Mozart Season

Forget the delicate twinklings that you hear at the ballet - Sacramento’s Mozart Season has reinvented what it means to be a classic. By blending heavy, dark melodies with aggressive instrumentations, thrashing vocals and a splash of pop-punk style choruses, this Sacramento-based outfit is paving their own path to success. Separating themselves from the typical “tragic love story” songwriting mentality of other bands, Mozart Season has devoted their music to addressing real life issues and experiences, with no topic too raw to touch upon. Guitarist Sam Trux elaborates, “I want people to hear our music and be able to relate to it...there are real problems, real struggles, real shitty times and this is an outlet for us to express that.” With nearly five years of experience behind their belts, Mozart Season has been building up an army of dedicated followers since they were teenagers. Their beloved hometown has provided the fuel for pursuing their musical aspirations and has served as their launching pad towards national recognition. Hoping to follow in the successful footsteps of fellow Sacramento-natives the Deftones, CAKE, and fellow hardcore outfits, Dance Gavin Dance and A Skylit Drive, the band emphasizes that their dreams spread far beyond their local venues, “... from day one our goal has been to make a name for ourselves in this city and in the rest of the world,” founding member and vocalist, Nate Richardson states. Selling out local venues since 2005, Mozart Season has already earned the respect of Sacramento and will next strive to win the hearts of new cities, both near and far. Richardson and Trux, along with Troy Cooper (bass), Benton Christensen (guitar) and Luke Allen (drums) show maturity beyond their years, as they collectively produce innovative melodic, post-hardcore music on their latest EP, Nightmares. The album was recorded at Fat Cat Studios in Sacramento with engineer Jay Trammell [Self Against City, Early States] in March of 2010. Cooper explains Trammell’s role in the studio saying, “Jay would always push us to get the perfect take. He would never settle for something unless he thought it sounded good - that really helped us push ourselves to be more critical of our own songs and to get the sound that we really wanted.” Focusing on creating an album that sounds just as good when it’s performed live, the band chose to self-produce, leaving the final product to be a raw, natural expression of passion and skill. Working tirelessly through the night, nearly every night of their studio time, the band has already exemplified their commitment and dedication to living up to their greatest potential and creating their best effort to date. Nightmares features three songs off of their previous album, Apotheosis EP, and three brand new songs showcasing their growth and development. Cooper describes the EP as the perfect mix of old and new, “...it gives listeners a chance to hear the range in our sound. There are some heavy songs, some jammy sing-alongs, the occasional breakdown and lots of catchy pop melodies over heavy, melodic guitars.” The title extends on the album’s theme of old and new, reflecting on the struggles and obstacles the band has endured and overcome in the past and serving as a reminder that with each new day, new opportunities will arise. “In writing this EP, we definitely spent our time perfecting each song piece-by-piece and taking the time to fine tune every note and part...we really took the time to make the songs exactly what we wanted them to be,” Christensen, another founding member, explains. The extensive preparations made in pre-production proved to make all of the difference for Mozart Season’s in-studio experience. Cooper adds, “We worked really hard and I think the final product can speak for itself. These are some of the best songs we've ever written as band.” From listening to bands on the label to being one of them, Mozart Season’s hard work and distinct sound has earned them a spot on the Equal Vision Records roster. Pushing themselves one step closer towards accomplishing their goal of widespread success, Mozart Season will next embark on their biggest tour yet, sharing the stage with veterans Gwen Stacy and Lower Definition. Content on their new family and their upcoming tour, Cooper reflects, “I grew up listening to bands like Fear Before, Bear Vs. Shark, Armor for Sleep, and Alexisonfire...being a part of the label that helped launch these bands is a dream come true. As a band we've always talked about what label we'd like to be a part of and EVR was at the top of our list. Every band on the roster is unique and doesn't sound like everyone else; that’s something that we're really proud to be a part of.”