Photo by: Bella Petro
Official press release:
Blue Grape Music is thrilled to welcome Southern California’s Initiate — Crystal Pak [vocals], Michael Morales [bass], Draven Carter [guitar], Manning Gray [guitar], and John Hodge [drums] — to the label’s global roster.
The band will drop the new With Love // With Rage EP on August 7. Pre-order it here. Pak reveals:
“When I looked back at the lyrics, everything read as a letter, either to another person in my life, my friends, or myself. However, a letter to a friend would be signed off ‘With Love’ not ‘With Rage.’ I intentionally wrote these songs, so they spoke to these two opposing feelings: Love and rage. You can tell which tracks spill to which side.”
Today, the band has shared the video for “Numb The Pain”. Watch the Bella Petro-directed visual here.
Widening their collective palette, the musicians nodded to inspirations as diverse as Hum, Deftones, Jane’s Addiction, Rage Against The Machine, and Failure as well as longtime favorites Paramore. Pak says:
“We all wondered, ‘What would it sound like if Clairo wrote a Quicksand record?'”
Pak continues:
“The song starts off with a callback to our last single, ‘Alone At the Bottom’, showcasing the ebbs and flows that life can throw at you. Where much of hardcore leans into anthems of brotherhood and sisterhood, this track still embraces those themes, but frames them through a more introspective lens. The addition of melodic softness and acoustic elements makes it clear from the outset that this is meant to land differently — not as a rallying cry, but as something more personal and reflective.”
She finishes:
“In a way, it stands apart while still feeling connected to the core of what we do — expanding our sound without losing the heart behind it, and showing that strength doesn’t always have to come through volume alone.”
Initiate will remain on the road for much of 2026. They recently played festivals and headline gigs in Europe and the UK, including a much buzzed-about performance at Outbreak in Manchester. At the festival, Pak joined La Dispute on stage for their set and it was truly a moment that won’t be forgotten. The band will also appear at Warped Tour and then support Senses Fail and Koyo this fall. Dates are below.
With Love // With Rage EP track listing:
- “Burn After Reading”
- “Delusions”
- “Shadowboxing”
- “Numb the Pain”
- “Future Saving Grace”
Tour dates:
7/25–7/26 Long Beach, CA — Warped Tour
8/21–8/22 Montréal, QC — Warped Tour
9/11–9/13 Edmonton, AB — Purple City Music Festival
10/23–10/25 Gainesville, FL — The Fest
11/14–11/15 Orlando, FL — Warped Tour
11/19 Los Angeles, CA — Belasco *
11/20 Las Vegas, NV — House of Blues *
11/21 San Diego, CA — Observatory North Park *
11/23 Portland, OR — Crystal Ballroom *
11/24 Seattle, WA — Neptune Theatre *
11/27 Salt Lake City, UT — The Depot *
11/28 Denver, CO — Summit Music Hall *
11/30 Dallas, TX — Echo Lounge & Music Hall *
12/01 San Antonio, TX — Aztec Theatre *
12/02 Houston, TX — House of Blues *
12/04 St. Petersburg, FL — Jannus Live *
12/05 Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theatre *
12/06 Nashville, TN — Brooklyn Bowl *
12/08 Chicago, IL — House of Blues *
12/09 Cincinnati, OH — Bogart’s *
12/11 Detroit, MI — Saint Andrew’s Hall *
12/12 Toronto, ON — Opera House *
12/13 Montreal, QC — Théâtre Beanfield *
12/15 Boston, MA — Big Night Live *
12/16 Philadelphia, PA — Theatre of Living Arts *
12/18 Brooklyn, NY — Warsaw *
* = w/ Senses Fail & Koyo