A few months back I was given an opportunity to work with Reverb Nation. Bands and artists from all over would be given the chance to submit to be featured on the blog. Through thousands of submissions, I have been exposed to some amazing new music and extremely talented artists. Ed Allison is one of the artists that submitted to me and I was pumped that he did! Ed Allison is a Pop Punk/Rock/Alternative artist out of York, Pennsylvania.
I interviewed Ed earlier today and was given a first hand account of how he has taken on performing a solo act in addition to playing in cover bands (Blink 182 cover to be specific), a heavy metal band (Gun Metal Gray), and being a substitute teacher!
Ed Allison has always been heavily invested in the music scene ever since he was kid. He started off playing guitar and from there learned bass and other instruments. His diverse musical talent shines on his new EP, “Changes”. Each song on the EP has full band backing, with each instrument played by Ed himself! This is one of the more interesting and unique concepts I have come across since beginning this blog. I have never seen an artist get on stage and perform songs with a full band backing track. I can’t wait to catch Ed at a show to see what it’s like in action!
Even within teaching, Ed Allison utilizes his musical talent and knowledge to help promote musical art to his students. Ed told me that he first learned to play the drums through the highly popular game, Rock Band. I’ve played Rock Band before, and was absolutely awful at the drums. It was interesting to hear that is could be such a useful teaching tool. When his students and parents express interest in learning to play the drums, Ed typically recommends that the parents buy the game. Instead of spending a few hundred dollars on a starter drum kit, spend maybe fifty dollars on Rock Band and gain the same experience. He stated that the skills you gain from playing the game are easily transferrable to a real drum set. Who knew!
As stated earlier, Ed Allison has moved on to his own solo project in addition to his other bands. He began writing his own music back in college, recording rough copies and posting them to his Sound Cloud account. About a year ago, Ed began writing new songs. It was his friend Oliver who expressed how much he enjoyed some of the content that he released on Sound Cloud and thought that Ed should work on an official, legitimate studio recording of some of those songs. With that praise and advice, Ed Allison decided to go for it. He recorded each individual instrumental, from guitar and bass to the drums. These instrumentals work as the backing for his recording. I really appreciate the fact that everything you hear on the EP is 100% Ed. It shows true talent and a genuine love for the music he plays.
Ed Allison’s debut EP, “Changes” is a four song banger! Something I noted immediately is that each song has it’s own unique qualities. I hate listening to an album or EP that has a few songs that almost sound identical. Through the many influences that Ed has, from The Wonder Years and Motion City Soundtrack (his two favorite bands), to heavier Hardcore and Emo bands, “Changes” reflects each of these influences. The EP starts off with “Let In, Let Down”, a song about a friendship that was essentially ruined due to non-communication. Ed told me that this situation taught him that he had to learn to let it happen. As much as he may have wanted to mend that friendship, he knew he had to let the situation unfold as it was. From this unfortunate situation came this awesome single for the EP. Ed poured his emotions into the lyrics on “Let In, Let Down”. “So this is how this has to end, I thought you’d always be my friend. But I guess you don’t and I can’t forget, how everything was just a mess. When you were here, I couldn’t breathe, I just kept drowning underneath. I let you in, you let me down (down). I scream and you don’t make a sound (sound). I let you in, you let me down (down). Now all I want is just to know, how you could ever let this go?”
The EP continues with “Because of You”, a fast paced song with more of a Pop Punk vibe. This song is one that I believe fans will love because of how relatable it is. Fans will be singing this song back to Ed at the top of their longs. “I burned every picture that we were in together, they just made me sick. And now you’re my reminder that things won’t last forever, and no I know this is it.” “Changes” continues on with “Growing Up”, my favorite song on the EP. It is exactly what it sounds like, a song about how much growing up sucks. I love the heavier Pop Punk/Post Hardcore sound. If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know I’m a sucker for those hard hitting guitar riffs and fast paced drums that make audiences go wild. This is one I can picture mosh pits forming the second the song begins. Something I really enjoy is that the entire song isn’t like this. Ed Allison did an excellent job of incorporating those heavy hitting instrumentals at the perfect times!
Ed Allison ended “Changes” with “Fighting Back Against My Mind”. The song was derived from Ed coming to terms with his mental state. The realization that everything isn’t always going to be perfect. No matter how much talking you can do, how many times you can attend therapy sessions, it wont stop the natural process of life. Despite all your efforts, nothing will always be perfect. “But I’m trying harder every day, to make sense of all this mess. It’s a catacombs of yesterdays, of all the things I’ve done and said. And oh I’ve been down this road before, but oh this time it feels like I’m on my own. It’s the darkness in my head. It’s these chains weighed down like lead. And it’s everything I wish I could just make myself forget.” In addition to the lyrics, Ed let his emotions out through the use of the instrumentals. There are times that they are softer and calmer, and times where the instrumentals get heavier and louder. They coincide perfectly with the lyrics to make an amazing song!
As for the future, Ed Allison is on a mission to make as much music as possible. He plans to be writing much more in 2019, with a hopeful full album release by the end of 2019/beginning of 2020. Expect more singles, music videos (one to be released in February), and shows for Ed Allison throughout this upcoming year! Be sure to check out Ed’s social media accounts and listen to music from “Changes” on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!
Upcoming Shows
Friday, January 4th – Mulberry Art Studios – Lancaster, PA
Thursday, February 21st – 2019 Millennium Music Conference – Harrisburg, PA