EXPERIMENTAL POST-HARDCORE BAND KAONASHI ANNOUNCES NEW FIVE-SONG EP, A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER: THE BRILLIANT LIES FROM CASEY DIAMOND | Albums

The legendary independent rock label from New York, Equal Vision Records, e Kaonashi are pleased to announce the launch on Friday, July 26th, from A Second Chance at Forever: The Brilliant Lies from Casey Diamondthe new five-song EP from the emerging experimental post-hardcore band from Philadelphia. Advancing the band's self-developed line that details the life and times of the character Jamie, the androgynous protagonist of the group's catalog, A Second Chance at Forever: The Brilliant Lies from Casey Diamond is a theatrical journey through a confusing high school romance, its wide-ranging complications and a horrifying discovery at its conclusion. Watch the music video for the EP's new single, "Passing Through The Hourglass,":

In addition, Kaonashi will be on the road this summer supporting the new EP with performances in the USA with Boundariesin the UK with The Fall of Troy e Hail The Sunand in Europe playing headline shows. A full list of dates, along with festival appearances, can be found below, and ticket information can be found on the band's website HERE.

Kaonashi from Philadelphia wants to create change. The quartet - Peter Rono (vocals), Pao (drums), Ryne Jones (bass), Alex Hallquist (guitar/vocals) - aspire to generate compassion, understanding and empathy through art. They understand that music is and always has been a force for bringing people together. They have made it their mission to take advantage of the platform that music offers to change the world around them for the better.

"These songs make up a fictional story, but they are rooted in our personal experiences," explains Rono. "We're starting at the end and going to the beginning. On the 2021 album ['Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year'], it's about Jamie and it's the tragedy that happens on graduation day. The last release [from 2024, 'The 3 Faces of Beauty: A Violent Misinterpretation Of Morgan Montgomery'] is about Morgan and her third year. And this album is about Casey and reveals more about how we got to this tragedy."

While the songs draw inspiration from the members' personal experiences, Kaonashi is able to simultaneously construct a parallel universe with his music to get lost in, which is as cathartic for the band as it is for their fans. "There are a lot of unfortunate stories to draw inspiration from and it really is a tragedy, but it's therapy for me to put that into these songs," he continues.

That said, you don't have to follow the continuous narrative to get lost in the album's sonic earworms. This is evident from the opening "Blood Red Camry Dance Party," an upbeat song full of catchy hooks, syncopated synthesizers and a melodic motif that's impossible to resist. On the other hand, "Straycations" sees the band embracing palm-muted guitars and post-hardcore inventiveness to create a sound that wouldn't look out of place on the Warped Tour, while also highlighting the band's impressive technical ability. However, perhaps most impressive is the album's closing "Exit Pt. VI (The Guilt in the Rearview)," a medium tempo meditation with a cliffhanger ending inspired by Plans from Death Cab For Cutie. "This is definitely one of the heaviest songs we've ever written in terms of emotion and feeling," explains Paolilli. "It's the kind of song we were trying to write and I feel like we hit the nail on the head."

Whether you're a fan of metal, hardcore, punk, post-hardcore or pop music, there's something to latch onto at A Second Chance at Forever: The Brilliant Lies from Casey DiamondKaonashi's songs encompass all of these genres without seeming forced - a fact that makes defining Kaonashi's music no easy task. At the end of the day, the role of the artist is to create and not to categorize, and usually the audience catches on, and it seems that this is finally happening for the band. "We had to take the long way round and be misunderstood and ignored for a long time," sums up Rono. "It's been ten years of nobody caring or just being an underdog to get to where we are now. But now, with this release, things are starting to be understood and to work out."

Kaonashi will be making the following appearances this summer in the USA, UK and Europe. More dates will be added soon.

MAY