Pelican - Ascending [LP]

Pelican has always been a band that's not just from Chicago, but distinctly of Chicago. Formed in 2000 by guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec alongside brothers Bryan and Larry Herweg on bass and drums respectively, Pelican's foundation was built upon the rule-free, genre-agnostic scene synonymous with the Fireside Bowl. With Schroeder-Lebec returning to the band following Dallas Thomas' departure in 2022, this reunified version of Pelican allowed the band to tap back into the spirit of their formative era and build something distinctly new with their 2025 LP, Flickering Resonance. With multiple legs of touring in the US and Europe supporting the record, Flickering Resonance has reinvigorated and injected new life into the band. The album is already on it's 3rd vinyl pressing. New fans and old fans alike are digging back into the Pelican catalog which has also resulted in additional represses and reissues of their most beloved titles. With 3 vinyl represses in just the first year, and multiple legs of touring in the US and Europe to support the record, Pelican has now repackaged an EP of 4 Flickering Resonance era tracks as a new 12" EP - Ascending. Pelican fans will recognize the last two tracks "Adrift" and "Tending the Embers" which were self released digitally in 2024 and were only available physically on a limited number of cassette tapes. This 12" also features a vocal version of Flickering Resonance's lead single "Cascading Crescent" featuring Geoff Rickly of Thursday. This version of the track was previously only available on a limited number of 7"s so this is the first time that it will be released digitally as well as being made widely available on a physical format. The EP's title track "Ascending" is a track that was recorded around the same time as Flickering Resonance, but was left off of the album as it felt more like it's own distinct entity. Bringing these 4 tracks together onto one EP further cements the idea that Pelican's rule-free approach is at the core of what makes Pelican a mainstay across all of the genres they explore.