EXCLUSIVE: Scranton alt rockers Eye on Attraction debut new singer in ‘Pleasantville’ lyric video
It has been almost a year since we last heard from Eye on Attraction, but the Scranton progressive/alternative rockers certainly made it worth the wait.
After parting ways with their second vocalist last year following a successful tour with Las Vegas hard rock band Adelitas Way, EoA laid low but never stopped working on new material. With who, though? As it turns out, they didn’t have to look far for their new singer.
Jen Fracas, who has helped with the band’s marketing and graphic design for years, decided to step into the role. While this marks her first time singing in a band, listening to their new song “Pleasantville” just makes you wonder why she waited so long.
“I was always a ‘behind-the-scenes’ gal, but I’m really looking forward to being a part of the show for once!” Fracas told NEPA Scene.
“I’ve always wanted to pursue music. In high school, I started playing guitar and learning basic music theory. There was a time between vocalists a couple years ago where [drummer] Andrew [Merkle] and I had talked about the possibility of me filling in, but I wanted to pursue marketing/graphic design, so we tabled it. When the opportunity came up a year ago, I was in a position where I wanted to try something new, creatively. It just made sense.”
The track debuted online in a bright animated lyric video that Fracas made, and while it looks and sounds great, Fracas was admittedly a bit nervous to debut her singing voice to the general public.
“I was very nervous to see the reactions! Just like with any art, there’s a lot of self-doubt, especially since this was a new area for me,” she explained.
“The guys in EoA are so incredibly musically talented, I wanted nothing more than to do the track justice. This is also the first lyric video I’ve done, so I was nervous about the reaction to that as well!”
Depicting a beautiful house that isn’t exactly what it seems as first, the song and its video usher in a new era for Eye on Attraction, which also includes Joe “Quincy” Terry on bass and Mike Trischetta on guitar, in its seventh year.
“This song is about feeling suffocated by your environment. We’ve all had a time where we felt like we were living a life that others wanted us to live. Never feel like it’s too late to break free and be who you want to be. Everything that looks so perfect from the outside never really is; it’s just hidden underneath a socially acceptable veneer of normalcy,” Merkle detailed.
“As we are getting older, with ‘real life’ providing challenges for us musically and otherwise, we find it to be as relevant now than ever.”
The recording was split up between Merkle’s old studio in the Poconos and his new one in Emmaus.
“Joe and I tracked the bass and drums last year in the Poconos, and Jen and I tracked vocals and guitar this year in Emmaus. It was a unique challenge playing both guitar and drums on this release, but it came out exactly the way we wanted. I did the engineering, producing, and mixing. We had Howie Weinberg master the track, and he did a great job. He has worked with lots of our idols – Rush, Muse, and Circa Survive – so we knew he would hit it out of the park, and he did.”
The band is halfway through recording three more tracks to go along with “Pleasantville,” releasing them one at a time before putting them together for an EP, though “Pleasantville” is available to download now on iTunes.
“We want to give our fans time to digest each track before moving on to the next,” Merkle added. “We have some title ideas bouncing around [for the EP], but nothing we are ready to commit to just yet!”
With two EPs with two different vocalists under their belt, EoA continues to evolve but retain the energy and progressive musicianship that they’ve become known for.
“EoA has always been about experimentation. Every track we come out with has a very different flavor, and that’s intentional. Anyone who has seen us live on our last tour will know that the new tracks we have been playing totally run the gamut,” Merkle noted.
“One is dirty Southern rock, another is a downtempo love song. Our newest demo has a very circus-y vibe to it. Instrumentally, Mike, Joe, and myself really focus on bringing fresh ideas to the table; we try very hard not to repeat ourselves!”
As the band prepares dates for a spring/summer tour, they assure us that it will include a hometown date in Scranton.
“Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on everything we’re doing,” Fracas said.
“We have a lot planned! It’s great to be back.”
