Bob Nanna — leader of multiple emo bands past and present — has a special skill for keeping one foot in the past and one in the present. Hey Mercedes is in the middle of a reunion tour supporting the reissue of its debut album Everynight Fire Works, and ’90s emo standbys Braid (his previous band) released and toured behind a comeback album in 2014 and ’15. At the same time, Nanna has been fronting the Chicago band Lifted Bells, alongside members of like-minded indie rock compatriots Their / They’re / There and Stay Ahead of the Weather.
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The latest in the trickle of promising EPs (the first came out in 2013) is Overreactor, which Billboard is excited to stream exclusively today, ahead of its July 15 release date on Run For Cover Records. Below, check out their latest collection of prickly guitars and hummable hooks.
This is the third EP from Lifted Bells, but rest assured, they won’t be releasing new music in bite-sized formats forever. “The EP will hopefully be a fresh introduction to the band and what we’re up to,” Nanna tells Billboard. “We’re already over halfway done with a full length and are looking forward to getting out on the road. It’s going to be a fun, wild ride.”
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Lifted Bells’ lineup is rounded out by Matthew Frank, Matt Jordan, Kyle Geib and Seth Engel. You can pre-order the Overreactor EP here via Run For Cover Records.