write again for two weeks,” Van Ellis explains. “It gave each of us time to regroup at home or come up with ideas by ourselves and then come back and kind of bounce them off of each other. At the end of the day, it’s still the five of us in a room jamming together—I don’t think that’s really changed since we started writing together.” But even before writing began, Light We Made was destined to be an outlier. In the fall of 2013, while on tour with Title Fight, Cruel Hand, and Slingshot Dakota, Van Ellis and his cohorts were in a serious car accident that would turn their world upside down. In fact, the wreck was so severe that, until recently, the band made a point to avoid the topic altogether. “No one should’ve lived,” Van Ellis admits. “We drove off the highway, fell like 50 feet, and ended up like 100some feet from the road. It was a very surreal, eye-opening thing. I think it was the first time a lot of us were literally like, ‘Okay, this is it. This is where we stop as human beings.’” While no one was seriously injured, this harrowing experience—which
ON TOUR
Van Ellis believes “put a lot of things in perspective for everyone”— would weigh heavily on the group as they began crafting what would go on to become their third full-length album. “When you sit down after not writing for a couple years, those two years have already impacted what you’re going to do, but you don’t know how until you start playing,” Van Ellis explains earnestly. “It was a very strange thing that happened, and it’s something we all have to deal with, but at the same time, I think it had a big impact on the direction of the album.” In Balance And Composure’s case, however, it seems that the age-old mantra is indeed true: what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Light We Made is a welcome addition to the group’s already outstanding catalogue, and without a doubt one of the most compelling releases of 2016. It’s intricate in its introspection, wonderfully self-aware, and a surefire favorite for fans new and old. “We didn’t want to rush and put something out just to be relevant,” Van Ellis says. “You can write a record, record
it, be the flavor of the month, and have people be hyped about it for a little bit, but that shit doesn’t last. We didn’t want to fall into that category. Four years ago, if you would’ve told me that we were going to be writing a song that had a lead synth part, I would’ve said, ‘You’re fucking crazy’—but it’s all about pushing yourself creatively as an artist and going to those places that you wouldn’t normally go,” he adds. So what’s next for Balance And Composure? Why, world domination, of course! Or, at the very least, a healthy dose of touring. In September, the band kicked off a two-month run alongside Foxing and Mercury Girls—the first of what Van Ellis hopes will be many future outings. “It’s definitely kind of an anxious feeling with every record that any band or artist puts out, because once they record it, there’s always this weird waiting period where it’s finished and it kind of sits for six months until release day,” explains Van Ellis. “But I’m excited. It’s a good feeling, and it’s cool being back in the swing of things and doing what we love to do.” S
10.30 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11.02 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
11.05 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
11.10 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
11.12 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
11.15 Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
11.01 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
11.04 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
11.06 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
11.11 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
11.14 Boston, MA @ Royale
11.16 New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
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