Upcoming Releases

Early Riser is a cello-driven pop-punk band from Brooklyn, NY. They originally formed as an acoustic duo of Kiri Oliver (vocals/guitar) and Heidi Vanderlee (cello/vocals), who released their debut album Currents in 2017. They found their permanent lineup and evolved their sound with the addition of rhythm section Nicole Nussbaum (bass/vocals) and Mikey Erg (drums/vocals), resulting in 2021’s Vocations. They also covered songs about cats for the official tributes to two of their favorite artists, The Weakerthans and Jack Terricloth.

Inspired by the songwriting of The Mountain Goats, Against Me!, AJJ, and The Front Bottoms, Kiri writes clever, relatable lyrics about mental health, social relationships, and figuring out what’s important to you. She has a knack for capturing life’s challenges with a sense of humor and a focus on positivity and growth. Her words are elevated by the band’s soaring cello riffs, driving rhythms, and tight vocal harmonies.

Early Riser’s third album, Big Life (Asbestos Records) was helmed by legendary indie rock producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady, Waxahatchee). The album packs their biggest punch yet with ten fun, fierce, and irresistibly catchy sing-along anthems. The songs were written between 2020-2023 and explore themes of isolation and connection with Kiri’s signature wit and insight. The title track perfectly captures the struggle of wanting to get out and have a big life–but also wanting to just stay inside forever. Some of the tracks look back on lost relationships with a dark sense of humor (Beetlejuice, Go Away) or nostalgia (Second Avenue Forever), while others earnestly celebrate longtime friendships (Keepers, Cool) and new connections (Strays, Get Along).