When a terrible event occurs in someone’s life, it’s often easier to give up. If something beats a person down hard enough, the temptation to stay on the ground and take it can overcome them. If you’re Balance and Composure, tragedy breeds creativity. In 2013, right as they were gaining further momentum, the Pennsylvanian alternative rock band were involved in a van accident that could easily have ended the band for good.
“Not in terms of the band, but certainly in terms of us just being alive,” laughs drummer, Bailey Van Ellis, when asked if he ever thought that the accident could have spelled the end. There may have been a laugh, but the hint of sarcasm in his voice leads you to believe he knows how lucky they are to still be here. “After the accident,” he continues, his voice becoming more defiant, “there wasn’t any notion that the band wouldn’t continue.
“The only thing that came from accident is that it made us take a step back,” says Van Ellis, reflecting on the space between that traumatic day and where Balance and Composure are at now. He admits that the “creative juices were still flowing,” despite the band not writing together and things temporarily put on the back burner. “In that time we were all doing our own thing, and I think we each grew individually.”
Now, as we talk about the impending release of Balance and Composure’s third full-length, ‘Light We Made’, Van Ellis express his joy, saying it’s “a great feeling that the record is here,” and the band are just “anxious to get it out there, and to start playing shows again.” As well they should, for ‘Light We Made’ is a triumphant, bold, and ambitious collection that finds the quintet expanding on their own unique sound, while venturing further into uncharted waters.
A prime example of the album’s adventurous nature is lead single, ‘Postcard’. The hushed vocals of Jon Simmons are laced with effects, with lines repeated and layered on top of each other; it’s hypnotic, haunting, and intriguing. Add to that the repetitive glitch of a brooding electronic drumbeat that provides the backbone.
It’s the most abstract track on ‘Light We Made’, but Van Ellis states the band were not worried about how ‘Postcard’ would be received. “I’d like to think our fans are pretty open minded,” he says, admitting it was a very deliberate move to “show everyone how deep we went into exploring new sounds,” and “how much we have matured “ since their critically acclaimed 2013 album, ‘The Things We Think We’re Missing.’
“As an artist you always want to try new things,” he continues, speaking of the new elements that have been injected into Balance and Composure. “In the time we spent away, we thought about how we could delve into new sounds, really just out of curiosity. We really thought about how we could make this record different, but it came out very naturally.”
If you rewind a few years, the band came to prominence as part of “The Wave” in the late 00’s. Along with Touché Amore, Title Fight, Pianos Become The Teeth, and countless others, Balance and Composure were at the forefront of a movement that saw an abundance of fresh and exciting music surface. “We haven’t tried to be anyone but ourselves,” he continues, looking back at the evolution of the band following their formative years. “We’re just five best friends who get together a couple of times a year to write. It’s evolved on it’s own, and there’s something special about that.”
Much like any band, the change has come about with age. When you are younger, you never want your favourite bands or artists to change their sound. It’s something we are all guilty of. “When I was growing up, I never understood why a band like Radiohead, or even Saves The Day would want to change things up. It would make me angry,” he laughs, speaking of his love of those particular bands’ early material at a young age. “Being older, I get it now. Some of the albums I didn’t like, or didn’t “get” at the time are probably my favourites now. It’s weird to think we are in that position on our third record.”
That said, ‘Light We Made’ still echoes the feeling of what makes Balance and Composure the band they are. ‘Afterparty’ maintains their driving post-hardcore sound while embracing a subtle change, and the slow burn of ‘Spinning’ chops between bass-driven dirge and uplifting melodic passages. The maturity in the songwriting shines through, giving way to some of their most accomplished work to date.
“It’s definitely a moody album,” says Van Ellis, as we discuss the contrast of the album’s title to the dark aura that shrouds ‘Light We Made’. “We write music when we are in a certain head space. We make a very conscious effort to create a vibe that you can get lost in regardless of any topic on the album.”
With the release drawing closer, Van Ellis looks to towards the future of Balance and Composure, and what they hope to achieve with ‘Light We Made’. “We never go into a record with any expectations,” he confesses, and they will always continue to make music regardless. “All we can hope is that people enjoy it,” he says, concluding, “I would love for a listener to hear it, and to be able to feel the same way I do when I listen to music.”
‘Light We Made’ is released on October 7th in the US and digitally, with a physical release in the UK on November 4th via Big Scary Monsters.