Things haven’t exactly been easy for Energy. Forming over ten years ago in Boston, MA, the band enjoyed moderate success, spots on high profile tours, and were part of an exciting new wave of melodic hardcore bands. As time progressed, Energy became disillusioned. They eventually faded, leaving founding member Jason Tankerley to carry the torch for the band.

“My goal was, and still is, to make Energy the biggest band that we can possibly be, and to keep it going for as long as I possibly can,” explains Tankerley, looking back on the last decade. “There have been times, even since the first few months of the band’s existence, where I considered changing the name due to lineup changes. Then we released ‘Invasions Of The Mind’ as Energy, then ‘Walk Into The Fire’, and so forth. It became clear to me over time that I should keep the band name regardless of whatever direction I wanted to take my voice and lyrics, as long as it felt like Energy to me.”

The passion Tankerley harbours for Energy rings true in their new album, ‘Apparition Sound’, which is getting an official release in February. It is an album that he is particularly proud of. “My vision was to make a record that not only proved that I could keep Energy going on my own, but that the end result would be the best thing we had ever done,” he beams. “Whether I accomplished that is of course entirely subjective, but I personally feel it’s our strongest work.”

It was on ‘Apparition Sound’ that he was able to shine as a musician and a songwriter. Tankerley took the sole creative reigns for the first time, an experience that he has, in the past, described as ‘terrifying’. He grabbed the bull by the horns and ran with it.

“When I was left as the sole songwriter in the band, I had no choice,” recalls Tankerley, explaining the his drive to keep Energy alive. “I know that part of my dream in life is to continue creating music for as long as I live, so when it came down to “do or die” as they say, I knew that I had to forge ahead regardless of how scary it was for me. Whether it turned out better because of it is difficult to say. It’s always tricky when it comes to the “what ifs” of any situation, but I do feel that it wouldn’t have been the record it became had I not been 100% in charge of songwriting.”

When asked if the album carries a theme, Tankerley says that he “feels as if this record stands alone as it’s own thing,” and that each song was written without any of the others in mind. “Lyrically, each song stands on alone,” he continues. “There are songs about religion, nostalgia, surrealism, depression, alienation, love, loss, etc. I would also say that because we worked with producer Chris Curran, it could be closely compared to [2008 album] ‘Invasions Of The Mind’, but to me, ‘Apparition Sound’ sounds nothing like that record.”

Despite how proud Tankerley is of where Energy are today, he is a very humble individual. There is no arrogance here, just a modest sense of accomplishment. He explains that ‘Apparition Sound’ is “a body of work that’s been gestating for a long, long time,” and expresses his excitement for everyone to finally be able to hear it. “I think that ‘Apparition Sound’ is just the tip of the iceberg, and that everything we had done before was just building the groundwork and foundation for what the future holds for us.”

While Tankerley’s eye is cast firmly on the future of Energy, we take a brief trip down memory lane to the mid 00’s. Along with bands such as Ambitions and Crime In Stereo, Energy signed to distinguished hardcore label, Bridge Nine Records. It was something of a new dawn for the scene, and as Tankerley admits, a very exciting time.

“Things were happening really fast for us,” he says, reflecting on the time and looking at how the scene has changed. “A lot of people were turning up at our shows who knew all the songs and were singing along to the words that I had written, which will always feel like nothing short of a miracle to me. As far as how things have changed since – I’m not really sure. I can’t speak for every scene, and we haven’t played out live nearly as often as we did back then, so I guess we’ll see!”

However, with ‘Apparition Sound’ about to be exposed to more ears, playing out is something that Energy are going to have to get used to. The first task ahead of them is opening a major U.K. tour for goth-punk sensation, Creeper.

“I always like the idea of trying to prove myself to an audience,” admits Tankerley. “Judging solely from the response to our announcement online, I do feel as if a lot of their fans have already embraced us with very welcoming arms. In a lot of ways Creeper have a similar aesthetic and sound to Energy, so I think their fans will definitely enjoy what we have to offer. I can’t think of any past tours of ours where the headliner felt more appropriate honestly.”

This will not be the first time the two bands have crossed paths. Tankerley recounts how the bond between Energy and Creeper was formed. “July of 2016, Energy got added to the bill for a Creeper show in Boston,” he says. “Will (Gould, Creeper vocalist) approached me immediately and started telling me how much of a fan he was of Energy’s music. I was quite taken back. After hitting it off with those guys, Will mentioned having Energy come to the U.K. and we were in talks about it ever since. I just feel so fortunate and grateful that a band like Creeper has given us this amazing opportunity. They really are the best.”

Following the tour, Energy have no plans to disappear again. If anything, this is just the start. “Like I said before, this is just the tip of the iceberg for us in my mind,” says Tankerley. “This is definitely a new beginning for us, and it’s the record I always wanted to make from the start of this band. I finally have a dedicated group of musicians working with me again who are willing to drop everything to pursue this band full time, and I am not letting this opportunity slip through my hands.”

So with that in mind, what does the future hold for Energy? “New albums, new tours, repeat process indefinitely,” states Tankerley, firmly. “That’s what I’ve always wanted for this band, and I feel so lucky to be able to say that this is where things are headed for us.”

‘Apparition Sound’ is released on February 3rd, and available to pre-order from Banquet Records. Energy be on tour with Creeper in March, which you can see the dates for below.

March
25 MANCHESTER Academy 2
26 GLASGOW The Garage
28 LEEDS Stylus
30 LONDON Electric Ballroom
31 SOUTHAMPTON The 1885

April
01 BIRMINGHAM Institute 2