Some relationships are better the second time around. There is history, understanding and an established way of relating. Former members of i see rowboats, Lisa Lipton, Solomon Vromans and Will Robinson, have reunited to become It Kills.
"Once we disbanded from i see rowboats we just started up a new project a few months down the road," says Lipton, calling before heading to band practice. "It was easy because we already had the relationship from before."
Don't read too far into the band title---It Kills isn't nearly as cryptic or as emotional as one could imagine. It was originally mentioned in an off-the-cuff manner. All members nodded their heads. "The name isn't conducive to the sound. We like it," says Lipton.
Recorded during the winter at St. Matthias Anglican Church and Joel Waddell's place in Dartmouth, It Kills is a self-titled collection of songs that wanders along the landmine of imagination. There is a lingering darkness, with accents of light. There are moments of clarity and moments of confusion. It Kills embodies human experience through spiritual sound. "There's a little bit of heartache, we travel through a bunch of emotions," Lipton says. "Not necessarily all, but a lot of the songs came out of an emotionality that we were all going through simultaneously. Heavy hearts would be fair."
The opening track, "Dragons," climbs with instrumentation while Robinson's cries feel spiritual, primal almost. Lipton's ethereal vocals add serenity to the song's momentum---they fuse together just as it seems the song falls into a spiral of twinkling guitar. Lipton and Robinson join in chorus singing, "so long, farewell," and the building rhythm kicks back in. "Salt" and "Sailors" are other epic tracks.
"I really love 'Dragons,'" says Lipton. "We were all playing guitars. I think it's probably our newest song. I just love playing. I get to sing really high."
It Kills is built on dynamic and tension. For the CD release this Friday, Darcy Fraser and Alice Hansen are joining in, though it's just the trio touring the country by train.
