Video Premiere: Early Day Miners – “Amends”
Posted: by The Editor
Almost immediately upon forming in 1999, Early Day Miners have been a canonical slowcore band. From 2000 to 2011 they reliably pumped out seven LPs of languid, terse, and tense indie rock; their sound fell somewhere between the expansive minimalism of Low and the endlessly unfolding post-rock of frequent tourmates (and onetime collaborators) Unwed Sailor.
The band reunited in 2018, dropping a double single that year and an EP the following year, but at long last six years later Early Day Miners is gearing up to release a new full-length. It’s called Outside Lies Magic, and it’s out at the end of the month. It’s a perfect time for it, too, with bands like Teethe and Horse Jumper of Love bringing the genre to a whole new audience.
Outside Lies Magic is a perfect entry point to Early Day Miners’ catalog, a record that feels thoroughly of-the-moment without abandoning their roots. For a perfect showcase, see single “Amends,” which we’re excited to exclusively premiere today. Like previous single “Among the Ramparts,” it’s lively and driving but never imposing; it feels like where the band would’ve ended up if they’d kept going after 2011’s Night People.
Check out an interview with frontman Daniel Burton and the video for “Amends” below.
This is the first Early Day Miners full-length in over a decade. Why is now the right time to come back?
The band went on hiatus from 2012 to 2018 while I was in grad school for landscape architecture. I moved to New Orleans and started building a studio in the Treme neighborhood around this time as well. In 2018 we linked up with Unwed Sailor for an east coast and a west coast tour. In 2019 we toured the EU and in 2020 put together a re-issue of our debut album Placer Found with Secretly Canadian. Then the pandemic hit and we scrapped an entire North American tour to support the re-issue. Marty and I took that time to start feverishly recording what later became Outside Lies Magic. We recorded everything six feet apart of course.
How would you characterize Early Day Miners of today versus the Early Day Miners of the early 2000s?
That’s an interesting question. Clearly we’ve sped things up a bit, but not too much lol. I think in those first five or six years we were really diving into what I like to call ‘cinematic minimalism.’ Lyrics happened if a song called for it, but mostly we were really enjoying stretching themes out and writing music with a sense of place. The Early Day Miners of today retains those hallmarks, but I’ve really been enjoying the storytelling aspect of music and exploring the uniqueness of singing, phrasing words in ways that convey an atmosphere. Specifically New Orleans. This place has a million stories to tell. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface.
How did you end up working with Solid Brass?
I really dug that Pines of Rome album, I was flattered they tagged us on one of their posts. We were looking for a label for Outside Lies Magic and I sent Solid Brass a private Soundcloud link. I was floored when Jason responded and dug it. I started digging into the label and wow – the artwork for all their releases is fantastic. Such an aesthetic they bring to the table. It doesn’t hurt they have David Babbitt on hand with design – he’s sort of iconic in my world with his graphic design of the Touch and Go catalog. A total pleasure working with all of them.
What can we expect from you for the rest of ’24?
We’re going to hit the road here in the states. About to announce dates shortly. We’re already halfway through writing a new album. I certainly feel we’re having a moment with songwriting lately. Come out and say hi!
Outside Lies Magic is out 3/22 on Solid Brass.
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Zac Djamoos | @gr8whitebison
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