Flagship Premieres New Lyric Video for 'Break the Sky'

American Songwriter is premiering the new lyric video for Flagship's "Break the Sky" at http://bit.ly/18sf9R9, hailing the track as "a moody anthem reminiscent of the best of The National and old school U2." "Break the Sky" is from the band's upcoming self-titled debut, out October 8 on Bright Antenna Records. To celebrate the release, Flagship will embark on a new run of tour dates including stops at New York's CMJ festival. Earlier this month Consequence of Sound raved that the band "sifts through the pastoral folk rock graces of bands like Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear, with occasional detours into wide-eyed pop catharsis." The new album was recorded with critically acclaimed producer Ben Allen, best known for his work with Animal Collective, Washed Out and Youth Lagoon. Please see reverse for complete tour dates.

In 2011 solo singer, songwriter and guitarist Drake Margolnick joined local musicians Matthew Padgett (guitar, backing vocals), Michael Finster (drums, programming) and Grant Harding (keys) forming Flagship. In 2012, Christopher Comfort joined on bass. The band has become a staple of their hometown club scene and was voted Best Local Band for Charlotte Magazine's 2013 Bob Awards. They toured the U.S. with The Wombats performing in front of sold out crowds in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago and Salt Lake City. This year Flagship played SXSW for the second time along with a performance at the inaugural Bottle Rock Festival in Napa Valley.

With Margolnick as the main songwriter, the band worked on the tracks in unison at an Atlanta studio. He notes, "normally we just start playing together, no talking, just playing. No planning. It just falls together and we organize it. Once we have the song, I'll start mumbling and making noises and I'll find my melody during that process and then go and write the lyrics." The band experimented with the recording process on tracks like "Waste Them All," which Harding explained was recorded in one live take.

Of working with Allen, Finster points out, "Whenever we recorded with Ben I remember we'd do batches of songs, like three at a time. He'd set everyone up in different ways depending on the song and record those people together-drums, bass, guitar-whatever was going to happen." Allen said of the sessions "It's really satisfying as a producer to hear the song sound complete and epic right when it's being recorded live, as opposed to having to edit, tweak and mix until it feels that way."

Flagship's self-titled full-length album comes on the heels of 2012's Blackbush EP, Baeble Music raves about "the deep-throated baritone delivery of lead singer Drake Margolnick a la Ian Curtis from Joy Division."

FLAGSHIP TOUR DATES
October 2 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
October 4 Charlotte, NC The Neighborhood Theatre
October 17 New York, NY CMJ Showcase
October 19 New York, NY CMJ Paradigm Showcase