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Local band takes first steps into the big leagues

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Local band Hylian

With a professionally produced, full-length album, local band Hylian already has a strong following even though they have yet to play a live show.

Hylian’s album “Landscapes” demonstrates this band’s potential to become commercially successful.

The name Hylian comes from the “Legend of Zelda” franchise.

“It’s very nerdy … but I thought it sounded cool,” said vocalist Tanner Isom.

Members of the five-piece find it difficult to pin their music to a specific genre.

“Nobody wants to say we’re this [genre] or pigeon-hole themselves,” said drummer Jimmie White.

“Post-hardcore kind of fits us … Pop-punk, we’ve got some elements there, and we’re also influenced by hardcore,” Isom said.

The band has been together since September of 2014. Three of the members were in a previous project known as “In The Making.”

The three members wrote a song titled “Naïve Novelty” and started a new musical project based on that song. That project became Hylian.

They contacted Landon Tewers, vocalist for metalcore band “The Plot In You” and asked him to produce “Naïve Novelty” as a single.

Tewers gladly accepted their offer and invited them to Michigan to record it.

“If we’re going to spend the money to go out to Michigan, let’s do it right. We branched off and made our own project,” Isom said.

After writing ten more songs, Isom and guitarist Jake Nelson traveled to Michigan to record the album that would become “Landscapes.”

Not only did Tewers help produce the album, but he did guest vocals on the song “The Mansion.”

Tewers also invited his friend Phil Druyor, formerly of “I Am Abomination” and “Attack Attack!” to assist in vocals, which can be heard on the song “Set Fire to the Past.”

A common trend among undiscovered bands is to produce an independent three- or four-song EP to spread their sound. Hylian did the opposite.

“I despised the idea of doing an EP … It also bothered me how nobody took our first release seriously. I thought these songs were good enough to be legitimately released (as an album),” said Isom.

Hylian posted their songs on YouTube and Spotify to exhibit their newly released album and received a following.

The lyrical content of the song is important to Isom.

Their song “Drowning in the Fountain of Youth” examines existential thoughts and the meaning of life.

“The whole song is about being frustrated with middle-class routines and not being able to do what you want … But in the end, it basically says that as long as you’re happy, it doesn’t matter because we all end up in the same place,” said Isom.

“Landscapes” displays myriad sounds that have personally impacted the members of Hylian, including pop-punk and hardcore.

“Blink-182 is by far my biggest inspiration,” Nelson said.

Isom added that the group AFI is an inspiration for the group as well.

The members of Hylian have one overall message to convey to the world: find something you adore.

This phrase is repeated in their song “Skeletons” and is the mantra by which the band lives.

Hylian’s first show is scheduled to be on March 22 at the Loading Dock in Salt Lake City where they will be opening for punk band “Self Defense Family.”

Their music can be found through their Facebook page, YouTube or Spotify.

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