On 20th May on Revelation Records comes ‘Hello Sun’, the new EP from ‘Be Well’. Serving as a followup to the band’s critically acclaimed ‘The Weight And The Cost’ (2020), ‘Hello Sun’ is full of high-energy, melodic hardcore infused with emotion and lyrical depth.
Across the six songs on the record, frontman and producer Brian McTernan finds emotional catharsis through examination of childhood trauma, depression, and fatherhood while still providing a hopeful light. Rounding out the band are guitarists Mike Schleibaum (Darkest Hour) and Peter Tsouras (Fairweather), bassist Aaron Dalbec (Bane), and drummer Shane Johnson (Fairweather), making for an all-star line-up.
On opening track ‘Treadless,’ McTernan screams with the newfound clarity he’s obtained in recent years over the track’s frantic guitars and drums, throwing a life-saver to anyone who’s treading water just to keep from drowning from the weight of mental illness. The anthemic ‘I Will Leave You With This,’ the second track on the EP, is when the lifelong musician/producer spends a rare moment taking stock of his storied career.
Fans of McTernan’s more melodic work with bands like Thrice, The Movielife and Texas Is The Reason will be particularly captivated by the title track, ‘Hello Sun,’ which pairs gigantic guitar riffs with massive vocal hooks, hinting at McTernan’s deep contributions to the many now-classic band’s he’s produced. The song is the centerpiece of the EP, encapsulating McTernan’s transformation as a husband, father, friend, producer, and bandmate.
One of the faster, most aggressive moments on Hello Sun—the track ‘Only One Wish’ is as much a loving dedication to his teenage daughter, as to anyone else out there who might be feeling silenced and alone, as he once did. Finally, all the turmoil and triumph, regret and redemption, capitulates with the soaring closing track, ‘In the Shadow of Who You Thought I Was,‘ which finds the band again exploring a refreshingly mid-tempo, melodic post-hardcore space, reminiscent of the title track.
Lyrically McTernan says the song is the unofficial companion piece to, ‘I Will Leave You With This,’ expressing the singer/producer’s desire to step out from under the considerable shadow cast by his reputation, and allow friends, family and colleagues to see the real man behind the mixing board. The track ends with the line “But I want to get better, I want to change”, a sure prelude to the next steps in the journey for McTernan and Be Well.
‘Be Well’ has also partnered with End Hits Records for a vinyl release of the record in Europe. To support the EP release, the band has an extensive touring schedule, along with a handful of European dates which can be found below.
October 5th – Zappa – Antwerp, Belgium
October 6th – Melkweg – Amsterdam, Netherlands
October 7th – Warsteiner Music Hall – Dortmund, Germany
October 8th – Swiss Life Music Hall – Hannover, Germany
October 9th – Columbiahalle – Berlin, Germany
October 10th – Lowensaal – Nuremburg, Germany
October 12th – Gasometer – Vienna, Austria
October 13th – LKA-Longhorn – Stuttgart, Germany
October 14th – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, Germany
October 15th – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, Germany