If you’ve seen them, you know that Aqueous is no one trick pony. The Buffalo, NY-based four-piece are commonly known for their heavy groove-rock sound and incredibly tight improvisation. On any given night Aqueous can start a show with their traditional sound and before you know it are seamlessly bouncing between complex jams, incorporating each member of the band to covers from the likes of the Grateful Dead to No Doubt and everything in between. They keep audiences on their toes and usually jumping up and down. However, their studio albums tend to stick to their groove-rock roots. Recently, the band announced that they’d be switching it up by releasing a new EP with a new sound called, Burn It Down, while releasing a snippet of the title track.
Burn it Down is a four-track EP that showcases concise rock & roll song writing and a theme of self-betterment from turbulent times. Guitarist and lead vocalist Mike Gantzer shared his thoughts on the new EP. He explained,
We really wanted to further explore a certain attitude that has always been a part of all of us but that might’ve been a little underrepresented in our music up until now. This EP is about not being afraid to stand up and make a change that will get you closer to living your truth, whatever that might be. It’s about self-honesty, and about questioning unhealthy situations and relationships, and calling bullshit when it needs to be called. It’s meant to say, ‘whatever your situation is, it’s never too late to just tear the whole thing down and start over’.
Even with the new direction there is still the same unmistakable spark that Aqueous puts into all their music. It’s still the same lively music and there are moments in each track that are begging for jams and exploration in the live setting. Since the start of their 2019 fall tour, the band has covered music from the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Tame Impala, Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Vampire Weekend, Goldfinger, The Raconteurs, Chromeo, Blink-182, Foo Fighters, and Weezer. As it turns out, these iconic bands are where Aqueous drew inspiration in crafting Burn It Down.
Gantzer added,
There’s been many points in my life where I’ve needed a push to change things up, and I hope people can find that in this music. It’s also just meant to be cranked up and rocked the fuck out to, and more than anything, we hope people do just that.
Burn It Down will certainly resonate with a large audience in a positive way. It’s an emotionally charged EP, which once again shows that Aqueous doesn’t subscribe to any label. It’s equal parts thought invoking lyrics and straight up bad ass music. They refused to be pigeonholed while constantly putting out fresh material both in the studio and on the road as the band has a handful of unreleased tracks in their arsenal. Be sure to check out Burn It Down and catch Aqueous as their fall tour continues through December followed by a few weeks off before a two-night New Year’s run in their hometown at Buffalo, NY’s Town Ballroom.
Fans can head here to listen to Aqueous’ new Burn It Down EP on a variety of different streaming platforms.
Tonight, Friday, November 8th, Aqueous heads to Asheville, NC for a performance at Asheville Music Hall. For a full list of Aqueous’ upcoming tour dates, ticketing, and more information, head to the band’s website.