Accents - Episode 209

2014 is set to be a breakout year for Accents, an indie rock quintet from Albany, NY. Since releasing their critically acclaimed debut, Growth and Squalor, in 2012 on Deep Elm Records (Lights & Motion, Appleseed Cast), the group has had music featured in multiple hit MTV dramas, performed shows all over the Northeast, and filmed a crowd-funded music video for their single, "Alright With Me." Most recently, they self-released a split EP with fellow New York indie-rockers The Racer this past December. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in the Fall of 2013, the group traveled to Telegraph Recording in Poughkeepsie, NY to record their sophomore full-length with Mike Kalajian (Moving Mountains, Wooly and the Mammoth, Ace Enders). They are gearing up to release that new album this Spring.

Accents began as a mere studio project between singer/songwriter TJ Foster and multi-instrumentalist/producer Benjamin Hemingway. The duo worked on tracks while living hundreds of miles apart, culminating in the collection that would become Growth and Squalor. Legendary indie label Deep Elm Records took notice and digitally released the group's debut, garnering praise from respected media outlets and blogs including Absolutepunk.net, who described the album as "a gorgeous, atmospheric slice of indie-folk music... One of the best albums of [2012]." It became clear that this was something special, and the project quickly expanded to include now permanent members Lauren Alexander (vocals, cornet), Matthew Bent (bass, vocals), and Jordan Stewart (guitar). Although the forthcoming full-length continues to highlight Foster's knack for songwriting, it showcases a quintet expanding the familiar Accents sound to new heights with anthems equipped with lush harmonies, soaring guitars and a heavier focus on the guy-girl vocal dynamic they've been developing since their first live performance.