Carrying Torches releases new single “Gone”

Over the past nine years, Carrying Torches have earned their place among the most vital acts in American indie rock with a sound that’s equally impactful and sincere. The five-piece band, hailing from the borderlands between suburban Chicago and the quiet expanse of the rural Midwest, channel a sound that feels born from that geography. Their music sits somewhere between the shimmer of synthwave, the punch of heartland rock and the warmth of Americana, taking shape in the overlap between uncertainty and calm, hope and heartbreak.

Formed by Justin Daniel, Jon Paul Gray, Misty Okroi, Taylor Smith and Mike Bass, Carrying Torches first arrived back in 2017 with their debut single “Sinking” and the Ace of Wands EP, a promising first step that nodded to the emotional context and melodic sophistication that would ripple throughout their sound. Their follow-up EP Strangers built on that reputation, drawing listeners in with its sweeping arrangements and lyrical honesty, with the title track winning Song of the Year at the Kankakee Area Music Awards and earning them Deli Chicago’s New Artist of the Month.

Since then, the band has continued to develop, by both taking their sound forward while keeping their origins intact and original creative fire burning. Their 2024 single “Good in Blue” showcased a subtler, more atmospheric side via a haunting reflection on emotion and the spaces between connection and loss. On stage, they’ve earned a reputation for performances that flicker between intensity and intimacy where guitars crash one moment and hushed vocals whisper the next, making every set feel unpredictable and alive.

In recent years, the band has faced difficult times, including supporting one of their bandmates’ families through a cancer battle, but, rather than retreat, they’ve channelled that pain into artistic expression, using music as both catharsis and connection. That spirit carries through in their brand new single titled “Gone,” a track that blends gritty guitars, driving rhythm and soaring hooks to deliver a bright pop-tinged indie rock anthem. Thematically, the track captures the pain of emotional distance, when someone’s there but their presence is starting to vanish, resulting in a distillation of absence in all its forms; the people, moments and selves that fade while we’re still trying to hold on.

Jumping straight into a laid back rock groove of fuzzy guitar chords and steady drums, Justin Daniel’s soulful vocals strike the balance between confession and confrontation, delivering lines that feel both impassioned and resolute. Behind him, the band builds an atmosphere of stacked guitars, punchy rhythms, tender backing vocals and intricate moments of instrumental flourishes. Wrapped up in a catchy indie rock scene, it’s a song that acknowledges pain without succumbing to it, that finds beauty in the act of staying upright when the weight gets too heavy.

“Gone” also marks a new chapter for Carrying Torches and with the single, they’re gaining broader exposure across the USA through extensive college radio support. With their sensational new single, Carrying Torches prove that after almost a decade of musical adventure, they’re still burning brighter than ever, not because they’ve avoided the darkness, but because they’ve learned how to turn it into light.

Listen to Gone below

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