ME. arrives as a band built on decades of influence, assembled by drummer Mark O’Connell and guitarist Eddie Reyes, driven by the desire to embrace new creative heights. Formed less by intention than by inevitability, what started as a musical outlet for longtime friends and former Taking Back Sunday bandmates gradually grew beyond its original purpose.
The addition of vocalist Mike Jansen and bassist Neal Amiruddin shifted the project into a recognizable artistic force. With two singles “Special” and “Grown Man” released ahead of their upcoming full-length All Good Things, the East Coast based four-piece has emerged as a new catalyst in the alternative rock scene delivering a sound grounded in unflinching introspection and raw, unfiltered honesty.
The foundation came first with nine instrumental tracks fully fleshed out by Reyes and O’Connell with no voice attached, preconceived direction or expectations to determine their identity; just two friends reconnecting and making music. For the both of them, that framework of separation placed the music first, keeping in tack the integrity of the instrumentals allowing them space to exist without compromise.
“Eddie and I really wanted to be able to make this album musically, like we didn’t have any plans on writing lyrics or singing at all, but like musically without any interference,” O’Connell explained. “We felt like we deserved to make this album with each other, you know what I mean, and we didn’t know that Mike was coming.”
Building out the instrumentals for the album O’Connell explains, was both difficult and beautifully rewarding. It was a period of rediscovering creative instincts with invigorating freedom and allowing the music to develop without external pressure; that sense of discovery became one of the focal qualities of the later record.
The challenge of creating without a predetermined outcome gave the tracks an openness that Jansen was able to fill with his lyrics, bringing a refreshed emotional dimension that transformed the instrumental collection into a fully realized band.
The tracks discovered their emotional counterpart in Jansen through a process as unconventional and open-ended as the band’s formation itself. Through a public vocal casting call, Jansen approached the material from the ground up, stepping into a project void of an established dynamic or existing hierarchy. He responded to the casting call, and his submitted lyrics, melodies and vocals revitalized what would become the band’s lead single and initiation of the project: “Special.”
“I mean, me and Mark were like recording songs together,” Reyes said, “but as soon as Mike came in the songs came to life.”
Beyond the immediate chemistry between Jansen’s vocals and the band’s sonic structure, his narrative lens built on unveiled confidence and internal clarity, sharpened the focus of the song. Graduating phases of life and reflecting on difficult experiences at arm’s length, his internal dialogue expanded the emotional scope of the song – a sentiment echoed throughout the full listen of the upcoming release.
“There are certain things that you can’t write about when you’re feeling them, moments in your life that are, you know, disappointing or upsetting, (but) once I was truly happy … it’s easy to look back at that and put it into words,” Jansen explained. “There was no pressure, you know. At the end of the day, I was like, if they hear the song and they think it’s cool, that’s going to be cool. I wrote something that kind of resonated with them in their own ways and it kind of opened the door to more writing.”
With the album now complete, ME.’s progression from an instrumental collaboration into a distinct creative force feels undeniable. Building off Reyes and O’Connell’s preexisting skeleton, the record continued to evolve as outside perspectives contributed to the process. Shortly after Jansen’s arrival, that expansion extended to include bassist Neal Amiruddin, whose introduction brought shared history, mutual understanding and a true sense of familiarity that strengthened the group to connect amid varying stages of life and distance.
The complete eleven track record will be released on July 24, independently, a decision that barred external influences and allowed ME. to uphold the instincts that motivated the record from its earliest stages.
Excited to share the album in its final form, the band is looking forward to listeners experiencing the full intention of what they created, in their own way. All Good Things represents not only the beginning of ME., but nods to a future of continual change, resilience and more redefining moments.
“For me personally, I just want people to take it … and make it their own story,” Reyes shared. “Just have fun with it and … make it your own thing. That’s all I could say, man. I just hope everybody likes it.
All Good Things is out today and you can order it from the band here. Follow ME. on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for future updates.
Photo courtesy of Instagram
