New York progressive rockers EDENSONG have announced the addition of drummer Nicholas DiGregorio and koto player Kento Iwasaki to the band roster. The duo joins the eclectic lineup of James Byron Schoen (vocals/guitar), TD Towers (bass/vocals) and Barry Seroff (flute), following the departures of Tony Waldman (drums) and Stefan Paolini (keyboards) last year after a successful North American tour. DiGregorio, a dear friend of the band for twenty years who has a background in jazz and improvisational drumming, and Iwasaki, a koto player and composer who is at home playing anything from traditional Japanese music to jazz and modern pop, further expand the sonic palette of EDENSONG, a band already known for its constantly evolving sound.
EDENSONG explained these lineup changes in a new video, which can be watched HERE.
Regarding the new additions to the band, bassist TD Towers issues; "Edensong is in crush mode like never before...With Nick, we've knocked out all the pillars of rigidity and embraced a fluidity that this band has never experienced. The way he plays the drums is very different; a technical virtuoso, but so much more about finding the inspiration of the moment and keeping this complex music eternally fresh. You'll find it's a freer, very fierce and fearless Edensong on stage where no two sets are the same...
...Kento is remarkable - not only is he a bafflingly talented koto player who manages the very tricky job of making a 13-string zither work gorgeously across very complex music, but he's a charismatic performer, and a compelling personality"
He adds of the recent departures; "The 2009-2017 lineup will always be classic, and what we achieved with YITGOY and the subsequent shows was monumental...Stefan is an esoteric spiritualist and chaos magician...in the top tier of prog keyboard players...endlessly inventive, and responsible for a lot of the technical challenges that helped those of us remaining really level up our musicianship...
...There are no words to express what Tony did for Edensong. As a promoter, unique personality, community builder, tireless advocate for the scene in general and genuinely generous friend, he is in a class of his own...While it is hard to imagine life after Tony, I am grateful that he is free to pursue boundless personal growth, new creative outlets, and remain a scout on the very frontier of the gorgeously unusual."
Singer/Guitarist James Byron Schoen says of the upcoming tours and musical direction; "Rehearsing for this tour and working with this incredible new lineup has been an opportunity to dig a little deeper into our back catalog and rework some classics. We'll also be trying out some brand new music that will likely find its way onto the next EDENSONG album. While 2017 was about promoting Years in the Garden of Years specifically, the new set is about unifying the past, present, and future sounds of the band. We're all excited to get out there!"
EDENSONG are gearing up for a North American tour in April and their first European tour in October, which includes a performance at the esteemed Summers End Progressive Rock Festival in Wales. The band have released the following tour dates:
TOUR DATES:
4/13 - Boston, MA (The Lilypad)
4/14 - Winooski, VT (The Monkey House)
4/15 - Quebec, QC (Centre d'art la Chapelle)
4/16 - Ottawa, ON (details TBA)
4/17 - Syracuse, NY (details TBA)
4/19 - New York, NY (DROM)
4/20 - Nyack, NY (Olive's)
10/5 - Chepstow, UK (Summers End Festival)
10/9 - Southampton, UK (The Talking Heads)
10/10 - Leicester, UK (The Musician)
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