Myka, Relocate

Houston-based metalcore band Myka, Relocate have forged a unique sound, trading off sweet, pop-flavored singing with a harsh, braying vocal bark, adding electronic accents to the assault of guitars and drums, and introducing a more melodic sound than most of their peers without stripping their songs of their power. Myka, Relocate were formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 2007 by guitarists Austin Dore and Josh Peltier, bassist Luke Burleigh, and drummer Sam Albarado. The bandmembers began making a name for themselves in their hometown and found a loyal audience in Lafayette, Louisiana, but their fortunes took a major turn for the better in 2010 when they relocated to Houston, Texas and added dueling vocalists Michael Swank (clean vocals) and John Ritter (screaming). As the alternating vocals gave Myka, Relocate a singular sound and guitarist Dore began adding electronics to the group's aural palette, their following grew, aided by extensive touring. In 2013, Sam Albarado left Myka, Relocate, and Aaron Robertson became the band's new drummer; that same year, the band signed a record deal with Artery Recordings, distributed by the well-established indie label Razor & Tie, and went into the studio with producer Cameron Mizell behind the controls. Myka, Relocate's debut album, Lies to Light the Way, was released in October 2013. The group toured extensively in support, and in 2015 they returned to the recording studio to begin work on their second album. In October 2015, the completed album, The Young Souls, was released. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi