Apse (band)

Biography

Apse began in 1999 in Newtown, Connecticut, with three high school friends: Robert Toher on guitar, Ezer Lichtenstein on drums, and Ryan Todd on bass. They started as an instrumental experimental ambient rock group. After their first EP in 2001, friend Aaron Piccirillo came on as a second guitarist. This lineup put out several more EPs, and Toher eventually started adding vocals. In spring 2003, friend Michael Gundlach joined on guitar. The band often played shows in dim light, sitting down and surrounded by old electronic gear.

By late 2004, Apse had signed with Acuarela Discos in Madrid, Spain. A self-titled 34-minute EP came out internationally in spring 2005. Around that time, a second drummer, Matthew Wick, joined for live shows. In late summer 2005, Todd and Wick left; Piccirillo moved to bass, and Albert Gray was brought in on guitar. This lineup recorded the debut album Spirit, a dark, tribal, atmospheric record, which was released internationally on November 21, 2006. The band toured Europe that fall, including a notable appearance at the Tanned Tin festival in Castellon, Spain.

Gray and Piccirillo left in early 2007. Friends Austin Stawiarz (guitar) and John Mordecai (bass) joined for European tours that year, which included a stop at Belgium’s Pukkelpop festival. Toher and Gundlach moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts later in 2007. By January 2008, creative and personal differences caused Lichtenstein and Stawiarz to leave. Brandon Collins (drums) and Jed Armour (guitar) came in, and Piccirillo returned as a keyboardist, guitarist, and percussionist for the spring 2008 European tour. The band made its UK debut at the ATP v. Pitchfork Festival in Camber Sands, England, and played several more ATP festivals in the UK and US over the next two years.

A re-release of Spirit with different packaging and a bonus track—a version of the Eras song “Ark” with an alternate ending—came out on ATP Recordings in July (UK) and August (US) 2008. The album Eras was released in a limited run of 425 vinyl copies on February 14, 2009, on Equation Records. It was recorded during 2007 but delayed by production issues. The album mostly features songs written by Toher and Lichtenstein, with one track each from Piccirillo and Gundlach.