EPK
Hometown: Union Beach, New Jersey
For fans of: Thrice, The Used, Coheed & Cambria, Thursday
Contact: robempiremgmt [at] gmail [dot] com
Watch Serious Matters Promotional Material
Debut EP - Through It All - January 5th, 2018
Debut LP - Mistaking Wasps For Dragonflies - August 7th, 2020
Sophomore EP - Wherever, Whenever - February 24, 2023
Music Videos
Live Performances
Fearlessly uniting a compelling sense of humanity, with a boldly high-passion performance style, New Jersey Post-Hardcore band Serious Matters have built up an unrivaled name for themselves.
Since first emerging from Red Bank in 2016, the band have gained notoriety across their local scene – their fan-base growing exponentially, thanks to electrifying live shows and the sheer energy and openness of their music. Now setting their sights on the US at large, a series of raw videos from the stage continues to highlight their rising impact on the genre.
Serious Matters soon signed with New York label Manic Kat Records, and started work on their second EP ‘Through It All’. Still riding the waves of their debut EP, the band coincided recording time with a cross-country tour that both reinforced their chemistry as a unit, and elevated their presence to an ever-expanding audience.
Bringing together the talents of guitarists Kenny Byles and Criss Madd Jr., with singer Matt Sandelman and drummer Dariyan Kelton, Serious Matters independently began their climb with the debut LP ‘Mistaking Wasps For Dragonflies’ with the help of producer and engineer Kevin Antreassian of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Their music spoke with unapologetic honesty on issues close to the heart, blending poetic wonder and personal anecdote in a manner that instantly connected. Recorded at Backroom Studios, the project was quick to establish the band as an act with a noteworthy devotion to the process.
Completing the current line-up is bassist Michael Seltzer. As of 2023, the band have independently released the EP ‘Wherever, Whenever’, with the single ‘Glitches’ featured in the movie ‘Clerks 3’ - from Director Kevin Smith. Featuring hints of influence from the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Coheed & Cambria, and Thrice, the record skyrocketed to over 25,000 streams in its first week alone, and made its way to the airwaves of over 30 US radio stations.
Fusing quick-fingered guitar-work and heavy bass, with emotively poignant vocals and the mighty crash of high-octane drums, Serious Matters deliver an uncompromising take on contemporary Post-Hardcore. Their songs reach out with both the strength of their riffs and hooks, and the utter vulnerability and realness of their lyrics. Their repertoire has drawn in a vast array of alt-rock fans from throughout the ages, and as their journey continues, their skill and oneness as creatives only grows stronger.