House of Protection Announce Anticipated Debut EP GALORE Coming September 13 With New Single “Pulling Teeth” Out Today Single Arrives With Death-Defying Official Music Video Shot in India’s Infamous Well of Death
House of Protection, the new project from Aric Improta (drums) and Stephen Harrison (guitar), today announced their debut EP GALORE, coming on September 13. Alongside the news, they dropped their fourth adrenaline-inducing single, “Pulling Teeth” with an official video shot inside the legendary “Well of Death”. Dating back to April, the band traveled to Ahmedabad, India to capture a performance in the country’s infamous carnival sideshow. Aric and Stephen played at the bottom of a wooden pit while stunt drivers defied gravity and rode vertically around the well as locals watched from above. Known for taking creative risks and producing boundary-pushing visuals, “Pulling Teeth” is yet another daring feat that proves no one does it quite like House of Protection.
On the making of the video, the band shares, “The first day we met the full Red Bull Records team, we asked if they would be down to fly us to India to perform in a “Well of Death” – an idea we’d been sitting on for years. To our surprise, they were immediately on board, so we knew we just needed the right song. After two sessions of writing with Jordan, we finished “Pulling Teeth” and felt it was the perfect track to score the concept. I think we always perform best when the environment is a bit chaotic, so we were excited to see what would happen.
After 30 hours of travel, including canceled flights, flooding in our connecting airport (Dubai), a canceled location (due to a political rally), and an additional 16 hours of driving round-trip through the desert to the backup location… we finally found ourselves in the Well of Death. We did nine takes with a live audience, all while our director was throwing up between shots and one of the motorcycles died in the middle of the performance. That said, we came out with something better than we ever could have expected and had an incredible team on the ground that made it all possible.”
Beyond their visuals, a pillar of the band’s sound can be defined by this “high risk, high reward” mentality. As the duo continues to explore their artistry as a newly formed outfit, they’ve stretched, bent, and re-imagined their sonics with each release – from the screaming fury of “It’s Supposed To Hurt,” to the drum & bass dream sequence on “Being One”. For fans of metal mosh pits and underground raves alike, they’ve maintained a cohesive chaos in their versatility that comes full circle on the six-track breakout EP, GALORE. Producer Jordan Fish perfectly balances the raw instrumentation with crisp production to make room for Aric and Stephen’s vocals to thrive for the first time.
Thrill seekers looking for a cathartic release can catch House of Protection’s debut live shows on October 4 at The Echo in Los Angeles and October 15 at Underworld in London. Tickets are available here.
House of Protection – Being One
House of Protection – Learn To Forget
House of Protection – It’s Supposed To Hurt
House of Protection – Learn to Forget (Official Music Video)
House of Protection – It’s Supposed to Hurt (Official Music Video)
House of Protection Lean Into Electronic on Third Single “Being One” With Official Music Video
Aric Improta and Stephen Harrison’s newest project, House of Protection, has redefined what it means to hit the ground running. Since the announcement of their band just over a month ago, they’ve released two high-octane singles, with their third, “Being One” out today on Red Bull Records. Switching gears, the duo leans into their electronic influences with a driving drum and bass rhythm padded by euphoric melodies. Produced by Jordan Fish, the anthemic dance track is a sharp pivot from their most recent hard-hitting offering, “Learn to Forget”, but nonetheless, a prime example of their complexity as musicians and the rush of energy that listeners are coming to expect from the band.
On today’s single, Aric shares, “‘Being One’ was totally different for us. I’ve always loved playing drum & bass, so Jordan and I immediately clicked on the rhythmic ideas. As a whole, I feel like Steve’s vocals were a huge step up from our previous demos and it gave us a new dynamic to work with moving forward. This song was definitely made to listen to on a long drive at night. We talked about that a lot when writing the lyrics and filming the music video.”
The official video directed by Kevin Garcia (Spiritbox, Bush, Tinashe), was shot over the last few months, capturing moments whenever the band found themselves in a unique location. From singing on a buoy in the middle of the ocean, to drumming on an amusement park carousel, it’s reminiscent of the fast-paced frenetic scenes from the classic 1981 film ‘Koyaanisqatsi’.
After just a month, House of Protection have earned praise from the likes of The Guardian, NME, Revolver, and more, as they gear up to debut their dynamic live show on the road this fall. With stops in Los Angeles on September 24 (1720) and London on October 15 (Underworld), tickets are on sale now – here.
House of Protection Release Second Hard-Hitting Single “Learn To Forget” With Official Video & Debut Tour Dates in LA and London
Following widespread excitement around the announcement of Aric Improta and Stephen Harrison’s new project, House of Protection, the duo is back with their second single, “Learn To Forget”. Right out the gate it’s a thrashing slice of hardcore fit with screeching guitars and guttural screams. Much like their first offering, “It’s Supposed To Hurt,” they’ve effortlessly forged powerful percussion and punk influences to create a new brand of unfiltered energy. The dynamic production from Jordan Fish (prev. Bring Me The Horizon) is the added layer that elevates the single to new heights for a two-piece band.
The accompanying video is another fast-paced, optic assault that sees House of Protection filmed under spotlight, matching the intensity of the song with quick cuts and a fierce performance. Directed by Kevin Garcia and edited by Sam Shapiro, the visual keeps the bar set by their debut video sky high, whilst offering viewers a further glimpse into what can be expected of their live shows.
The band shares, “’Learn To Forget’ feels very close to home for us as musicians. The pace, the riffs, the drum fills, it all leans towards music we grew up playing. We wanted to find a way to keep that in our sound, but not be limited by it. Jordan was really good about finding ways to take that energy and blend it with the production aesthetic we used on the other tracks. It’s definitely one we look forward to playing live.”
Upon exiting their former band Fever 333, Aric and Stephen formed House of Protection to create a safe space for creativity and chaos to thrive. Making multi-dimensional music that features each of their voices for the first time, their introduction to the world was immediately met with anticipation for what’s to come next. Garnering positive praise from the likes of The Guardian, NME, Revolver, Rock Sound, Kerrang!, and more – House of Protection is at the top of 2024’s watch list. Today they’ve announced debut tour dates at LA’s 1720 (September 24) and London’s Underworld (October 15) with tickets available here at local time (9am PST for LA, 9am BST for London).
Aric Improta and Stephen Harrison Release First Single “It’s Supposed To Hurt” with Official Music Video Under New Moniker House of Protection
Aric Improta (Night Verses) and Stephen Harrison (The Chariot) today announced the launch of their new project, House of Protection. Joining the Red Bull Records roster after their recent departure from Fever 333, the duo takes their extensive background as boundary-pushing live musicians to the next level, combining the sonic forces of punk, electronic, and hardcore. Built on a shared vision to forge a safe space for self-expression and limitless creativity, the band’s ethos can be felt in their ambitious sound and frenetic visuals.
On the meaning behind House of Protection, Aric says, “‘Protection’ was specifically chosen because it’s a Massive Attack song and I was reading their biography as we started this project. It was very inspiring when it came to us initiating this whole thing. The full name is because we wanted to build something that protected our creativity and ideas as well as the people that come to the shows.”
Their debut single, “It’s Supposed To Hurt,” sees Aric and Stephen sing for the first time in their careers – discovering a voice neither knew they had. The abrasive anthem is produced by Jordan Fish (Bring Me The Horizon) and accompanied by an official video capturing the House of Protection energy in a series of extreme, chaos-fueled shots. The band’s DIY spirit bleeds through the screen, giving fans a taste of their live shows to come.
On the origins of the single, the band shares, “‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’ was the first song we wrote. Some of the vocals were from our initial improvisations. When we started this, we had no idea how we would sound or where we wanted to take it. Neither of us had sung before, we just knew the energy we wanted to create sonically and that we’d put in whatever time it took to get it to feel right. Fortunately, this song answered a lot of those questions instantly.”