Last year Koyo released their debut full-length, ‘Would You Miss It?’, drawing acclaim from listeners and critics alike for their unabashedly heart-on-sleeve blend of punk, hardcore, and emo. Now the Long Island upstarts are back with the announcement of a new EP, ‘Mile A Minute’ via Pure Noise Records.
The three songs that make up ‘Mile A Minute’ tap into where Koyo began and where they’re going. The band previously shared ‘Ten Digits Away (Deluxe)’ an acoustic take on one of their catalog’s modern classics, and today they’re back with another new take on an past favorite. ‘I Might Not Get Through All Of This’ is a reimagined version of ‘I Might Not’ from ‘Would You Miss It?’ and it’s a drastically different take that morphs the original’s widescreen pop punk into an atmospheric, almost trip hop-ish brooder.
Frontman Joey Chiaramonte explains: “Maybe the most out-there we’ve ever gotten with a track. In this recent session of singles we knew we wanted to approach rewriting an older track with a willingness to go a little out of the usual comfort zone. We very quickly decided on ‘I Might Not.’ The first stab at doing this was just a piano and singing and we quickly started adding layers and instrumentation as the vision came together. I candidly can say I’m unsure if people will care for this version of the song, it’s a very outside-the-box sound for us–not what an average Koyo listener looks for in us. But this song is powerful and I believe in it. This track feels how October on Long Island looks and feels to me. I hope someone somewhere is drinking a coffee at 2:00 AM bumping this in their car, blasting the heat, parked in a parking lot by a beach or something.”
Emerging from the Long Island underground with members of Typecaste, Hangman, and Rain of Salvation, Koyo hit the ground running with a sonic style that fully embraces the sound of their legendary scene. Drawing on elements like the widescreen melodies of Taking Back Sunday or the tuneful grit of Silent Majority, the band have managed to wear their influences proudly while cultivating songwriting chops that speak for themselves. ‘Mile A Minute’ showcases the impressive songwriting chops that at the center of Koyo‘s music, no matter the volume. Tracks like ‘Ten Digits Away (Deluxe)’ and ‘I Might Not Get Through All of This’ pull back the distortion leaving the hooks to stand alone. Meanwhile ‘Mile A Minute’ is the first completely new Koyo song since the release of ‘Would You Miss It?’. It’s a massive punk anthem that’s proves the band won’t be slowing down any time soon. “Music is all time and place,” Chiaramonte says. “Lyrics and their subject matter, feelings you have–it’s all subject to change, quickly dated. ‘Mile A Minute’ is the most current possible representation of where I’m at, and where we’re at, and I just hope people dive into every aspect and nuance of these songs.”
Koyo have been touring constantly since the release of ‘Would You Miss It?’ and they’re not stopping any time soon. The band have a busy Fall and Winter with lengthy runs in the US, UK, and Europe. The dates will see Koyo performing with the likes of The Story So Far, Superheaven, Four Year Strong, and more – see full itinerary below.
Upcoming Tour dates:
November 21st – Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN
November 22nd – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
November 23rd – KEMBA! Live – Columbus, OH
November 24th – RiverWorks – Buffalo, NY
November 26th – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
November 27th – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA
November 29th – Brooklyn Paramount – Brooklyn, NY
December 1st – The Fillmore Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
December 3rd – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
December 4th – Hard Rock Live – Orlando, FL
December 6th – Bayou Music Center – Houston, TX
December 7th – Boeing Center at Tech Port – San Antonio, TX
December 8th – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX
December 10th – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
December 12th – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
December 14th – The Masonic – San Francisco, CA
February 2nd – Ampere – Munich, Germany
February 10th – Arena – Vienna, Austria
February 12th – Hole 44 – Berlin, Germany
February 13th – Logo – Hamburg, Germany
February 14th – Luxor – Cologne, Germany
February 16th – Dynamo – Eindhoven, Netherlands
February 17th – Le Backstage By The Mill – Paris, France