Easton Legacy

"Easton Legacy’s new album “New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep” is just something new. It really has no flaws, each song from start to finish has your ultimate attention. You can tell within seconds it’s an Easton Legacy song - which is rare. They have their own style that you can’t really compare to anyone else, they have quality's of other bands, such as, TREOS's rythm, Enter Shikari's , Coheed's vocal range and Panic at the Disco's dance feel - but have taken it musically to he next level. There’s not one song that you skip, seriously - watch out for these guys, I can only imagine what they are like live." - Trisha, Chasing Safety Productions - Chasing Safety Productions

Easton Legacy
by Jake Craney
May 26, 2008 9:26:46
Courtesy of Easton Legacy

I'd like to thank Charles from Easton Legacy for taking the time to answer our questions. Check out their myspace page and their new EP.

-What is your name and what do you do in Easton Legacy?

Charles, I play lead guitar in Easton Legacy

-How did you come up with your band's name?
As Brian would put it "We took Beat which is commonly associated with music, put it with beetle like the bug..., and when the Beatles was taken we went with Easton Legacy"

-Is there a story about how your band came together or were you all friends before?
Joe and Jesse knew each other from previous bands, Brian knew them because they were from the same area and after they came back from their first tour the asked him to play keys.

I (Charles) met them while playing in another band and when I saw they were looking for a guitarist in an online ad I tried out.
Ryan everyone else knew from a previous band he used to play for and he had kinda been out of the game for a little bit, but once we snagged him everything really clicked.

-How would you describe your music to listeners who haven't heard of you?
Thats a tough one but I would say Think Pop Punk/ Rock with some balls to it mixed with lots of synth and lots of big hooks. We've been compared a lot to Coheed and Cambria, The Receiving End of Sirens, Saosin, and New Found Glory, its a bit of a strange mix but you can definitely hear a lot of different influences in it while staying very original.

-How has being from Massachusetts affected your music if at all?
Well, Its not as bad as being in the middle of a flat state that stretches on forever but we've always been restless and wanted to travel abroad. I guess you have to if you want to be a successful band.

-Your new EP, "New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep" comes out May 10th. What can listeners expect from the new songs?
Listeners can expect a gigantic leap up in musicianship and an overall sense of knowing ourselves better as a band. On the previous record the line up was sort of in transition and songs were still being written in the studio. This time we had months of pre-production writing, practicing everything and making it our best. We probably took about 6 months total doing this album and it was very hard to be away from fans and friends for that long. We are all extremely proud of the outcome and everyone, who has heard it seems very excited and thinks this could be our launch into something big.

-Was there anything unique or interesting about your writing and recording process this time as opposed to your previous work?
Well as far as the writing and recording, we took a lot more time and care, and the studio was pretty ridiculous. Mike Birnbaum and Chris Bitner our producers, have an amazing studio. Its also in a gigantic barn hahah. So we drove up and see this huge barn and are like??? There are Llamas, goats, sheep, ducks etc all around, but then we step inside this ridiculous facility and were blown away. It was also pretty strange to know that major label bands have been through here, like Coheed and Cambria and Straylight Run and now we are about to stay here for weeks to record! It was pretty awe inspiring.

-What is your funniest/craziest story from a show you've done?
Thats a tough one because I don't know how many of those can be appropriately discussed, plus for us tours seem to be a long string of weird and unnatural events haha. But we did once stay in a very seedy hotel in a run-down area and one of the cots had a blood stain on it, we thought we were going to get robbed.

-What is your favorite place do to a
show (location or venue)?
I think our favorite places to do a show at the moment would either be the VPAC at UMass Lowell, Any where on Cape Cod or Southern New Hampshire University. They all have really great fans and friends there and show us so much love every time we come through.

-What are some of your favorite things to do in your down time while on tour?
We basically really like to eat at place local to the area that we don't have at home, hang out with the locals, look for local attractions, and in general probably cause a little trouble haha.

-Who/what are you currently listening to?
At the momment I've been listening to the new Secret Hand Shake mix tape, The Dear Hunter's latest album, Forgive Durden, and some You, Me and everyone we know.

-Do you have any shows coming up? If so, where and when?
We have a crazy amount of shows coming up and we'll be doing a bunch of east coast touring this summer including a tour with Hollywood Lies starting in July up and down the East Coast and some in the mid west.

-Where can readers go to hear more of your music or purchase the new EP?
You can hear our new album at
www.myspace.com/eastonlegacy
or
www.purevolume.com/eastonlegacy
And you can buy it in a bunch of places like Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon, Snocap, iTunes, Emusic, LastFM and literally about 100 others. Its going to be everywhere and eventually it will also be at select Hot Topics.

-Thanks a lot for taking the time to do the interview. One last question: what is one thing that no one knows about Easton Legacy?
I don't think most people realize how hard we work and how much of our lives this band consumes, or how much we love and appreciated our fans and good friends! - The Niche Players

Easton Legacy "Reaction to Turbulence"



"Mark my words- these dudes are the next big thing. They've got it all- solid musicianship, strong vocals, and they write songs that are catchy as shit. As of now, they're unsigned, but that's sure as hell not going to last. I don't know who to compare them to- they remind me of a more hook-ladened, melodic, NORTHSTAR. It's pretty damn catchy, that's for sure. It's a guilty pleasure CD for me. I'd expect huge things from these guys in the near future-so if you're into the type of music that is driving the kids wild these days, check em out- so you can be ahead of the curve and rub it in your friends' faces. (WMB)

- American Music Press (AMP)

UNSIGNED SPOTLIGHT - Easton Legacy - New Nightmare To Challenge Sleep
Band: Easton Legacy
Album: New Nightmares To Challenge Sleep
Genre: Powerpop/Rock
Label: Unsigned

Tracks:
1. Goodnight Neverland
2. Monster Eats The Pilot
3. Traitors of the Lost Ark
4. Two Weeks From Everywhere
5. Back Off Man, I’m A Scientist
6. Run For It Marty
7. If You’re Not Mad Enough To Bare knuckle, You’re Just Not Mad

This week, both our featured signed and unsigned acts are from the state of Massachusetts and I think that says something about what may be brewing in the bay state. On the unsigned side, we find powerpop rockers Easton Legacy [not Eastern, as many have mistaken] who are about to drop their brand new ep, "New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep," in the near future. I’ve had the chance to review the ep already and let me tell you something right from the start: Start counting pennies and making room in your album collection for this release.

Nightmares has a solemn intro that instantly brought my mind to thought of, "Tautou," the intro to Brand New’s, "Deja Entendu," through its very atmospheric sound and pounding drums that build you up and prepare you for the album to come. As soon as the intro ends, Easton wastes no time grabbing you by the collar with the upbeat, "Monster Eats The Pilot," which mixes Motion City Soundtrack synth with heavier rock and catchy vocals. It’s a great song that really introduces the band at their top form both lyrically and musically. From there we come into contact with, "Traitors of the Lost Ark," a synth heavy rocker that tells a tale of wronged love with vocals reminiscent of New Found Glory. For some new bands it seems like all you ever hear are sounds you’ve experienced before, but with Easton Legacy, they simply draw from others rather than imitate them and that is exactly what a new band needs to do these days. "Back Off I’m A Scientist," has a dance crazy bass intro that reminds one of old Panic at the Disco, but with better guitar work and a more in your face sound. The band is able to produce big sound and catchy hooks throughout the album without becoming cheesy or predictable and that is most apparent on, "If You’re Not Mad...," the album closer which is soaked in synth laced rock and roll and hook laden vocals. The song builds quickly and has dance inducing beat, but the lyrics are dark and deep that keep you both moving and thinking until the end, when you can finally let your feet rest and prepare for round two.

Easton Legacy’s, "New Nightmares To Challenge Sleep," is without a doubt in my mind, the album that will become the launching pad for to the height of the current powerpop scene. It’s refreshing to hear a band that can make you move your feet without having to tell you to do so. I often find bands that are good enough to get signed and maybe release one solid album, but that does not apply to Easton Legacy. Their strong musicianship and thought provoking lyrics demand more than a simple record deal, they scream for the attention of everyone who loves powerpop/pop rock and I can think of no other up and coming artist who deserves it more

GRADE: 8.5/10 - Underthegunreview.net

Easton Legacy - New Nightmares To Challenge Sleep
Release Date: May 10, 2008
Label: Unsigned

The chance of finding a band that stands out in the pop-punk genre in today’s music is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It just isn’t possible. That’s what I thought, until I stumbled across this New England band. My first impressions just looking at their appearance were, "Great, another Fall Out Boy rip-off band." My impressions were greatly off.

The first track kicks off with a slow Coheed And Cambria style guitar, slowly waiting for it to kick in. That’s where I was wrong; it keeps the pace nice and slow. That’s when the second track kicks right in. There’s not a single part of the song that isn’t catchy. Everything from the guitars to the verses…it never slows down. The next track is going to be a huge hit with Reggie And The Full Effect fans due to the synth hitting hard. There’s not really much left to go into. The whole album is a mix of Coheed and Reggie; which isn’t a bad thing at all. I have to point out though that this album was produced by Mike Birnbaum and Chris Bitner; in other words, they’ve worked with Coheed And Cambria. My only complaint really is most of the tracks don’t really know where they’re going, but I’m sure it’s just the way music’s traditionally laid out. These songs don’t really have a chorus or pre-laid out melody like traditional pop-punk songs. That meaning is; being prepared to go in with an open mind when putting on this album is the best way to experience it.

You can usually tell when a band tries too hard, or just wants to make it big. Easton Legacy isn’t just another one of those bands. Their music has meaning and heart; you can tell they know what they’re doing and enjoy doing what they do. This isn’t just another Fall Out Boy rip-off we’ve all heard 200 times. The most surprising part of this band is the fact they aren’t signed yet. I give it by the end of the year until they have a deal. One thing’s for sure, they aren’t going anywhere. If there’s one album you pick up this year, get this. There’s enough mixture of genres in this album that’s worth four various albums from four different genres. Like I said above, just go in with an open mind and you’ll easily come out with this album in your top 20 album list at the end of the year; no doubt.

Score: 9/10

kyle- forthepress.net - forthepress.net

Easton Legacy - New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep
Record Label: None
Release Date: May 10, 2008

Easton Legacy’s latest EP, New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep, is one of the most ambitious releases I’ve heard coming from a band that is just starting out. They don’t just want to play the fundamental something that is comparable to doing figure 8’s or double axel jumps for skaters. Easton Legacy want to do the quadruple jumps and death-spirals which guys like The Receiving End of Sirens and 30 Seconds to Mars do, and Easton Legacy are quite good at doing the really hard stuff. Their EP was recorded Apple Head Studio in Woodstock, New York and produced by Michael Birnbaum and Chris Bitner (Coheed and Cambria, John Mayer, Straylight Run, The Sleeping), so their coaches have mentored several triumphant artists in the past. New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep acts as a momentum builder to get the pendulum swinging, and it definitely gives the band momentum.

The lead vocals of Jesse have a street savvy pitch that makes his style of singing accessible to audiences to reach. His guitar playing along with Charles on lead guitar builds the songs into grandiose rock scores that show excellent handling of riffs as large as tsunamis. The rhythmic grooves are steep made by Joe on bass/backup vocals and Ryan on drums, filled in by lush synth padding from Brian on keyboards. The band works with a pop punk framework and adds patches of hardcore guitars and new wave-esque synths. The tracks are big league productions with quite a bit of substance like the occasional pick slides through “Monster Eats the Pilot” and the classic piano grafting giving “Back Off Man I’m a Scientist” leverage on its exodus. The music shows ambitious spins and cycling with a jazzy punk rock propulsion on the two aforementioned tracks that is reminiscent of The Last Goodnight.

The vibrating chords of “Run for It Marty” generate a series of electrical charges, and the steely intensity of the chord rotations along “If You’re Not Mad Enough to Bare” produce trellises of synergy. The band delves into spectre-like lexicons in the guitar phrases and mallet sized drumbeats on “Goodnight Neverland,” and synth pop textures undercoating the prog rock transmissions of “Traitors of the Lost Ark” which fatten the melody’s density. To add to the complexity of their music, Easton Legacy also write complex lyrics that are cleverly versed like in “Monster Eats the Pilot” as Jesse relays, “Bury me at sea before I unceremoniously drown between the sheets / The frigid oceans waters that surround me have coded my torrid temperament / This tomb is free of regret / We are broken… / Here alone, I‘m waiting for the last time you have to call and bring me to your door / This is a cause for an alarm and I‘m at my last resort.” The imagery is reminiscent of the lyrics from The Receiving End of Sirens, using symbolism and veiled innuendos to express feelings of hurt and hope.

Easton Legacy's music has a number of correlations to bands like TREOS, 30 Seconds to Mars, and even Good Charlotte, but it’s the way they handle the hard stuff that makes their EP attractive and worth checking out.


Author's Rating:
Vocals 8
Musicianship 9
Lyrics 8.75
Production 9.25
Creativity 8
Lasting Value 8.5
Reviewer Tilt 8.75
Final Verdict: 86%
- Absolutepunk.net

For those of you who don't know who Easton Legacy is, they are a Pop punk/Rock band from Lowell Ma. This group of five has been around for quite a bit and has recently just released their second self released album: New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep. The album starts off with more of an intro than a song, "Goodnight Neverland" a dark and mysterious presence. Then shortly jumps off to a big beginning of the song "Monster Eats the Pilot". The third song on the album, "Traitors of the Lost Ark" is a good song to pick for a single, opening off with an outer worldly synth part, and a catchy pop chorus. The next song I would like to talk about is track five, "Back Off Man I'm a Scientist" opening with a upbeat bass line that just begs you to start dancing, think "Dance Dance" by Fall Out boy. Although, the song does contain some interesting lyrics, such as, "�don't tempt the hungry tiger, with fresh meat on the bone, you might still have a chance," it definitely keeps to the whole Nightmares theme. This brings me to the last song on this seven song EP, "If You're Not Mad Enough to Bareknuckle Box, You're Just Not Mad". Simply the title says it all, whatever it may mean. Easton Legacy ends their EP with just as much intensity as they start; the dark side of this band comes out to rock you out hard, and before you know it the album is done. I am definitely contented with the EP and look forward to releases they may have in the future, Overall I give "New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep" 4 out of 5 stars. You should all go pick up their EP.
- Indiestar Magazine

A Legacy All Its Own
Reviewed By James LaForte
Genre: Rock
Release Date: May 10, 2008


Creating an intense imagery with an eerily strong voice and a unique use of sound, Easton Legacy, based out of Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts, ignites the listener’s imagination immediately with the first track off their new album “New Nightmares to Challenge Sleep” released May 10, 2008. The CD opens up with “Goodnight Neverland”, a short, almost supernatural, ballad. Giving off a soft resonance, this opening track paves the way for full divergency between each of the remaining tracks.
Perhaps what keeps the listener intrigued is that each track is so different from the previous one, yet still keeps some common ground in order to create Easton Legacy’s own sound as a whole. While Jesse, who sings and plays rhythm guitar, has a distinctly recognizable voice, he shows his adaptability to the variety of style found throughout the album. Case in point: compare the vocals between “Goodnight Neverland” and “Monster Eats the Pilot”. “Traitors of the Lost Ark” features an original lead guitar, performed by Charles, who resonates his style throughout the song, magnifying its depth in the bridge. Heavy words match these earmarks. “Hey there, you can run your mouth off/All night long, but soon you’ll savor every word as you choke them down/A meal fir for a traitor; a serpent and all along continue to convince yourself that you’ve done no wrong”. This legacy is not for the faint of heart.
Keep in mind that the album, produced by Mike Birnbaum and Chris Bitner, does not create an overall heavy feel. Despite the intensity of its sound, it left me feeling a bit settled, maybe even a little enlightened in a heightened sense. In picking the songs apart, you find pockets of creativity and intensity within each lyric and instrument. Bits of keys, gracefully played by Brian, in “Back Off Man, I’m a Scientist” lend a lyrical melody to Jesse’s vocals and Joe’s villainous bass while a heavy, almost metal guitar riff gives “Run for It Marty” a possibly ponderous forshadowing of what the listener is in for. Strike a beat for the drums that leave us all with a hard-hitting sound, perfectly exemplified by Ryan in “If You’re Not Mad Enough to Bare”.
While the boys of Easton Legacy do nothing short of contributing to one’s imagination in imagery (check out the Brain’s synth work on track #7), their lyrics fall closely behind. “Celebrate the flood on this concentrated slave of fashion hell you worked so hard to be a part of/And now it’s over/scream loud enough and you’ll get heard before the tide begins to turn and waves collapse over you”. More than a penny for your thoughts, I would say. Track #5 also paints an illuminating picture: “The floorboards shake/I can feel it in my toes/There’s more to living/than the skin we’ll soon dispose”.
Even with the cumbersome lyrics and strong musical tones, Easton Legacy latest release leaves you light on your feet with some thoughtful perceptions to take with you throughout your day. Overall, the album is an eye opener to everyday emotions that the human heart hides and bares all at the same time. Maybe this legacy was meant to be…




Track List:

* Goodnight Neverland
* Monster eats the Pilot
* Traitors of the Lost Ark
* Two Weeks from Everywhere
* Back Off Man, I’m a Scientist
* Run for It Marty
* If You’re Not Mad Enough to Bare


Members:
Ryan-drums
Joe-bass
Brian-Key/Synth
Charles-lead guitar
Jesse-vocals/rhythm guitar - Perfspot