In the acoustic tradition of emo forebears Dashboard Confessional, California native Cory Wells takes an organic approach to his deeply introspective songwriting that fuses hardcore and emo catharsis with folk instrumentation. After a handful of singles and an EP, he made his full-length debut with 2019's The Way We Are. Based out of Redondo Beach, Wells came up through the metal and hardcore communities and even played as a touring member of post-hardcore outfit Movements before shifting into a quieter, though no less potent, solo project. Inspired by Dashboard Confessional's MTV Unplugged v2.0 album, he began writing more on the acoustic guitar and in 2017 signed with the Pure Noise label, which released his debut EP, How to Tear Apart the Ones You Love. Additional singles appeared over the next two years as Wells toured and built his audience in advance of his first album. Released by Pure Noise in 2019, The Way We Are mixed acoustic guitars, tambourines, and even banjo with heavier elements and Wells' powerful vocals. It also featured a guest collaboration with Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba and led to a European tour opening for the band. ~ Timothy Monger