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Nora Marks Premiere Their Career-Defining New EP ‘The Buzzing of Flies’

Nora Marks takes a huge leap with their sophomore release, ‘The Buzzing of Flies’ (Take A Hike Records). Hear the premiere of the follow-up to last year’s debut full-length, ‘Opt Out.’

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It’s always interesting to hear the evolution of a band in real-time and how things change from song to song and record to record. A big leap has been taken by Nora Marks with their brand new sophomore release, The Buzzing of Flies, due via Take A Hike Records. The EP is the follow-up to last year’s debut full-length, Opt Out, with five brand new tracks that are noticeably more musically developed and well-rounded.

That’s not to suggest that any of this has happened overnight, though. The trio has been hard at work, honing a catchy, radio-friendly sound since their formation in early 2016. Spearheaded by brothers Matt and Michael Garrity, with their longtime friend Matt Galante rounding out the lineup, there’s a real vintage, do-it-yourself, punk rock mentality that really helps define what they are as a talented, versatile ensemble.

Defining the EP and what it means to them, singer and guitarist Michael Garrity offers the following thoughts:

“Technically, you could say this EP is about learning to make tough choices, but first and more importantly, it’s about learning to recognize and accept the fact that a choice needs to be made at all. For us, this record is equal parts experimental and the end of a long road that we’ve been stumbling down for over six years now. It’s us finally deciding to decide what kind of band we want to be and how to be it.”

What separates The Buzzing of Flies from Opt Out is the development and maturity that Nora Marks has gained together over the last year or so. It’s more carefully put together, from the chemistry between the band members, to how they play off of each other, to even the mix between the instruments. They have grown a lot with the consistent gigs and touring that, unlike the previous year and a half, have been possible over the last several months.

During that time, Michael and his bandmates learned the importance of writing with each other rather than on top of each other. That’s one of the key signs of a band that is evolving with every day that comes and every show that goes by. It may have taken some time, but from a writing and recording standpoint, these guys are really starting to get on a roll.

Artwork for the album ‘The Buzzing of Flies’ by Nora Marks

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