A Double Album Release from Icarus Phoenix

A massive double album release from Icarus Phoenix just dropped, and this record has so much enlightenment into someone's personal stories, attributes, and inner thoughts that it feels just bursting with honesty, great storytelling, and some descriptive lyrics that at times, let you paint vivid pictures as songs unfold.

The record is dubbed I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said (Deluxe Edition), and absolutely runs the gamut of outstanding rock backbone, songwriting.

There is a lot of vibrant and genuine pop rock, indie rock, some garage, folk, singer-songwriter, and more, all rolled into this one gigantic record that really gives you a lot to chew on.

The record starts with the track called "The Things You Never Told Me", which certainly comes off as an indie rock single, and throughout this, you get a feel for how the band is able to blend elements of color with edginess, and all of it comes together like puzzle pieces.

The riffs are catchy and coated with pop sensibility, along with this amazingly, almost live performance sort of aesthetic that you end up feeding into as the album unfolds.

This is an amazing track to introduce the record with because it does showcase some of the better staples that you're going to hear throughout the record's entirety, but this is an album, or a double album rather, that gives you a lot, so listening to the entire thing is really quite an experience.

Songs like "High Tide" give you so much of that inner thought that just comes spilling out for all to soak in, and this is a huge aspect throughout a lot of the songs on the release.

The record breeds a unique brand of honesty, and again, it lets you paint some pictures, it gives you insight into the character behind all of it, and you end up finding yourself getting pulled into the stories as you go along.

There are aspects to this that feel like a concept record, and some of these songs are like chapters in someone's life.

You get this early 2000s underground indie rock vibe when you listen to this record. Or, at least I do. It gives me bouts of nostalgia growing up listening to certain bands that were semi off the radar and delivering these beautifully intense and emotionally driving songs that showcase so much personality that you couldn't turn away from it.

It's songs like these that we end up connecting with. There are songs on the record that cause memories of my own to pop into my head at random.

It's that level of connectivity that is rare to find, so when you do come across it, it just feels good.

As I mentioned before, this is a double album. It is 36 songs in total, and none of them are really tiny little pieces.

Some tracks are a bit more whimsical, some more serious, and others just very good at storytelling, and throughout it all, again, you get this beautifully live performance sort of energy coming from the band.

A lot of the songs have a wonderful way of putting you right there in the moment, and I found that to be something I held onto pretty tightly.

I actually listened to the full double record from start to finish, and it was amazingly wonderful for me.

Listening to a 2-hour release is so refreshing. It pulls you away from whatever you're doing and whatever you are and puts you in a different headspace. You become part of the stories, you get a feel for the song writing approaches of the band, Hooks and chorus is bounce around and your brain for hours after songs and, and there are certain tracks that you just play a few times in a row as soon as you hear them because you get addicted to the riffs, the lyrics, or just the persona behind it all.

This is important because if you're going to take the time to listen to this album, which I suggest you do once more, then it makes sense to pay full attention.

There are tracks that sort of interconnect with each other in different ways, there are plenty of surprises around the corner, and again, the energy feels like a bunch of guys in a room performing together and feeding off of each other the entire time.

This was a bit of a diverse but well-rounded blend of contemporary, pop, Indie, and folk rock all together, and did it in a seamless fashion.

After you listen to this full double-album release, it becomes less about genre and more about just the sound of Icarus Phoenix.

This is something that I love, and one of the reasons I enjoyed delving through this record for 2 hours.

I absolutely loved the vocal approach and how they portrayed certain levels of emotion, but again, they never went super over the top with anything. 

You pay attention to the lyrics a lot of the time because of the way that they are performed by the singer. 

If you are a true fan of authenticity in music, great rock songs with perfect energy, dynamic balance and songwriting, memorable hooks that don't go over the top, and a beautiful honesty and description and lyrics, then this record is 100% for you.

Take a deep dive through this one, and while you do, check out our interview with the band below so you can find out more about where this record came from and what might be coming up next.

Remember where you heard it first.

Buzz Slayers: Let's talk about I Should Have Known The Things You Never Said! This is a massive album that bordered on dream-rock, progressive, indie-pop, alt-pop and so much more! Where did this album come from and why a double album?

I wrote this album essentially in the year after getting divorced. I had about 40 songs and oftentimes, the songs you don't think much of end up coming together nicely and the ones you were excited about end up coming out flat. Basically, you never know what's going to happen in the studio. Recording a lot of songs usually gives you the options to come up with a solid 10 song album. The problem of course, is that everyone likes different songs, people have different taste and well, why not put them all out in the order they were recorded? If someone has the time to listen to 37 songs, why not make them available? That was my thought process.

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

That's always a tough one to answer. We could talk extensively about every decade of recorded music and there'll be something I prefer from that era. From Billy Murray in the early 1900's all the way up to the past few years, Kendrick Lamar or Big Thief. I'm influenced by everyone. Constantly listening and searching for music I like and observing how people choose to present their music. For 2025 releases...Turnstile, MegaRitual, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, Florist, Finnish Postcard. But I have to mention Neva Dinova, Short Frenzy, Shannon and the Clams, Little Lungs, MoPar Stars, Fred Thomas, and Cameron Winter all put out some really cool stuff in 2024. I love music. I'm listening and exploring all the time.   

Buzz Slayers: Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

We recorded at June Audio in Provo, Utah with Jed Jones. Big studio. I used to cut his hair back in the day and when I found out he made music I asked him if we could work together. That's back in 2017. We recorded a song called "Mediocrity" that we both were stoked on, so when I started Icarus Phoenix I knew I wanted to record with Jed. I knew I wanted to have J.R. Boyce do all the art for the project and I found some lovely people to play music with here in Baltimore. 

Buzz Slayers: Do you guys write songs together, or are there a few main songwriters that bring ideas back to the rest?

For this particular album it was mainly me writing the songs. I always give free reign to people I play with to do what feels best to them. If there's something I have a strong opinion about I let them know, but for the most part I'm more interested to see where they take it rather than what I would do. Usually, things end up being more interesting when I let someone else do their thing. But, the band we've formed here in Baltimore just went back into the studio this past summer and that songwriting process was much more collaborative. I'm really excited about it. We'll hopefully have the new recordings ready by 2026. 

Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as a band?

True to its name, the band has been re-formed nearly every album. It initially started in Missoula, Montana. Then I moved to Cedar City, Utah. Then Baltimore, Maryland. So it's been a lot of change over the past few years and it's constantly shifting. I really hope that the current incarnation sticks together for as long as possible.

Buzz Slayers: What are you performing on the record?

I play guitar, percussion, saxophone, flute, synth as well as whatever else I can get my hands on. I prepped for months recording backing tracks and getting ready to go into the studio. For the new record we just did as a full band, we did it all in studio so it's less of me and I love it. 

Buzz Slayers: Are you performing live right now? 

We have a show with one of my favorite all time bands Neva Dinova this November here in Baltimore!

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for you as a band?

We recorded 23 songs in studio last June. We'll release them as 3 EPs and an album. Making music accessible is always my goal. I don't do much in terms of promotion. I simply hope people who it would mean something to find it. Other than that, my main focus is keeping up with bills and recently my partner had a baby girl. So parenthood all over again for me. I'm excited about that.

Buzz Slayers: Who's in all your headphones right now?

I just discovered Mercury Rev. They're great. Richard Hawley, Lee Hazlewood, Mazzy Star, Bicep, Buck Owens, Brother Sun Sister Moon, Trentemoller, Juggaknots, bonny doon, Atmosphere, the Radio Dept, Stereolab, David Kitt and perhaps as strange as it sounds, that song "Mines (Cloth)" from the videogame Stardew Valley is fire. I love it. So much good music out there! 

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

I always love to hear what other people observe and what they take from it. The details they pick up on are far more interesting than the narrative I'm already fully aware of on my side of the skull. I simply hope that there's someone out there who might be going through a divorce, break up, whatever and they know they aren't alone in how they feel. None of us are. 

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

I'm grateful I live in a world where I can create something and share it with others. For anyone who's spent any of their time with me in any capacity. I'm grateful. Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope it's helpful for you. Writing songs helps me process and self-therapize. So hopefully someone else can find some truth in what I'm discovering as I go about my journey.

Drew

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