Guitar-driven progressive instrumental music has come a long way since the heyday of shredders like JOE SATRIANI and STEVE VAI. Whilst the technical virtuosity continues to escalate, modern bands in the scene place ever more importance on the quality of songwriting and the shape of the sound beyond the guitar. Bringing their take to the scene are North Carolina outfit SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, fronted by Tristan Auman, who moonlights as a touring guitarist for progressive metal legends BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. The band shall release their major label debut, Where Mountains Hide, this year – an exciting blast of guitar wizardry, riffs and breakdowns living comfortably alongside earworm melodies.
Auman kicked off SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY in 2020 with some solo demos before recruiting Scott Barber to record a first EP in 2021. The addition of Morgan Johnson on bass solidified the band as a trio, playing local shows in and around North Carolina and recording their self-released debut album in 2023. However, the prog sound wasn’t always Auman‘s intention. “At the time, I wasn’t even listening to much heavy music or progressive, technical stuff,” he shares, rattling off shoegaze, emo and post-rock as his main genre listening habits at the band’s inception. “But I always would go back to the more technical stuff. I kind of figured out that was my roots. I felt my baseline was progressive rock, progressive metal at its core.”
The primary influence on Auman was DREAM THEATER, serving as a branching-off point for djent bands like PERIPHERY, modern prog bands HAKEN, and instrumental acts like INTERVALS. But it’s clear that PLINI is a key influence, as well. “He’s a great songwriter and not just a wonderful guitar player,” eulogises Auman. “It’s very singable, discernible melodies in his songs. Of course, he shreds, but it’s all in service to the song itself.” That philosophy, of the central importance of songwriting, permeates Auman‘s approach. “I definitely would prefer to be known as a songwriter than a guitarist, because that’s my voice, essentially. Playing really fast on a guitar is the tool that I use to do that. I would much rather be a unique writer than the best guitarist on the planet.”
The new album Where Mountains Hide shows that focus on strong songwriting. It packs in tons of fiddly riffs and memorable hooks in a blazing, frenetic package. The writing process is, in Auman‘s words, “vibes-based” – sometimes drawing on personal meanings, but focused more on evocation of feelings than any direct storytelling. More than anything else, the album is infused with a sense of fun and light-heartedness, even in its heaviest moments. This stemmed from the first writing session for the lead single, Palantir. The band embraced its upbeat melodies, carrying that vibe throughout the writing process. “Overall, it’s more light-hearted than I was expecting,” says Auman. “I love writing angry stuff. I love writing sad stuff as well. [But] It’s kind of refreshing to have written a positive album. I’m not mad about it!”
Auman‘s time touring with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has also had an impact. Despite their legendary status in the North Carolina heavy music scene, he was a late convert. The relationship with the band began when Auman worked with BTBAM lead guitarist Paul Waggoner in a coffee shop. Joining them on tour has encouraged Auman to up his game with SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY. “I don’t want to come home from tour with BTBAM and then play music that I don’t feel would be up to a certain standard, like theirs.” As well as encouraging higher standards, some more direct influences are evident – in particular, some rapid, attention-deficit switch-ups in style and mood. “There’s definitely some moments on this album where you can tell – it’s a bit more riffy, a bit chunkier, a bit heavier, and that’s where you can kind of see that influence,” says Auman.
The focus on songwriting & sound craft and a growing professional ethos led to SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY calling on several collaborators. As well as a featured solo from Waggoner, BTBAM bassist Dan Briggs made several musical contributions. “There’s a lot of subtle things that Dan did. It’s not limited to one particular instrument. If you hear something in the background but can’t quite decipher what it is, it’s probably Dan getting up to something. Which was perfect!” The band also recruited Eric Guenther from THE CONTORTIONIST to support on sound design. “He really did level up this record, and we were very happy with the results.” Both contributions show an intent from the band to elevate their work beyond the guitar hero realm into something greater.
With the new album ready to go, the band are eager to push forward, particularly with live shows and touring. Auman is particularly keen to get out on the road supporting bands that SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY look up to, to continue learning and absorbing. A first-ever international appearance is scheduled in the UK this August as the band play ArcTanGent Festival. “We’re stoked!” Grins Auman. Though his touring commitments with BTBAM means it’ll be a busy weekend, playing three sets in two days. Given the talent and quality on show, this will hopefully be the first of many opportunities to experience this exciting young band play here. SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY bring both virtuosity and fun back into instrumental progressive music; expect to see much more from them in the future.
Where Mountains Hide is out now via InsideOut Music. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS119 here:
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