During May's Antostal, student-band In Euphoric Company hit Legends nightclub to play in their first Battle of the Bands. The band will be back Thursday to celebrate the release of its first official, full-length album, "People to Remember, People to Forget."
In Euphoric Company will perform with fellow student-band Ratboy and the show promises to be one you won't want to miss. Not only that, but if you show up with friends, speak to the band after the show to grab a free CD.
In Euphoric Company began under Notre Dame junior Tyler Eto and his high school classmate GerekEdrosolan. While Edrosolan headed to Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska for college, the two continued to compose songs together via email.
Eto then expanded the band at Notre Dame in 2010, bringing in now-juniors Lacey Cochran, Kino Lee and Duncan Smith.
Smith, the drummer, said the band's name came from the members' desire for a group of close friends and relationships.
"We are looking for a group of people where you don't feel distant," Smith said. "These are the friends that we hope to be with. We want to be in euphoric company."
After performing in Midwest-based cities throughout their sophomore year, Eto, Edrosolan and Smith spent the summer in Sacramento, Calif. working on their first official album.
They worked together, bouncing ideas for songs off each other, but mostly building off songs they had performed during the year together. At the end of the summer, Lee and Cochran came out to record the songs.
The band chose to record their album independently rather than using a professional company. Smith said the experience often felt like drowning, as the band members had to throw themselves into the job with little previous experience. Bassist Lee agreed, calling it a learning experience.
"I think we learned a lot more by not having a professional engineer," Lee said, adding that the members developed a more intimate understanding of the group through the whole process.
The end result, "People to Remember, People to Forget," came out beautifully. Recorded without professionals, the album has a raw and emotional feel. Drawing inspiration from bands like Local Natives and Bon Iver, the album falls into the ambient pop genre, with a touch of folk. The emphasis is on the instrumentalism, creating a sublime, relaxing feeling.
Gorgeous voices complement the soft, slow instrumental sections. Various band members provide vocals at different points in songs that create a nice contrast and add a hint of diversity to each song.
Whether relaxing after a long day of work or kicking off a weekend of fun, this album provides a great musical backdrop.
Smith's favorite song off the albums is the final track, "Life and Times." He said he particularly enjoys the powerful spoken word part at the end, which follows a strong instrumental beginning. Lee, on the other hand, said he likes "Semesters" because he considers it the most fun to perform, with all the instruments needed. Other tracks to check out are "Cult Fiction" and "Fields."
The concert at Legends represents the album release party for the band. Officially, "People to Remember, People to Forget" came out two weekends ago, but this is the first time the band has performed together since the release. They already have quite a few gigs set up for the rest of the semester in Indianapolis and Muncie, Ind., as well as Chicago, but they are looking forward to this release concert.
So be sure to check out this new band from Notre Dame. The music is awesome, and Legends always puts on a great show. Plus, who doesn't love a free CD just for hanging out with friends and listening to great music?
For more information, check out the band's Facebook page, as well as www.ineuphoriccompany.bandcamp.com, where the album is available for streaming and downloading.
