Wilkes-Barre post-hardcore band So Much Hope, Buried shares inspiring ‘Sentiment’ on debut EP
From a press release:
Unearthed in Northeastern Pennsylvania, So Much Hope, Buried independently released their debut EP, “Sentiment,” today and will celebrate by headlining a show tonight at The Oasis in Kingston.
On the new album, the Wilkes-Barre-based group – Bart James (lead vocals), Derek Nowak (piano/vocals), Andrew Blank (guitar), Nick Cotillo (bass), and Eric Novroski (drums) – bursts through a gorgeous blend of melodic post-hardcore, combining insightful and powerful lyrics with operatic-level sounds that are unique to the local music scene. Touching on faith, mental health, finding purpose, and love, these seven songs are as personal to the band as they are up for interpretation by the listener.
Debuting in February, lead single “Rose Eyes” weaves through emotional dual vocals backed by prominent piano and pounding drums. It follows the story of a person’s mental health issues affecting their ability to fully be themselves.
“‘Rose Eyes’ addresses mental health through a fictionalized story about depression and pain, watching a person strip away any semblance of who they were made to be. It highlights the desperation of knowing they would give anything to be free of the pain they experience on a daily basis before learning to value themselves and not allowing their struggles to define their life,” James said.
“Don’t Sink” has a lush build-up before breaking into a full-on guitar frenzy, while “Slave” brings classic post-hardcore chaos into a track about people tending to conform to society’s structures and teachings on how we have to live. The song is one of the vocal standouts of the record as James’ spoken word-esque screams shine among a frantic blend of drums and piano.
“My intention behind writing [‘Slave’] is to remind people that they were made for more than just ‘survival,’ that your time is truly valuable and worth more than a wage. Don’t wait until retirement to live intentionally, for you are not promised tomorrow. Live today, be fully alive in the way that makes this all worth living for, for you are worth more than you could ever know,” James explained.
“Sentiment” closes with “Keepsake,” playing out as a monologue on love that is honest, wholehearted, and without reservation.
Speaking on the themes of the album, Nowak stated, “The stylization for the album artwork and imagery really works with the sound, lyrics, and atmosphere that we created within this record. Desaturated colors, grainy and gloomy landscape photography really sets the overall tone of each and every song. The message we want to portray is definitely to inspire one another. The lyrics that Bart wrote can really relate to so many people struggling in life. The one thing we all want to achieve is to inspire at least one person out there.”
Coming to fruition during the downtime of the pandemic, So Much Hope, Buried joined together almost seamlessly. The quintet’s first EP was produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Novroski at his own facility, Novro Studios in Shavertown, and their music videos for both “Rose Eyes” and “Slave” were shot and edited by Sarah Novroski, showcasing captivating performances from the young band through darkness and dramatic lighting. “Sentiment” is available to stream now on Bandcamp, Spotify, and other major platforms.
“If you like when the aggressive meets the beautiful, this band is for you,” music blog BrooklynVegan wrote.
“22 minutes of pure musical emotional roller coaster,” hardcore punk zine Away From Life added. “Content-heavy and powerful lyrics accompany the refined and always varied and emotional sound.”
