Morning Bells Collective Debuts With Vibrant 'Fall From The Velvet Sky' EP

Raleigh-based indie pop-rock outfit Morning Bells present their debut EP 'Fall From The Velvet Sky', which will be released on CD on Friday, December 13.

Morning Bells is a five-piece comprised of Bryan Fransman (drums, percussion, vocals), Ric Denton (vocals), Emory Ball (guitars, percussion), Laura Weislo (fretted and fretless basses, vocals, synthesizer), and Peele Wimberley (keyboards, vocals, percussion, guitars).

The music and sonic aesthetic found on this EP are influenced by Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Television, Yo La Tengo, The Gun Club, David Sylvian, Tori Amos and Talk Talk.

"We're all very proud of this release but, for some of us, it's our first ever release of a creative effort like this. That's beyond words in many ways. Being able to say "We made a record" feels like the most impossible dream coming true. We chose these five songs because we think they're some of our best work, we feel they tell great stories, and that they're a great snapshot of the full range of emotion and musicianship within all of us as a band," says Ric Denton.

"The music is a collaborative effort that is often created to fit the mood of the lyrics although, sometimes, the songs have started with the music coming first in a random moment of free-flow during practice, so we seize on it because we know it's meant to become a song, and the words are born after. The lyrics, however, are all very personal. Every song has been inspired by actual events or people, so you're hearing stories of a life and how it's unfolded. To write anything less honest would be obvious to the listener, and we couldn't be inspired as artists."

Morning Bells formed when drummer Bryan Fransman returned to music, approaching his long-time friend Ric Denton about singing with him. They were soon joined by Laura Weislo, who had played in bands in college, but stopped when it stopped being fun. Having known Ric since college, it was destined to be...

Emory Ball had also been Laura's bandmate in several bands, including Bellbats, having recorded with the great Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Ben Folds Five, Pylon, Helium, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Ken Stringfellow) ... The deal was sealed and they had their full lineup.

The four were eventually joined by Peele Wimberley. Formerly a drummer in several other bands (The Veldt, The Connells and Bellbats). Having recently returned from a lengthy stint in Los Angeles, he was wooed by the opportunity to try his hand at keyboards and as a recordist.

Listen to "Ghost Story" here: