LVL UP - Return to Love (2016)

LVL UP was a popular indie rock band in NYC from 2010 - 2018, utilizing a collaborative, Beatles-esque writing approach featuring 3 composers, Dave Benton, Mike Caridi, and myself writing and singing individual songs in a group setting. We performed professionally for nearly 10 years, toured extensively in the US, UK, and Europe, released 3 studio albums and a collection of singles, EP's and 7" records. We were often featured in main stream media outlets such as NPR, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork, and performed in major festivals like SXSW and Primavera Sound in Barcelona. Our third and final album, Return to Love, was released via seminal Seattle label Sub Pop Records. On this project our collective songwriting pushed the boundaries of what most in the New York indie rock scene had come to expect from a band like us; departing from some of the lilting, lo-fi, slacker traditions and venturing out into the murk of heavy, droning, experimental song writing. Working with a giant of a label like Sub Pop granted us extra time in the studio to experiment with song arrangements and incorporate a bouquet of new sonic ideas. On my 4 songs particularly, I wanted to really try to push the envelope and try new techniques. The result is a collection of dark, saccharine melodies and lush vocal harmonies over pummeling, immersive, doom inspired instrumentation. This album was an absolute joy and privilege to be a part of and I'm truly proud of the work I did on this album individually and as a group. While we all collaborated on this album as a whole, the songs I wrote are: 4. Spirit Was 7. Five Men on the Ridge 8. Cut From the Vine 10. Naked in the River with the Creator The album artwork also features my own original illustrations. "Return to Love" is available on a number of different formats through the LVL UP Bandcamp page and the Sub Pop website, and is streaming on all major outlets. Collectively the album has 4,023,646 streams on Spotify alone.