The Crowning

By Debra Kate Schafer

Pennsylvania has been the home
to quite a few great musical artists
over the years; from Hall and Oates
to Ethel Waters to Wiz Khalifa to
Taylor Swift. The Crowning are next
on this list of talent, for their indie
grunge-style music is sure to bring
them to the top. - The Aquarian Weekly

Stroudsburg is a long way from Seattle.

But you would be hard-pressed to think otherwise listening to Red, the sophomore release from post-grunge revivalists The Crowning.

The six-song collection -- which includes three previously released tunes -- is a strong, hard-hitting effort that finds its footing in the groundwork set by Candlebox and Soundgarden, muddled together with equal dashes of genre torchbearers Chevelle and Breaking Benjamin.

Vocalist-guitarist Micah Martin has a booming, powerful voice tailor-made for the music being blasted behind him. He is backed by an airtight and dynamic rhythm section of bassist Ty Nordstrom and drummer Walter Lee and lead guitarist Ace Hendrix.

Red is balanced nicely between mid-tempo numbers and more muscular tracks. While the slower tunes are nothing to sneeze at in terms of potency, the album truly comes alive when the band turns up the adrenaline, particularly on the tracks "In the Fire," "Hard to Find," and the radio-ready, pop-tinged "She's Running."

For those who miss the days when loud, sludgy guitars ruled the airwaves, this is the album you have been longing for. Flannel not required.

Red is available on CD. The band is targeting a late February/early March digital release date. - Dustin Schoof

The Crowning is the brainchild of Micah Martin, Ty Nordstrom, and Walter Lee, a group of talented musicians who share a common passion for blistering 70s rock tones, psychedelic textures, and punk rock fury.

Their music has a wildly diverse approach, diving head first into an eclectic array of influences, including the politically charged melodic hardcore of bands such as Antillectual and Propagandhi, as well as the flamboyant arrangements of artists such as Baroness or The Mars Volta. The band’s music also echoes the warmth and grit of retro rock music, tipping the hat to the nightly Led Zeppelin, as well as Pink Floyd or The Who.

“Stay” is a great example of the band’s diverse offering: the vocals are melodic and understated, counteracting the massive drum beats and the chunky guitar riffs. The production is crisp and well-defined, going for a modern feel that blurs the lines between direct rock music and haunting textures with an experimental edge.
The most striking feature of this single is certainly the fact that this song sounds larger than life and extremely monolithic, yet somehow, it retains a comfortable sense of intimacy. - The Bandcamp Diaries

Sometimes you hear a song that causes you to stand still and let it wash over you… This is most certainly one of them. I’m lucky enough to hear some great music and when this song was delivered to me I grabbed my headphones, only to find myself enveloped by what began as a gentle instrumental melody of guitar and Ty Nordstrom’s bass. Soft, almost sad. When the vocals began the first thing that came to my mind was that it sounded like I was listening to a hymnal. They were clear, full of feeling, caressing my heart if I’m honest. The beat of the drum, provided by Walter Lee, being introduced brought it up another notch. Each time I thought I grasped the feeling of the music, it changed and became something more than it had been until I was left with my eyes closed and a smile on my face. What began soft and sad became painfully beautiful. It wasn’t until the third time listening that I focused on the lyrics. “Most likely unwanted… Likely unwanted.. Tossed and discarded.. I will stay” This touches a place in me from times before. Times when love burned so bright for me but not for another. Of course, that’s my take. I never asked vocalist and guitarist, Micah Martin, his take because this song hit me so personally, I admit I wanted to keep my feeling of it separate from any reality. This is one of the very best songs I have heard in the last year and everyone I know that has heard it agrees. If this is just a sample of what The Crowning is doing, this is a band you must watch because they will be breaking out in the music scene like a flood!



Micah surprised me on this. I have heard their music and it was good, but this was mind blowing. So much that I asked permission to share it with some others I felt needed to hear it. This song has such a build to it. I can only imagine that the audience at their shows will stop moving as it plays and raise their eyes to the stage like masses at a pulpit. There is amazing stuff happening in Stroudsburg, Pa. if this is any indication. Even more amazing is that they only formed this past summer and these guys had only known each other for a month before they joined forces! They obviously knew what a good thing they had going on from the beginning. They have already hit the studio to have a self titled EP release coming out this year. The single, “Stay”, is the first of three releases I know of and I can’t wait to hear the others!



The Crowning states some of their influences are Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Led Zepplin, and the music certainly has a throwback feel to a time when music meant so much in the hearts of their fans. It touches something deep and meaningful. The extremely cool thing is that you are catching them from the start. In fact, their first live show is Saturday, September 9th for Bush Stock at Petrizzo’s in their hometown. This starts at 9 p.m. and you will be heading there once you hear this song. Stop by their page and hit that like button so you can watch these guys take the music scene by storm – https://www.facebook.com/crowningmusic/. The event listing for their first live show is https://www.facebook.com/events/769384223236414.



Most importantly… I leave you with the song… Enjoy.



https://soundcloud.com/crowningmusic/stay - First Angel Media

The Crowning recently released “Stay,” the first single from their forthcoming self-titled EP. Hailing from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, The Crowning is made up of Micah Martin on guitars and vocals; Ty Nordstrom on bass; and Walter Lee sits in the pocket. And according to a recent announcement, the band just added multi-instrumentalist Ace Hendrix.

Even though together for just a few months, the band exhibits a gorgeously tight sound that’s bereft of any discordant elements, reflecting an innate musical chemistry. Stylistically, the band is billed as rock, amalgamating elements of grunge, punk and funk into their musical style, along with an irascible garage rock extract chock-full of raw, muscular dynamics. The band’s sound exudes influences from Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Propaghandhi, Against Me!, Incubus, Tool, Mars Volta and Led Zeppelin.

The intro to “Stay” consists of a subdued yet elegant guitar riff, followed by the entrance of Martin’s grating, mellow tenor floating over the guitar. Sizzling cymbals herald the appearance of the groove, as the drums and bass enter. Driven by the guitars, initially the melody is laid-back while at the same time radiating a restrained burliness waiting to expand. There’s a vaguely psychedelic/progressive rock flow to the melody, gracious with a reflective grunge undertone. The guitars provide a simple but effective layered shimmer as the melody progresses. The music ramps up as Martin’s vocals assume a ragged edge, akin to a throaty growl. The shimmer of the guitars changes to a thick storm of dense riffs exuding an ozone-like grunge odor, as the reflective undertones advance to the surface. Essentially, the tune transitions from subtle to potent, as if the gods of gravity decided to resume hegemony.

Near the end of the tune, Lee’s drumming acquires a ferocious energy of Thor-like power, adding an insane exhilaration to the music that’s very effective. And Martin’s voice delivers sonic passion both intense and focused, giving the music a raw, rasping dynamism.

The Crowning has it going on! “Stay” represents a relentless musical endeavor resulting in a grunge-laden prog rock melody full of muscular elegance and primitive power. Martin’s vocals impart harsh-textured weight, while the instrumentation is excellent and the production values are clean and crisp. After hearing “Stay” and a snippet from “She’s Running,” I can’t wait for the EP to drop. - Randy Radic

Micah Martin, Ty Nordstrom, and Walter Lee have joined together on a new project by the name, ‘The Crowning’. Heavy guitar sounds, brooding vocals, and low cut bass set the stage for a song reminiscent of certain Seattle based indie rock (melancholic yet firm). Even each chord screams with that analogous charm only found in mid 2000’s production.

To be honest- one of the most distinguishing details between this release and other submissions I have had in the past is the quality. A listener can tell a lot from the first note, and with 'Stay’ the distinction between each instrument from the left to right side of the spectrum- though superficial- is noticeably of quality. It doesn’t take much convincing to see that some true effort and work went into the crafting of this song.

All together the clean pitch, and linear structure of their newest song, “Stay” provides a familiar, but firm basis for what seems could be a tightly written and produced string of singles. For The Crowning, there is no copy and paste element like with many pop-rock music we hear today, but there is sonic consistency with band’s that have made their living off of the indie/grunge genre in the past. I look forwards to seeing if they maintain the same styling with their future releases. - Sound of Now

The Crowning released this week their self titled EP through Five Acre Records. The Pennsylvania melodic rock quartet formed in summer 2017 – and have already garnered thousands of listens, been featured in The Huffington Post, and received airplay throughout their home state. You can give a listen to She’s Running through The Crowning’s website here.

This band who make their presence known from the start. The Crowning bring in heavy riffs and big drum beats that really bring the energy to opening track She’s Running, and that energy runs through this record. These songs are polished and delivered with precision, these tracks leaving you wanting more.

With this band’s standard for melodies are the higher ones for this band’s way with words. Strong choruses and huge hooks abound on this EP, this band really pulling you in on these songs and delivered by such a good vocalist whose raw power partners well with this band’s incredible sound. For a debut release these tracks are impressive, and make for a hell of a listen.

The Crowning make a debut to be proud of on this EP with three tracks that certainly should make people pay attention with not a single weak track. I look forward to what’s to come from this band as their self titled shows they have show so much promise. - Thinking Lyrically

Last in Line, the original lineup who performed on the iconic Ronnie James Dio album of the same name, will be headlining Stroudsburg’s Sherman Theatre on November 3 with support from two of the Valley’s biggest hard rock standouts.


Lehigh Valley heavy rockers Autoerotica, who have been hard at work on new music with Midnight Studios producer Andrew Chervak, will be accompanying the metal legends on the bill. Joining them will be up-and-comers The Crowning, who have burst onto the scene this summer and fall with a pair of strong singles, “Stay” and “Hard to Find.”

According to Sherman Theatre’s official website, “Last In Line, the band, takes its name from the second Dio album released in 1984. Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell were Ronnie Dio’s co-conspirators and co-writers on the “Holy Diver”, “Last In Line” and “Sacred Heart” albums – these records have gone on to become part of rock history.” - Lehigh Valley Underground

Stroudsburg’s The Crowning has released a follow-up single to their debut, “Stay” – and this time, they rock even harder while remaining true to their dynamic songwriting style.

New single “Hard to Find” starts off as a brooding number, with a slow, clean progression lending support to the lonesome vocals of frontman Micah Martin. From there, we progress into much heavier territory roughly around the two-and-a-half-minute mark, with tense percussion and screaming guitars leading into the song’s triumphant and anthemic second half.

This dynamic shift in tone is reflective of Martin’s lyrical content. The singer begins the song seemingly searching – almost desperate – to connect with the object of his affection. It seems, through a transition to heavy guitars and driving rhythms, that the protagonist has also become much more assertive in his desires, as evidenced by the repeated “I want your love” refrain. - Lehigh Valley Underground

As a music writer, I enjoy looking for new talent, new projects, and new sounds. What's great is when a new band brings me back to some great memories and music. My first musical editorial happened by accident at a concert I attended with a friend. The opening act was Shaded Red and when I met them after their performance, I took the opportunity to get an interview for my college newspaper. It was a lot of fun and they were super humble and very talented. I loved every song on their self-titled album and I'd have the opportunity to meet up with them again at Creation Festival the next summer. What I didn't know then and I know now, is that their second album, Revolution, got the attention of Billboard Magazine! I'm excited to share about rock band, The Crowning, that brought me back to writing about rock music like Shaded Red's.

I met Micah Martin on Instagram. I'm not sure who followed each other first, but I love finding new music. When I found out The Crowning, had just dropped a new EP, I had to listen. All three songs on the project are well produced and are easy to listen to. After reading about them on their website, I was excited to learn more about the group. The band met in a local bar, discovered their gifts with music, and began writing music right away. "The result was The Crowning EP, the band's self-titled 3-track debut offering that summons the spirits of classics like Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, and fuses it with influences from modern rock contemporaries such as Incubus and Tool. Songs like “Stay” and “Hard to Find” are driven by soaring vocals and melodic riffs – and together have nearly 30K plays on SoundCloud." The vocals are smooth and carry emotion. The music is well orchestrated and thorough in its complexity of tones and dimensions of sounds. It's what you expect from a good rock group, especially with their song, "Hard to Find."

From the beginning of the song, you get pulled by the melodic vibrato and grit of the lead vocals. With the rhythmic heart beat of the drums and anticipated climax with strong electric guitar riffs, you feel the struggle and message of the song. This is honestly a song I could listen to over and over again. Each time I'm pulled into the music and then the lyrics grabbed my mind and I was sold. "She said, 'your love is hard to find, so would you please find the time? You're standing there next to me, but you seem so far away.'" What a way to set the setting and tone of a song. As the music builds and grows, you're left wanting to know where the song will take you. Will there be a way to find a way back and get it all? The vocalist gives an answer, "I want it all... I want your love." This is a song that doesn't disappoint. You can tell time and energy went into orchestrating this song perfectly. I'm excited to see what they write next. - Above And Beyond Music

Stroudsburg’s The Crowning continue to amaze us with their dynamic songwriting.

You may remember that we recently reviewed the band’s first two singles, “Stay” and “Hard to Find,” two tracks that each build progressively to a big, powerful sound.

On new single, “She’s Running,” the band hits us right off the bat with a memorable guitar riff and a driving alt-rock sound that contains shades of power pop, and is perhaps the band’s most accessible release to date. Everything about frontman Micah Martin’s vocal melody is catchy, and the tune’s commanding guitars and steadfast rhythms give it a big, anthemic sound.

“She’s Running” also gives The Crowning enough released material for an EP, which the band has commemorated by releasing the single and its two preceding tracks as a three-song volume, titled “Blue.” You can listen to the whole thing below. - Lehigh Valley Underground

There is nothing better than going to a show only to be more wowed than you were the first time you saw a band live! My first opportunity to see The Crowning was at a small spot about thirty minutes from my hometown. Having been in a band, I know the frustrations of a good sound check, performing without monitors, and still pushing through the set. The first performance was great, but seeing them again brought new respect for them as a band and as music artists. The stage was perfect for them. They each had their place individually and collectively. The band was recently featured on the front cover of well-known music magazine, The Aquarian Weekly. Their lead guitarist and vocalist, Ace Hendrix, is missing in the photo, but he stole the show with his crazy guitar solos and killer performance. He did me a favor and drew a stick figure on my signed copy of the paper. Drummer, Walter Lee, looked like a man on a mission who was ready to bring down the house. Bass player, Ty "Caveman" Nordstrom, did what every great bassist does. He stood to the side, rocked out to the music, and showed off with some crazy riffs. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Micah Martin, is the crowning piece to the group. His sick vocals, commanding stage presence, and obvious comfort at the mic is what keeps you coming back for more.


I had the opportunity to chat with each of the members after the show and got their feed back. I was impressed by their openness to my feedback and observations. I had the privilege of hearing some tracks from Red before they added the downloadable version to their website. I fell immediately in love with "Fade." The rhythm and the solid build of the song is what every musician craves in a good rock song: the build of percussion, the steady beat of the electric guitar, the thump of bass, and then it drops back completely, leaving you wanting more! It's brilliantly orchestrated and fantastic to listen to. "Young," was one of their best performances last night, but I'll be honest, when I heard the first take, I told Micah in a chat I felt it needed more. "I like "Young," but I feel like it’s lacking the punch I’m waiting for. I feel the loss of the youth who are affected. I hear the words of needles but there’s a silent scream in every one affected by addiction. That’s the missing piece for me. I want that musical bridge of rage." Their final version of the song was fire! It was everything and more that I was looking for. "In the Fire," was the show stopper of the night. From beginning to end you could feel the energy from every member of the band. There isn't a song on this album I don't like.


The highlight of the night was my discussion after the show with Micah Martin and Raymond Short, lead singer of the music group, ROFO Audio. What started out as a friendly conversation ended up turning into incredible music industry insight. These two men were helping each other shine in their craft and success in music. ROFO Audio opened the show with a great set as well. I'm looking forward to seeing them perform again, too. In my recent Music Monday blog, I shared some tips for new artists and my perspective on why The Young King has had such great success. Micah and Raymond confirmed every part of my blog with their own insights. I was totally wowed by Short's perspective on music. "To some degree, every artist needs to be somewhat selfish about their success in music because there will be times when you're the only person who cares about your music and its success." Martin added that the goal is to make sure the music is more than a hobby, but a way to make it sustain itself. They had no idea what I had written in my recent blog, but that's exactly what I said. "It's important for music artists to understand they are a business. Businesses have marketing. Creative content marketing is taking your content and developing a plan to bring your content to others. For music artists this comes in the ways they develop an EPK, press, social media strategy, etc." The Crowning is doing it right and they are on the road to success themselves. Make sure you follow them, download their album, and get a shirt. - Above n Beyond Music