Ignite the Borealis
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | SELF
Music
Press
This is a pop-rock effort with strong lead vocals and a modern Panic! At the Disco-style radio sound – everything about which, even down to the packaging and associated website, lacks the ultra-luster polish of its big league brethren. Whether it is for lack of trying is unknown, but the disc manages to be listenable because it lacks the sickly sweet sugar of the machine, and comes off as genuine – though this is not to say that the production isn’t slick in its own right. The songs are all worthy of a pop-rock night at a mid-level venue, and more power to them. Go to www.Ignitetheborealis.com. - Recoil Magazine
Ignite The Borealis' 10-track release, “A Moments Notice”, was incredibly ambitious after challenging themselves to both pen and record the album in a two-week timeframe. With the final product being mixed and mastered all by the band, the end result is rather impressive. A majority of this record is melodic and played out like a ballad on steroids. It’s definitely a step more chill than the material churned out by the band’s previous project, The Envy League.
“Best Laid Plans” is a good example of how the band crafts a ballad, but beefs it up with heavy guitars. It’s easily the best track on the CD.
But with the time “constraints”, the band inevitably suffers the same pitfalls as anyone that writes, records and mixes and masters their work in that window of time. Shallow lyrics occasionally rear their head and song structures don’t get all too complex, but at the end of the day, it’s a solid piece of work. - NOISE! Staff
Discography
A Moments Notice - LP 2011
Stars & Satellites - EP 2011
Coup De Grace - LP 2012
Frigid - LP 2014
Arid - LP 2014
Booking & Management:
Borealis BMI - Band@ignitetheborealis.com
Photos
Bio
Ignite the borealis has been tirelessly crafting and creating 2 of the best albums of the bands 3 year career.
Frid & Arid (Summer 2014 Release) bring together and encompass an idea the band had previously struggled with: Songs that are upbeat and pop oriented and a darker more technical musical side that the band has always had but only dabbled with on previous releases. "In releasing two separate albums we found a way to escape the need to hold ourselves back in the writing process" Jake Van Ravenswaay the bands Guitar/Keys and backup singer, explains. "It was simple to section songs in broad strokes as "light" or "dark" and not just by their sound but also by their lyrical content and feel" says Van Ravenswaay. "With Coup de Grace we made some cuts and some tough decisions like "Is this song or part too heavy or too off the beaten path for what we are trying to accomplish" it was very rigid in its rules and approach" Says David Mouatt, Borealis' Singer/Guitarist. "Frigid and Arid nearly wrote themselves, the ideas were unshackled and just flowed" says David.
With a lineup change in the form of a new bassist at the end of 2013, the band decided to re-approach the bass parts that were previously laid down and change them more to suit the rhythmic feel of the songs. "Less isn't always more, but sometimes it is. We needed to make some decisions on the bass parts because of changes we made to drum lines. The old parts just weren't working any longer" Says Drummer Matthew Loveless. "This allowed our new bass player to come in and be a part of these albums that were nearly complete when they joined the band" he explains.
2014 looks to be the bands biggest year. Self-releasing Frigid and Arid under Borealis Music BMI will allow the band more control over the releases, presentation and the marketing aspects of the album as well as controlling album cost. "Without going into to much detail, we were greatly disappointed with how Coup de Grace was handled, we put a ton of work into that album and we feel it still was never given its due by the label" says David. "We've moved on and learned, were leaner and smarter now I think" he says.
Look for ITB on tour this year and at large music festivals around the country.
DescriptionRock and Roll with a mix of Pop.
A radiant emission from the upper atmosphere that occurs sporadically over the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres in the form of luminous bands, streamers, or the like, caused by the bombardment of the atmosphere with charged solar particles that are being guided along the earth's magnetic lines of force.
Band Interests
Guitars, Drums, Pianos, Halo, Mortal Kombat and of course Beer.
Artists We Also Like
Thrice, Mute Math, Fall Out Boy, Mars Volta
Band Members
Links
