Casa Loma This Is Coping

Man Overboard & Story So Far members both launch indie solo projects (listen to both)

Less than a week after Pure Noise Records announced the debut EP by Same Side, the atmospheric indie/emo solo project of The Story So Far‘s Kevin Geyer (also of Elder Brother), they announced the debut EP by Casa Loma, the atmospheric indie/emo solo project of another long-running pop punk defender, Man Overboard‘s Nik Bruzzese. Two songs are out from it now, and they’re both gorgeous, somber songs that are pretty far removed from Man Overboard (whose recently-released first single in five years shows they are still defending pop punk).

Nik says he “started writing this EP as a therapy session for myself” after he “lost two people very near to [him],” and on the especially beautiful, string-laden closer “Travelers,” Nik confronts the death of his father head-on. “When you’re a dad and have two daughters like I do, you’re not allowed to be sad,” Nik adds, regarding his need for an outlet like this EP. “You have to be excited and happy about everything, even though inside you might be ripping to shreds.”

Listen to both new songs:

And here’s that Same Side song: