Album art by Suzanne Yeremyan

Since their formation in 2014, Elizabeth Colour Wheel has been one of Allston’s best sources of noisy, doom-laden shoegaze, releasing a few self-released EPs, including 2014’s Thoughts of Violence. Now, they’re returning with a new project. Queen Tired, the band’s upcoming EP, will be their first label release via Midnight Werewolf.

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Colour Wheel

The EP has just three songs, but don’t let the track length fool you: “Unknown Tomb” clocks in around eight minutes, while closer “Pomsky” lasts 17 minutes, with an extended ambient breakdown that finds the band experimenting with noise and feedback. When they aren’t crafting these long-form drone sections, ECW is making songs that pay close attention to dynamics. Opening track “Mika Says” starts with a low-key melodic stumble before hitting the gas on its way to a noisy climax. Even when the group is manipulating feedback and experimenting with the sounds from their instruments, they still produce fascinating sonic textures that are engaging even in longer, ambient sections.

Leading up to the release of Queen Tired, ECW will embark on a mini-tour of the Northeast with Forn, stopping in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Boston (dates and venues listed below). The tour includes a stop at Allston’s own Great Scott. Though Queen Tired doesn’t come out until May 4th, you can listen to an advance stream below via Soundcloud and preorder the EP on cassette or digital on Midnight Werewolf’s Bandcamp page.