I recently completed a round-up review titled Monthly Favourites #16. One of the acts I featured within the review was Into The Light, with their amazing track, Manuscript. It’s also their debut single, making it all the more impressive how good it is! I wanted to have a chat to find out more about the band – read on below if you liked Manuscript!
By Jane Howkins
You released a single titled Manuscript. What can you tell us about the track?
Manuscript was actually the second song we ever wrote, and the first we wrote together as a full unit. The lyrics are inspired by Saul Bellow’s Herzog, but they’re open for interpretation.
It’s your debut single, making it very impressive to my ears! How was the writing and recording process?
Oh, the writing process was a dream. We were working with Steve Sopchak out at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse. Adam, Jay and Rob all have other bands that have tracked with Steve and had nothing but great things to say about their experience. Steve is a great motivator and a genuinely kind dude. No doubt we look forward to working with him again on future tracks.
How has the reception to Manuscript been so far, and where can the song be purchased?
Manuscript has received a wonderful outpouring of support and positivity so far. Some of our best friends and our family members have even come to us to ask if this is ‘really us’, both because of the quality of the recording (shout out to Steve Sopchak again!) and because this is our very first effort. Adam has never been the lead singer of a band either, so we were instantly his biggest advocates and fans when we heard these wonderful melodies and lyrics coming from someone we never knew had it in him.
The song can be purchased here via our Bandcamp site.
Do you plan to release any more singles anytime soon?
Yes, actually. Our second single, Bridge, is currently slated for a May 26th release. You’ll be able to find that on all major media platforms that day.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album or an EP in the near future?
We are definitely planning new releases this year. It’s tough to say whether we’ll end up releasing a batch of singles over time (similar to Manuscript and Bridge), or an EP with a variety of new songs. Whatever the case, we’re excited to keep getting new music out there.
Your music has a post-rock sound. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
When we were listing our chief influences among one another, we found that while they varied in some cases, the sound that came from the variety was pretty sweet. We like to joke that when we started, our goal was to sound like the band Quicksand. But as time has moved along and our inspirations have taken hold, we’ve put together something so much cooler than we ever expected.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up this year?
We’re playing our first gig at the Bug Jar in our hometown of Rochester on May 15th with some great bands: Croix, Big Nobody & Sunbloc. We’ll most assuredly play more shows as the year goes on, but until then, it’s full focus on new material.
You’re from Rochester, New York. How is the local music scene faring at the moment?
It’s interesting… Most of us have been in bands since the 1990’s and at that time, local music in Rochester was a massive thing. Mike and Adam (drummer & singer/guitarist respectively) would go to shows virtually every chance they could, weekend or weekday. This isn’t to say that the scene isn’t faring well currently, but we’ve noticed a shift when comparing the local gigs of our childhood to those of the modern era. We’re all getting old and at this point, we just want to have some fun with it.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
As of this point, we unfortunately do not have dates planned for the UK, but who knows what the future holds?!
Any last words for the fans?
The hugest of thanks to everyone who has taken time to check out Manuscript. We cannot overemphasize how much it means to us. And keep an eye out for Bridge, coming out on May 26th.