Split Chain - vocalist Roberto Martinez-Cowles, guitarists Oli Bowles and Jake Reid, bassist Tom Davies and drummer Aaron Black – have been making waves in the alternative scene with a brazen mixture of heavy influences they call “nu-gaze”. With just a handful a self-released tracks they reached over 10 Million streams independently and before joining the Epitaph family. After dropping their official label debut single “(Re)-Extract” feat Softcult, they were quick to be named the AltPress Breakout Artist Of The Month, earning additional nods of approval from Revolver, BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and more. Formed as a creative outlet while on the road to recovery from addiction, the band members came together in support of each other and cemented a deep bond over the healing power of music. By channeling their personal struggles into emotionally charged songs, they have connected with a growing fan base drawn to their vulnerability and honesty. “We were writing music as an escape, a distraction, to create what we wanted to listen to,” they explain. “We ended up loving what we had created so much, and from this, Split Chain was formed.”
Joyce Manor is a band who have never relied on gimmicks. Since forming in Torrance, California, in 2008, the band—vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson, bassist Matt Ebert and guitarist Chase Knobbe—have built-up a feverish fanbase by writing catchy, pop-punk songs that seem straight-forward on the surface but teeming with carefully crafted nuances upon multiple listens. This is undoubtedly true of the band’s sixth studio album 40 oz. To Fresno, an album that has songs that span the last eight years, yet comes together to form a cohesive album that marks the next chapter of Joyce Manor. “This is an interesting record because the final track ‘Secret Sisters’ was actually a B-side from [2014’s] Never Hungover Again and ‘NBTSA’ is actually a reworked version of ‘Secret Sisters’ that barely even resembles the original song,” Johnson explains. Although Joyce Manor were planning on taking a break prior to the pandemic, Johnson soon began writing to keep boredom at bay and much of the remainder of 40 oz. To Fresno came out of that period of focused songwriting.