For a band that was dreamt up in a hospital bed, indie-rock quartet E.R.I.E. certainly has a lot of life in them. After emergency heart surgery in the Fall of 2018, TJ Foster spent the following year writing and recording Don’t Wanna Live, Don’t Wanna Die in an attempt to not only reflect on the harrowing ordeals that brought him to that hospital room, but also to get back to his roots as a songwriter.
And while that March 2020 debut effectively highlighted a greatly personal, existential struggle with both mental and physical health, second LP Suburban Mayhem arrives with grander scope and vision. The album, due April 7th via Mint 400 Records, turns its focus externally, commenting vividly on the outside forces burrowing into our brains on a daily basis. It’s a resplendent examination of the world around us, rife with equal parts cynicism, wit, and hope. Featuring pitch-perfect collaborations with Brooklyn-based dream-pop trio ALMA, and fellow Albany, NY area songwriter Sydney Worthley, the record showcases a band not only finding their footing but settling into a signature sound affectionately self-described as Tom Petty cosplaying as blink-182.
See E.R.I.E. perform at Lark Hall in Albany March 18th, at Lost & Foundin Albany April 7th and The Park Theater in Glens Falls April 27th.
