House of Protection, the exhilarating new project from Aric Improta (drums) and Stephen Harrison (guitar), today released their highly-anticipated debut EP, ‘GALORE’ on Red Bull Records. Spanning six tracks, executive produced by Jordan Fish, the package sees the duo flex their formidable musicianship in a cohesive package that fires on all cylinders. In just four months since their inception, the band have released four singles – “It’s Supposed To Hurt,” “Learn To Forget,” “Being One,” and the most recent “Pulling Teeth,” – that showcase their refusal to be defined by one sound. So far, it has earned them praise from the likes of The Guardian, NME, Alt Press, and more, setting the tone for the cathartic head rush that is ‘GALORE.’
On the making of ‘GALORE,’ House of Protection shares, “This EP means so much to us as it sets the tone for what people can expect from us from here on out: a plethora of different styles and vibes but consistent high energy. We hope this inspires you. Welcome home.”
The EP introduces two new tracks, “Better Off” and “Fuse,” the latter a nostalgic callback to the ‘90s rave scene, rife with punk attitude, rock riffs, and electronic stylings reminiscent of The Prodigy. While it remains true to their high-octane, hardcore energy, they balance the chaos with moments of vocal composure, making it hard to believe this is the first time they’ve sung on anything. In the official video out today, Aric and Stephen bring a palpable performance on dual platforms to a packed underground warehouse space.
On the song, Aric shares, “‘Fuse’, for me, feels like such a centrepiece to the album. It’s got that raw electronic energy of our early songs in the verses, and then Steve’s vocals and Jordan’s production in the chorus are such a lush contrast. It’s probably the song I jammed most after we finished it.”
Ahead of today, each facet of the EP has been accompanied by creatively complex, high-risk music videos that keep fans on the edge of their seats. House of Protection achieve as much of a visual experience as they do sonically, and their live shows will be no different. They’ll bring their explosive energy to the stage in a pair of debut shows in Los Angeles, followed by a sold-out performance in London.
About House of Protection
House of Protection, the new venture from Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta, serves as a sanctuary for those who surrender to impulse. Abandoning any regard for tradition and form, they followed a feeling and unearthed a sound that sees them push their limits further than ever before. Bridging the not-so-disparate worlds of hardcore, electronica, and punk, they forged a space for boundless creativity and a community fuelled by chaos.
Between their shared experience with Fever 333, Aric’s ongoing work with experimental rock group Night Verses, and Steve’s turn as guitarist for iconic post-hardcore band The Chariot, the pair are renowned in the world of heavy music for never being afraid of extremes. House of Protection is a continuation of that unabashed self-expression, bottled into a snarling vessel of anger, uncertainty, joy, and creativity.
“We wanted to create something where all our ideas, no matter how wild, felt safe,” says Steve. That’s the foundation for which House of Protection was built upon, arming their audiences with a level of fearlessness and bliss that blurs the line between the crowd and the performers. “We want as much dancing as we have stage diving,” says Aric. “House Of Protection is just this open canvas to do what you want.” That sentiment can be felt across every moment of their abrasive, beautiful debut EP, ‘Galore’.
“Starting something new at this point in our careers, and doing something completely different with our voices, that’s not common,” explains Steve, with the pair trading vocals across House Of Protection’s steadily growing catalogue. It would be a risk if the end result wasn’t so gloriously energetic. Despite numerous conversations about recruiting a singer to join the guitarist and drummer, the pair ultimately decided to do it all themselves. “Why not us,” asks Steve. “There have been so many brilliant bands who didn’t know what they were doing, but found a way to make it work regardless,” adds Aric. “I would love to encourage people to take the time to discover their own voice,” Steve continues. “We took a chance on ourselves, and it’s important to remember that anyone could, and should, do that.”
There was never a specific conversation where Aric and Steve decided to start a new band together. It just happened naturally over years of conversations, with the pair discussing favourite bands, career dreams, and their experiences in the world of music while touring relentlessly with Fever 333. Days after they both confirmed their departure from the project, those years of camaraderie and friendship quickly became a call to action. “Let’s start a band then. Let’s embrace all the things we’ve been talking about for the past five years,” reflects Aric.
Wanting to build things properly, they created a playlist featuring the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, The Prodigy, Alice Glass, Massive Attack, Cocteau Twins, Sleigh Bells, Phantogram and dozens of others before hitting the studio. Genre-wise, it was all over the place, but spiritually, the pair were drawn to bands that invented their own way to bring a certain energy to the stage. “It’s so embedded in people to do the obvious thing, especially when you’ve been making music for as long as we have. None of our favourite bands ever did that, though,” says Steve.
Wanting to create something timeless and freeing, the pair teamed up with close friends Nick DePirro (Night Verses) and Jordan Fish (Bring Me The Horizon) to create the first statement from House of Protection. “The secret to great music is almost never skill,” adds Aric. “It’s authenticity and chemistry” As soon as they got in the studio, everything fell into place. Glitching, defiant debut single “It’s Supposed To Hurt” was written on the first day, inspired by something Steve said in the early days of the project about embracing risks. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy to start again from scratch, but that phrase became our ethos. Starting again was the whole point of this,” offers Aric.
The instant joy of making that hammering track was a time warp back to the feeling of being in their first band ever. From the very beginning, a major motivation for House of Protection was trying to discover if all the things they believed in as kids about being in a band were still real and could still happen for them in 2024. Turns out, they could. The band chased that excitement at every turn and let all expectations go.
The rest of the record came together just as naturally. The swaggering “Pulling Teeth” sees them wrestling with snarling fury, but refuses to follow the path of least resistance, while the euphoric trance of “Being One” is about the comfortable joy of spending time with your favourite person in the world. Elsewhere, “Learn To Forget” is an explosive, cathartic track rooted in resentment and the self-sabotage that comes with never learning your lesson.
“When we were talking to other people about this band, there were a lot of questions about backup plans. But we don’t plan on doing anything else,” says Steve, with a fierce defiance. The songs on ‘Galore’ are designed to feel as fun now as they are after being played 200 times a year on tour. House of Protection thrives in the margins of unpredictability, where anything goes and all are invited. Welcome home.
‘GALORE’ Tracklist:
1. Pulling Teeth
2. Fuse
3. Learn To Forget
4. Being One
5. It’s Supposed To Hurt
6. Better Off
