THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT Self-Titled EP Out!!
The L.I.F.E. Project - the formidable musical partnership of Grammy nominated Stone Sour guitarist, Josh Rand and co-songwriter & vocalist Casandra Carson - have dropped their debut, self-titled EP today. The 5 track collection can be streamed in-full here with CD and Vinyl available exclusively through the bands webstore here and via Nuclear Blasts' stores here.
In celebration of the release, the duo have also released a lyric video for their track "Purgatory" which can be streamed here and watched here or by clicking the image below.
Speaking on the release of his latest musical endeavor, Josh Rand tells us
”Words cannot express how gratifying it is to put this EP out at this stage in my career. To get to this point, it’s been a long road with many ups and downs over the course of the last year and a half. For me, this EP represents a vision. A standard in quality and a journey about never compromising ones art.
Writing “Purgatory”, I knew that I wanted to create something that sounded epic. I felt the best way to approach that was to write at a slower tempo to be able to fatten up the sonics of all the instruments and to write the song in harmonic minor."
Casandra Carson adds
"I’m so excited to finally unleash this EP to the world! I’m so proud of what Josh and I have created together and built over the past year, and so thankful that I had the opportunity to be a part of this project. The lyrics I wrote for "Purgatory" are about that internal push and pull when a person is in a toxic relationship, and how it’s sometimes hard to let go and just walk away even when they know it’s the right thing to do."
The L.I.F.E. Project EP
1. Ignite
2. Purgatory
3. The Nothingness
4. Worthwhile
5. A World On Fire
"Purgatory" is the fourth single to be released from the EP and follows previous singles "A World On Fire", "Ignite" and the band's debut release "The Nothingness" which was featured on several major playlists across streaming platforms including Rock Hard on Spotify, Breaking Metal on Apple Music, Break Through Rock on Amazon and Metal Radar on Deezer. "The Nothingness" was also included on SiriusXM Octane's Test Drive the week it was released.
Nurturing the project from concept to execution, the instrumentation on 'The L.I.F.E. Project EP' was written, arranged, recorded and produced by Rand in his home studio and mixed by Josh Wilbur (Korn, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Parkway Drive). Completing the collaborative effort with the addition of Carson, The L.I.F.E. Project presents an important milestone in an already decorated career for Rand, one that was punctuated with the addition of a one-of-a-kind vocal lead that understood how to compliment the music with her lyrical pen. The resulting introduction of The L.I.F.E. Project is a five-track EP that offers a complete presentation of a songwriter asserting his stride after more than two decades steeped in his craft. Building off the sonic stamp he established during his six albums, twenty-year tenure with Stone Sour, Rand’s current iteration holds true to his track record, without relying on it, all while penning a new chapter in his artistic anthology.
Stylistically, The L.I.F.E. Project is a fluid combination of classic metal sensibility and Rand’s penchant for pushing the boundaries of contemporary heavy. From the ethereal, cinematic soundscape of the piano-latent ballad in "Worthwhile,” to the sonic sledgehammer of “A World On Fire,” the broad spectrum resonates as especially impressive. Between Rand’s instrumental framework, accentuated by Carson’s ability to articulate poignant stanzas, The L.I.F.E. Project remains a passion project culminating in perfect collaboration.
ABOUT THE L.I.F.E. PROJECT
Arriving at the intersection of time and circumstance, multi-instrumentalist, veteran songwriter, and long-tenured guitarist of the Grammy-nominated rock outfit Stone Sour, Josh Rand, found himself at a proverbial fork in the road. Rotating back to real world after an extensive two-year run on the road completing Stone Sour’s Hydrograd album cycle, Rand resumed his routine of immersing himself in his craft, songwriting with clear intent - breaking new ground and exploring new sounds. Shortly thereafter, a series of events would prompt Rand to make some significant professional decisions.
The pivot would find Rand continuing to push his creative pace as a songwriter, while devising a brand-new outlet that would feature his stylistic signature throughout. Accustomed to working with the kind of vocalist that is equally commanding and versatile, Rand knew he wanted to maintain a standard of a dynamic lead, while bringing something new to the space of hard rock and metal.
As chance would have it, just a few degrees of separation stood between Rand and vocalist Casandra Carson. The resulting introduction of The L.I.F.E. Project is a five-track EP that offers a complete presentation of a songwriter asserting his stride after more than two decades steeped in his craft. Building off the sonic stamp he established during his six albums, twenty-year tenure with Stone Sour, Rand’s current iteration holds true to his track record, without relying on it.
Find The L.I.F.E Project Online