Tag #LOWELL

Escape Durgin Releases Beyond Buzz-worthy Self Titled Debut Album, That Has “Album Of The Year” Vibes

The Whole Kameese Leave a comment

American Poet and Educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, once said “Music is the universal language of mankind “

We absolutely believe the above statement to be a hundred percent true and believe it even more, after listening to the self -titled debut album from Lowell Massachusetts, based rock band , Escape Durgin. You can listen to the debut album, Here

It is our humble opinion that if a band chooses to record an album, it should be the very best representation of the band. This may seem like a simple task however, it is not always the case. Escape Durgin does this and so much more with their new record.

From the moment we heard the opening chord on “Poster Child”, we knew our ears and music loving soul were in for an unforgettable musical experience…. And we were right.

Fast , melodic and laced with perfectly placed lyrics, “I can’t do things the way you want me to  because I  am one of one” “Poster Child” is the perfect opening track.

Courtesy Of Band – From left to right of band photo Sean Connors (Bass, Vocals), Michael Sirard (guitar, vocals), Quinton Gibbons (Guitar, Vocals), Avery Stout (drums)

Since meeting each other in college, Escape Durgin has been dedicated to being the best band they can be. Playing shows all over Massachusetts, tirelessly writing, rehearsing, and refining their original material. Quinton, Michael, Sean, and Avery, have crafted a debut album that leaves nothing unsaid , the listener gets an 11 track and 41 minute body of work that just might make Escape Durgin one of your new favorite bands.

Picking a favorite song off the record is like asking a parent to pick a favorite kid ( it is almost impossible) You can honestly pick any track . The epic “Skin” is an absolute musical opus that literally took our breath away . Vocally and melodically brilliant. Our favorite lyric hands down comes from “Skin” – “If you could look inside my brain would you be surprised that  it looks like a shooting star every time you cross my mind, nice to see you everyday every-time I close my eyes , It was such a luxury to have your skin right next to mine” I mean how can you not love those lyrics??? Pure freaking poetry.

Escape Durgin, might have peaked our curiosity with singles, “Like Vultures” and “Free Shipping “ but honestly that’s only the tip of the iceberg. “Standing In The Rain”, “Grove Street “ and “Change” are solid songs that we found ourselves constantly hitting repeat on .

If we had to pick a favorite song…. It would without question be ….. “9 Days” If we’re being honest we fell hard for this one… It is Escape Durgin at their very very best .

Escape Durgin’s exceptional debut album , was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Casey Dawson. 

The best part about Escape Durgin… Is that they are Escape Durgin. They are 100 percent themselves and that makes for a meaningful and thought provoking debut album that you won’t soon forget. 

ESCAPE DURGIN:

Sean Connors (bass, vocals)

Michael Sirard (guitar, vocals)

Quinton Gibbons (guitar, vocals)

Avery Stout (drums)

“Handle With Care” , From The Ghouls Is So Freaking Good…. It’s Scary!

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Art Credit: Peter Trainor

Music should be fun , music should move you . Lowell, Massachusetts, band The Ghouls, achieve this and so much more on their epically explosive debut album, “Handle With Care” You can listen to “ Handle With Care” Here

As soon as we heard the opening track, “Pocket Of Gold “ from The Ghouls, our first immediate thought was “Good Lord ! , Where Has this band been our whole life?”

“Handle With Care” is the Fourth of July, and Christmas, rolled into 9 explosive gems.

Photo by Kira Emery

2024, was a hell of a ride for The Ghouls,

In May, the young Lowell band won the esteemed Rock and Roll Rumble, the decades-old institution known as the “World Series of Boston Rock,” and come December scored Rock Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, where they were also invited to perform live and nominated in the New Artist category. But this new album is no simple encore, nor a fight to live up to lofty, already-cast expectations. 

It feels like The Ghouls, are just getting warmed up. “Handle With Care” is out today ( May 30th ) A week later, on June 6, they celebrate the record, the past year, and all the excesses along the way with the official release party at The Middle East in Cambridge. 

“Handle With Care”, has the band, ( vocalist and guitarist George Danahy, guitarist Peter Trainor; bassist Jacob Babcock; and drummer Bryce Maher, who all recently met as students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell – firing effortlessly on all cylinders.

“I hope this record is universal for the listener,” Danahy admits. “I hope it is an album they choose to listen to while working out, while driving, on amazing days, and on awful days. Handle With Care reflects how young our band is in the grand scheme of things, in a positive way. There are many wildly different sounding tracks on this record, yet all of them still sound like they come from us. It all still feels cohesive.” 

“Garfield” , “Hellbound” and “Reach For The Sky” ( the guitar work on “Reach For The Sky” is absolutely mind freaking blowing) were some of the stunningly crafted gems on “Handle With Care” . If we had to pick a favorite from “ Handle With Care” , it would most certainly be… “For You” We loved the drop dead perfect vocals and haunting melody that stayed with us long after the music ended.

Part of the spoils of winning the Rumble is the competition’s vaulted “prize booty,” a collection of assets that include studio time, photo shoots, radio and media publicity campaigns, and other stuff a band would kill to acquire. Nearly all the prizes afforded The Ghouls helped to shape and create Handle With Care. The band hit several studios around the region – New Alliance Audio in Somerville; 37’ Productions in Rockland; Henley Row in Stoneham; and Rare Signals and Q Division in Cambridge – all while working with esteemed producers and engineers like Ethan Dussault, Sean McLaughlin, Dan Nicklin, Brian Charles, Craig Small, and Colin Lester Fleming. 

Love is music , music is love….. we Freaking LOVE – “Handle With Care” from The Ghouls and we know you will too.