As I Lay Dying guitarist Phil Sgrosso has released an instrumental, two-song EP titled Tension Rising/Light of Day. The tracks on the effort, as you might have guessed, are titled “Tension Rising” and “Light of Day”, you can listen and download them below. Sgrosso handled production, engineering, composition, and programming of the EP, with mixing done by Joseph McQueen at Sparrow Sound LA. Mike Kalajian mastered the effort at Rogue Planet Mastering and the artwork was created by Jim Hughes. Speaking of the EP, Sgrosso offered:
“These were songs that I initially wrote years ago although they never really fit exactly into the mold for any of my bands. I felt like there was still potential for them to serve a purpose somewhere down the line. When I decided to create some musical themes for the podcast, these 2 songs immediately came to mind. From there I began updating them with newer and more modern elements that I find interesting while still working well in an instrumental context. All the downtime in 2021 enabled me to focus more on my technique of incorporating more speed and shred with my solo playing, it’s been a rewarding challenge for sure.”
Sgrosso has also launched his own podcast, titled Raise The Bridge. In it, he will be sharing stories, music philosophy, creative approaches, production techniques, and other topics from peers throughout the music industry. He said of the endeavor:
“A lot changed for me personally during the pandemic lockdowns last year. A big part of it was taking a year off from drinking and refocusing my priorities on my mental and physical health. Part of what got me through the days was running and listening to podcasts, which I really enjoy learning more about interesting people and their experiences.
As a musician, I tend to get stuck in my own head…a lot…so starting my own podcast enabled me to step outside of myself and get into the minds of some very talented people that I’ve become friends with over the years. It’s been an enjoyable learning experience for me, as well as therapeutic in many ways.”
The first episode features Saosin’s Beau Burchell and can be heard below as, well.
