East Of June

East of June are vocalist Emily Rath, guitarist Kyle Mortensen, and bassist Dirk Lance. Despite their intended premise, online dating apps aren’t always conduits for meaningful personal connection. But when East of June co-founder Kyle Mortensen came across Emily Rath’s musical portfolio via her profile on the dating app Bumble, he decided to bypass the idea of asking for a date and instead inquired about a musical collaboration. “We had a conversation, and I asked her, ‘What kind of artists are you into?'” Mortensen said. “And I was amazed by how many similar influences we shared like Hall & Oates and Massive Attack.’ She then added, ‘I’m really less interested in being a pop star and more focused on being a songwriter.’ That sealed the deal.” “What was supposed to have been me sharing my two cents started developing into a collaboration without a face to it,” Lance says, adding that the pair intended on forming a behind-the-scenes songwriting collective. “Then Kyle made the connection with Emily and she started contributing lyrics and melodies to some existing ideas he and I had put together.” The trio then realized that they might instead be forming a band. The timing was fortuitous: Mortensen was separately asking his long-time friend Dirk Lance (a founding member of Incubus who co-wrote and performed on the band’s biggest albums, including S.C.I.E.N.C.E., Make Yourself, and Morning View) for feedback on music he had been working on. While early singles from East of June including “Rebel” and “I Can’t Feel It” were characterized by their semi-electronic sonics, the material on “Omens & Signs” explores a more organic landscape with the focus placed on live instruments and lush vocal arrangements. “We discovered more crayons in the box to color with,” says Rath. “Suddenly, the pictures we were painting musically became more vivid than we ever imagined.” Lance, never one to shy away from his opinion, goes on to further explain, “Music is in an interesting place right now. I sound like the ‘get off my lawn’ guy but I’m not interested in the minimalism that’s popular at the moment. I grew up listening to bands; they wrote their own songs, played their own instruments, and frankly didn’t care what anyone else thought about them.” Lance’s philosophy takes shape in the eclectic musical journey that is the five songs on “Omens & Signs”. Rath digs deep to exorcise her demons involving past trauma and self-doubt while exploring the simple joys of changing her perspective on what true happiness looks like through the prism of embracing her own authenticity. “I think after a year of lockdown it’s been cathartic for everyone, especially Emily, to finally get the chance to say what’s on her mind and in her heart,” says Mortensen. “Everything that we collectively thought we knew and believed about this band has changed for the better.” Rath further adds, “Songs like “Lonely Wolf”, “Goodbye” and “Believe” are about realizing my own strength. The interesting pivot though is in “Lazy Sunday” which I wouldn’t have been able to write if I hadn’t made peace with the past and the conscious decision to see the beauty that still exists in the world.” It helps that each member also brings different strengths and backgrounds to the band. During his work with Incubus, Lance co-wrote and performed on the band’s biggest hits, including “Drive,” “Pardon Me” and “Wish You Were Here,” and spent the last decade on a passion project called Willie’s Nerve Clinic. Mortensen currently owns the creative agency called NEWSCIENCE whose clients include Live Nation, Universal Music Group, and Ubisoft, and has held an eclectic array of music-related jobs. He is the former Vice President of Marketing for StreetWise, the digital agency owned by David “Beno” Benveniste, manager for System Of A Down, Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, and others. He also ran marketing at URB Magazine and managed such artists as legendary rapper Slimkid3 (formerly of The Pharcyde) and industrial rock band Kidneythieves. (He initially met and became friends with Lance while promoting Incubus when they were both still in high school.) Rath, meanwhile, draws on a diverse musical résumé that includes recording multiple solo EPs; singing with a cappella groups; being featured on Bay Area’s renowned radio station KFOG and TV station KRCB; and opening for national acts.