US instrumental progressive metal outfit Sometime In February have released a new track called “Nightlight,” arriving off the back of a run of summer US dates and offering a taste of what comes next.
Tristan Auman explains where the song came from:
“‘Nightlight’ was written in a headspace similar to our 2024 single ‘Hiding Place.’ While in the trenches of writing our next record, we wanted to stretch our legs and write something free from the bounds of a bigger picture, and lean into styles that we may only dip our toes into. For this single, it was early-2010s era progressive metal/djent, something we appreciate but usually avoid when writing. In true SIF fashion, it also includes fun and upbeat highs, melodramatic lows, and singable hooks that might make you forget we’re an instrumental band.”
Stream “Nightlight”: https://sometimeinfebruary.lnk.to/Nightlight-Single
Deep Ties To The Prog World
The band introduced themselves in 2023 with “Hiding Place,” their first single under InsideOut Music, showcasing a melodic approach. Their album Where Mountains Hide followed with 11 tracks, moving from the fusion-metal opener “Palantir” to the progressive complexity of “Outside In” and the blues-infused closer “Funeral House.”
The trio’s connections run deep into progressive music. Both Paul Waggoner and Dan Briggs of Between The Buried And Me appear on the record, and the story of how that happened is a good one. Auman had been working for Waggoner at a local coffee shop. After getting to know him, Waggoner went to see the band live and came away impressed, later inviting Auman to fill in alongside him on BTBAM gigs.
In return, Waggoner contributed to “The Bad Fight” and appeared in the music video. “I had a part open for him on the song,” Auman recalls. “He sent over some ideas, and they were perfect, as expected.”
Briggs took a less obvious route, adding textural elements and instruments like mandolin rather than bass. The BTBAM connection carried through to the mixing as well, handled by Jamie King, who previously worked with Scott’s former band Trees on Mars.
“Tristan knew right away he wanted to work with Jamie, and I was all for it,” Scott says. “Jamie was great in the studio with a positive vibe the whole time.”
For sound design the band brought in Eric Guenther, keyboardist for The Contortionist.
“We discussed sound design, and The Contortionist was at the top of our list,” Morgan explains. “Eric was our first choice, and he was on board right away. He had seen Tristan on the BTBAM tour, and he elevated the entire project with his contributions.”
Auman sees the album as a step forward with an uplifting and optimistic feel.
“For this album, I wanted the songs to stand alone more, instead of making everything flow together like typical prog albums. But in the end, it naturally felt cohesive. The album has a grand and fantastical vibe, and with instrumental music, it can be challenging to create a specific atmosphere, but that’s what I aimed for.”
Where Mountains Hide is available as a limited CD digipak and limited edition coloured vinyl, both including a bonus track, plus digital.
Order Where Mountains Hide: https://sometimeinfebruary.lnk.to/WhereMountainsHide-Bio
Photo credit: Eric Smeal
