First Umpire makes debut with double-single

New York City-based Pat Cheiban is a Lebanese-American musician known for his work as a guitarist with the band A Beacon School and his collaborative efforts with leading artists in the city. Now he’s stepping into a new phase of his creative career with the launch of his solo project, First Umpire.

This new project allows him to fully explore and showcase a more personal and immersive sound, drawing from his background growing up in Brooklyn and his Lebanese heritage. Currently working on his first full-length record as a solo artist, he’s already been playing the unreleased material at live shows.

His debut release under this moniker, the double-sided single “I’m Here / I’ll Wait,” offers the first window into the original sonic world he’s creating. Featuring two tracks that collectively introduce listeners to First Umpire’s distinct musical identity, his influences of post punk, indie rock and electronic music come together to create a reflective yet expansive sound.

The first song, “I’ll Wait” opens with the dreamy aesthetics of clean guitar flutters as soft vocalisations dance along above. Shifting gears with sweeping guitar chords and sax flourishes, alternative vocal styles are met with the punch of splashy drums as the track takes flight into a psychedelic-tinged indie rock sound.

Full of catchy vocal hooks and kaleidoscopic instrumental dashes all filtered through an experimental lens, it’s an intriguing and memorable jam that leads perfectly into the second song. With “I’ll Wait,” First Umpire jumps straight into an uptempo indie outing full of driving rhythm and commanding vocal performance.

Adding smooth ebb and flow half way through by breaking the instrumentation back to just the rhythm guitar, he then rebuilds the track with snapping drums, rich vocal timbres and slick flickers of lead guitar to deliver an energising two-minute cut. First Umpire has made an impactful entrance with his worthy debut release and with his debut album on the horizon, he’s sure to win over more and more listeners with his highly original sonic output.

Commenting on his first release, he shares, “Going from the naive halls of a college dorm room to the cut-throat realities of the music industry was definitely a rough transition for me. It caused an intense shift in my personal relationships and really messed with my mental health. But through all of that, I felt like I was finding where I belonged. ‘I’m Here, I’ll Wait’ is a culmination of those oscillating emotions.”

Listen to I’m Here, I’ll Wait below