to compile them into one CD with a new sequence that doesn’t just follow the release order but redefines the narrative from highs to lows to everything in between.
As the project nears completion, the significance of the album changes for each band member. Foster hopes the album resonates with other musicians and listeners chasing their own dreams. For Jennes, however, the project holds a more personal meaning. He explains, “None of us have high dreams of superstardom. This is music for us and each other, part of our friendship and memories.”
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