SIR ECHO STIRS BUSHWICK WITH DEBUT ALBUM, “TO FLY WITH CLIPPED WINGS”

Photo by @dorianwasthere.  Photo posted by SirEcho band via Instagram @sirechoband.

Sir Echo ignited the stage last Saturday, June 13th, at Elsewhere Zone 1 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with their striking, angsty sound that pays homage to in their debut EP, “To Fly With Clipped Wings.” 

Based in Hudson Valley, New York, and represented by Equal Vision Records, Sir Echo’s Front-woman Amelia Allen delivers a fiery vocal pitch, excellently complemented by Jeremy Stene’s blown-out vocals and grunge-inspired lead guitar work, followed by the band’s percussive foundation of Bassist Mike Hydos and Drummer David Stingle, captivating a synthesized, heavy-hitting tempo that matches effortlessly with Zone 1’s gritty underground atmosphere. 

This emerging female-front band kick-started the night’s audience by merging music genres of Grunge, Alternative, Indie Rock, and Emo Rock to vocalize the stresses of toxic relationships, the digital era, and overexertion in their EP. 

Opening right out the gate with their track, “Carrion Fawn,” a frantic beat of the drum snares between Amelia’s punchy, full-bodied vocals and the discorded growl of the guitar. By the time the pulse slows to a melancholy drawl, and Amelia leans into a smoky, raspy voice dragging over the lyric, “Vengeance, via bad melody / Disastering / Bring me the body,” the drums follow with a backbeat sound like, “knock, knock, knock, knock, clap! / knock, knock, knock, knock, clap!” resembling a slow buildup.  

During “Vulture Man,” the venue's intimate space cast dispersed lights shifting from electric green to blue violet, tinting the stage and industrial ceiling a spectral gradient. The opening of this track hits hard with a push-and-pull guitar riff rupturing the venue’s wooden floorboards. And a steady, stop-start pattern of the guitar and drums create this sludgy tune tying with Amelia’s urgent, soulful delivery. White light beams flicker across a projector screen behind the band as this track ends with Jeremy unleashing a raspy scream that seeps with angst. 

Photo captured by @dorianwasthere. Photo posted to Sir Echo’s Instagram page via @sirechoband.

When the band performed their breakout single, “Bubblegum,” Amelia’s ambling, unvarnished vocals seized the audience’s attention the minute she sang the intro verse, “Watch your step, curiosity killed the flightless feathered beast.” The majority of this track channels the EP’s unapologetic anger and familiarity  with uncertainty and distrust. Each chant of the phrase, “Growling at the hand that feeds,” instills a jaunty echo accompanied by a minor pause, before the guitar and bass knocks forth a mid-range deformation. At this, the frontwoman steps away entirely from the mic, allowing the audience to mosh and thrash about to the performance’s fierce energy.

The band dips into their next EP track,“Simmer,” highlights words of anguish, from “slow burn,” “deteriorating,” “tragedy,” and “thought pollution.” These verses romp between chaos and reflection, prompting an infectious headbang amongst the crowd. Though ending on a somber note, as Amelia murmurs these final lyrics; “When is it my turn? / Will it ever even be? / What is it all worth? / When it means nothing to me?” The majority of the track is saturated with the gentle knock of the drums, and laid-back strum of bass and guitar. 

Sir Echo’s To Fly With Clipped Wings” Album Cover. Photo Credit: equalvision.com

The full EP features five songs alternating between Amelia’s melodic clean singing to explosively rhythmic drumrolls and guitar riffs. Its title, “To Fly With Clipped Wings,” internalizes the itch to soar and adapt, while dealing with life’s limitations or past struggles.  Sir Echo’s EP is available to listen now on YouTube, and is available for download on Apple Music or Spotify. Or if you want a more nostalgic listening experience, the EP is available for purchase on equalvision.com.

The band is currently co-headlining with Pop-Punk/ Metalcore band, Shyeeye, for Alternative Rock/ Post-Grunge Soloist, Ally Nicholas on her North American tour, “Nevermind The Hurry.”