Softspoken

Seething with urgency, passionate Cincinnati-area hard rock outfit Softspoken deliver emo/hardcore revival anthems for the brokenhearted and yearning. Emerging in the late 2010s, the crew debuted with the dramatic, post-hardcore-leaning Pathways EP. A year later, they dialed back the screaming and increased the drama and melody for their first official full-length, 2019's Deaf Perception. Based around the Florence, Kentucky and Cincinnati areas, Softspoken started as the side project of guitarist Chris Wethington, who used it as his creative outlet while spending time overseas in Japan. When he returned to the U.S., the project morphed into a full band by late 2015. Influenced by acts like Underøath, Saosin, and Senses Fail, they issued their first single, "Shorelines," in March 2016. The track leaned in an aggressive post-hardcore direction, which they smoothed out by the time 2017's Pathways EP arrived. Shifting focus to cleaner vocals and more-melodic delivery, they expanded the short set into a full deluxe version in 2018. By 2019, the band was comprised of Wethington, founding members Billy Zimpelman (guitarist) and Sam Scheuer (vocals), and drummer Austin Armstrong. The quartet entered the studio with producer Matt Goldman (Underøath, As Cities Burn) to record their official debut LP, which arrived that summer. Deaf Perception included the single "Paradox" and rose into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hard Rock chart. ~ Neil Z. Yeung