Vern Matz explore themes of nostalgia in debut self-titled EP

Vern Matz‘s self-describing slogan “Indie tunes for your winter blues,” whether jocular or not, is spot-on. From the blue-toned artwork to spacey effects in the songs themselves, Vern Matz thematically paints the bleakness of winter in their self-titled debut EP. Built on atmospheric, sweeping instrumentals, the opening track “Earthboy” shows shades of Bowie and hints of James Mercer from his Broken Bells era.

Sticking to the themes of winter on the 6-track debut, the band — which features Key photographer Noah Silvestry on drums — explores an array of sounds throughout the near-22 minute effort. Ranging from noisey breakdowns on lead single “Trampoline,” to stripped back acoustic tunes like closer “Iceboy,” Vern Matz conveys longing nostalgia through a variety of mediums. Nostalgic in nature, this element of the EP is entirely intentional. The band views the EP as a coming of age story, both individually and as a band.

When describing the EP, the band states:

“Much of the EP expresses a feeling of displacement and an attempt to restore a sense of wholeness. There’s confusion and nervousness in the fact that you don’t know what needs to be restored. But there is a lot of excitement and emotion in that uneasiness. We were swept up in the idea of nostalgia as style, and the EP very intentionally looks toward past generations of alternative music for inspiration.”

While the band currently calls Yale University home, this EP was recorded at Fishtown’s Miner Street Recordings Studio. The Vern Matz EP is available to stream below, via the group’s Soundcloud.