Scranton alternative rock band Permanence opens up personal ‘Wound’ on new EP
Making their debut last year with the well-received “Northeast” EP, Scranton’s Permanence is back with five more songs in 2018, along with the drive to continue producing alternative rock in a distinctly Northeastern Pennsylvania style.
Embraced by the local music scene almost immediately in their first year as a band, one is hard-pressed to not see someone wearing a Permanence T-shirt or baseball hat at any random NEPA show.
“It has been welcoming and great. Everyone in the scene is supportive, and we have been lucky enough to jump on some awesome shows and support some really great events,” drummer Randy Weller told NEPA Scene. “The positive response we have been getting to the releases and merchandise is just amazing, inspiring, and really makes it exciting to see what else we can shoot for.”
Despite this success, they didn’t feel any pressure in creating the music that would follow up “Northeast” and released a single, “Rose,” on a split with Wilkes-Barre’s Alma Mater in the meantime.
“We were still hungry to write and were writing the second EP during the release of ‘Northeast.’ We didn’t even think about this EP in that way,” vocalist/guitarist Scott Jordan explained. “We wrote what we felt and what we wanted to; it felt a lot like a tandem process. Honestly, we might have been able to release both as an LP if we had the foresight for it.”
“Wound” is that second half than fans have been waiting for, released on June 13 for free via Bandcamp. The experience and time spent with these five tracks at JL Studios in Olyphant allowed the group to collaborate more and develop new sounds and musical expressions.
“It allowed us to express more of our musical intentions, and we were able to really work together and make this a collaborative and compromising process. We focused on tones and flow for the songs, and we were happy with how the mood of the EP developed,” guitarist Dan King said.
“We have been able to expand our rhythmic ideas and vocal harmonies and give more focus to the songs overall. Dan was able to pick up the vocal harmonies and learn how to play and sing effectively. We think that has opened up some great possibilities for us,” Jordan added.
With various members involved in other bands and projects, it also allowed them to try things they otherwise could not.
“This is a project where we are able to do things that we might not get away with in other groups, writing wise and tone wise,” bassist John Husosky noted. “All of the groups we are involved with or were involved with have shaped us in some way and we will continue to grow and learn. There will always be elements that cross over in everything we do.”
The songs were inspired by “personal experiences and getting through dark times,” along with “the strength that comes with bouncing back and moving on,” King emphasized, which explains why “Wound” became the title track.
“It is a reflection of life’s hardships and what you have to get through. We thought it had a fitting tone for the EP overall. Wounds don’t always go away, but we always have the choice to learn from them,” Weller added.
Thankfully, the recording process at JL Studios was much less painful.
“It is always so easy and fun,” Husosky said of working with Joe Loftus and Jay Preston at the local studio. “Joe and Jay are two of our best friends, and we really value their opinions and the process that they take. We were able to book dates in a row in September to get the bulk of the EP recorded. We were able to take our time to review everything and had the chance to revisit some elements that we thought could be adjusted in early 2018 before the release.”
For now, “Wound” and “Northeast” are only available digitally, but they may print some physical copies down the road. For now, they “are just looking forward to more shows and getting out there,” Jordan said.
Their next opportunities are coming up this weekend as they open for New Jersey alternative funk trio Stereo Jo at the Sherman Showcase (522 Main St., Stroudsburg) with Blind Choice on Saturday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. and for grungy indie rock band The Standby at the Irish Wolf Pub (503 Linden St., Scranton) with acoustic sets by Ed Cuozzo and GlowNovember on Sunday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
Wherever they’re playing next, their growing fanbase is sure to follow and stick around, just as their names implies.
See NEPA Scene’s photos of Permanence performing with The Lonely Moon, Amplifiers, and University Drive at The Other Side in Wilkes-Barre last year here.
