For Denver-based six-piece jam band Eminence Ensemble, camaraderie is everything.
Founded in Boulder by childhood friends Justin Neely (guitar/vocals), Nick Baum (vocals/percussion), Zac Flynn (bass/synth), and Tanner Bardin (drums), the group has become a live Denver-staple who have played Mission Ballroom, Cervantes, The Fillmore, and The Ogden a combined 15+ times - endearing themselves to audiences through a chemistry-rich sound that combines free-flowing, virtuosic jam sensibilities with complex song structures, euphoric vocal harmonies, and vibrant electronic elements.
This stylistic blend has ultimately led to over 400 shows over the band’s career, including sets at Summer Camp Music Festival, Electric Forest, Burning Man, Gem & Jam, Same Same But Different, Wavespell, and many others. The group is also coming off an impressive 2023, which included performances with Scott Page (Pink Floyd), as well as a sit-in with Umphrey’s McGee by Eminence Ensemble drummer Tanner Bardin.
During the pandemic, the band was looking for new members, but they weren’t looking for just any musician - they needed individuals who understood their vision and naturally melded with their group dynamic. This led to the absorption of Dylan Gleit (vocals/guitar/production/mixing, following his stint as the Emmy-award winning audio engineer for Mr. Robot) and Will Snyder (keyboard/synth) - two prodigious players who fit seamlessly into Eminence Ensemble’s pre-existing structure.
Now, the band is gearing up toward their first album with the new lineup: Inside Looking Out - a project that promises to add new wrinkles into the band’s formula while retaining the core traits that make the outfit such a distinct voice in the jam world.
Filled to the brim with infectious hooks and vibrant arrangements, Inside Looking Out sees the band at the peak of their songwriting prowess. The LP showcases the band’s typical instrumental mastery and unique, vocal-forward approach while elevating their sonic presentation to new levels of immersion and grandiosity - a result of a group finally at full-strength and in total control of their creative powers.
Listeners got their first taste of Inside Looking Out with the singles “Flipside” and “Already There” - two songs that exemplify the band’s ability to shift between funk, rock, and piano balladry with epic instrumental panache.
Today, Eminence Ensemble unveils “Believe It,” an uplifting track about changing your surroundings to maximize your potential. Infusing funky rhythms, cathartic vocals, and pristine instrumental layering with a swagger-fueled edge, “Believe It” tells a story of someone saying goodbye to a toxic situation - and showing how far he can go without the things holding him back.
“Believe It” is a song of two modes, starting with an initial, moody vibe. Kicking off with groovy, syncopated drum patterns underneath a set of slick bass lines, the track brings in slightly-distorted vocals from the song’s main character, singing “You’re only trying to bring me down/whatever you got/I know I’m better off without it” - detailing the moment our character realizes he needs to move on from a bad environment.
In the lush, irresistibly catchy pre-chorus, our main character sings over a bevy of slick guitar licks, singing, “Whatever you got, I don’t want it/figure it’s time to let you know,” before transitioning into the song’s other mode in the indelible hook - an epic section of organ playing, crunchy guitar lines, and grandiose vocal stacks.
This hook, combined with the sweeping, sumptuous guitar solo to close out the song, evoke our main character’s resolve - he stood up and walked away from an undesirable place, and never looked back.
The message of “Believe It” doubles as a reflection of Eminence Ensemble's tight-knit relationship. The band itself provides a supportive space for each of its members and nurtures their creativity; the confidence this instills can be heard in “Believe It”’s remarkably cohesive, fully-realized vision - a world you enter and never want to leave.
Eminence Ensemble will be playing “Believe it” and other Inside Looking Out tracks throughout their upcoming tour, which will kick off on Saturday, March 2 with a free Album Listening Party at Your Mom's House in Denver before the band joins renowned jazz-fusion outfit The Motet for a string of support performances.
Eminence Ensemble tour dates
3/2/24: Denver, CO - Your Mom’s House (Album listening party)
3/16/24: Estes Park, CO - Frozen Dead Guy Days
5/8/24: Fayetteville, AR - George’s Majestic Lounge (w/ The Motet)
5/9/24: Oklahoma City, OK - Beer City Music Hall (w/ The Motet)
5/10/24: Dallas, TX - Deep Ellum Art Company (w/ The Motet)
5/11/24: Austin, TX - Empire Control Room & Garage (w/ The Motet)
5/12/24: Houston, TX - Last Concert Cafe (w/ The Motet)
8/8/24: Bond, CO - Beanstalk Festival
8/16/24 - 8/17/24: Alma, CO - Elevation Festival
