ABOUT ILLITERATE LIGHT
Formed in the summer of 2015, Illiterate Light transcend expectations of typical rock music through their limitations as a duo. Jeff Gorman elevates his gritty guitar melodies and honest lyricism by stomping out thunderous synth bass with his feet as Jake Cochran layers lush vocal harmony and explodes with body convulsing energy around his minimalist standing drum kit. Gorman and Cochran’s incessant writing, commanding live performance, and constant touring promise a bright future as they finish their debut album with Vance Powell (Jack White, Kings of Leon, Chris Stapleton) and Adrian Olsen (Foxygen, Natalie Prass). “Better Than I Used To” is the first taste of what’s to come from Illiterate Light.
Spanning the better part of a decade, the creative evolution between Gorman and Cochran is far from ordinary. The duo has run an organic farm in the Shenandoah Valley, toured the mid-Atlantic in bands by bicycle, and lived in small communities while pursuing modes of alternative education. Their eclectic background is mirrored in their sound and lyricism, floating between postmodern confusion and vibrant optimism. Though shaped by the DIY music scene of their hometown Harrisonburg VA, the duo has grown immensely through immersion in the thriving communities of both Richmond, VA and Nashville, TN.
ABOUT THE PRESSURE KIDS
Nashville-based indie rock band the pressure kids have been together long enough to see some shit. since forming as college freshmen in the fall of 2013, they’ve survived lineup changes, deceptive ex-managers, sexist industry advisors. seen each other through breakups, makeups, promotions, graduation dinners. through every up & down, every moment of triumph & turmoil that inevitably comes with the coming of age, Nick, Allan, Katy, Justin & Zach have always connected over their love of songs that make you feel something. melodies that score the moment you fall apart at the party, then piece yourself together on the drive home.
It’s 2019, and the pressure kids have closed their collegiate chapter, landing fully in the throes of young adulthood. after releasing two well-received singles in 2018 - the rowdier “team” in October & the tender “fever” in July, the latter of which was featured on Spotify’s new music Friday playlist - the pressure kids have sprinted into the new year with a new music video (one that would make the late, great John Hughes proud, according to flood magazine), new single "and another one," and self-titled debut EP. the six-song offering includes those three singles, along with three new tracks, one of which was played in its earliest iteration at the first show of the band’s career (at an abandoned laundromat turned DIY space, no less). its closing track, however, was written just before new year’s & recorded in January 2019, making the EP as a whole a uniquely definitive statement, one that reveals exactly where the pressure kids have been, and exactly where they’re going.
The pressure kids showcases a young band at the height of creativity and determination, pairing evocative melodies with rich instrumental textures, altogether handcrafted and highlighted by the kind of wise-beyond-your-years youthfulness that only strikes when you really are twenty-three or twenty-four years old. listening feels like forever scoring an invite to the party, and never wanting to leave. and why would you? Nick, Allan, Katy, Justin & Zach really hope you’ll stay.
