Long Island emo-rockers
Envy on the Coast formed around friends Brian Byrne (guitar/vocals),
Ryan Hunter (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Velardi (bass), and Sal Bossio (piano) under the influence of bands like
the Foo Fighters and
Queen, though their music was actually more in line with bands like
Something Corporate or
Saves the Day. The friends had been playing together for a year before drummer
Dan Gluszak was welcomed into the fray in January 2005. The crew next hooked up with former Hit Factory producer/engineer
Bryan Russell, who offered to work with the guys for free on their first record. Recording began that April, and soon enough,
Envy on the Coast's early demos were making believers out of guys like
Straylight Run's Will Noon and booking agent Matt Galle (who's worked with
Taking Back Sunday and
My Chemical Romance), helping the guys get noticed and score choice opening spots for bands like
Angels and Airwaves,
Hit the Lights, and
30 Seconds to Mars.
Envy on the Coast used the shows to spread their name and draw attention to their self-titled debut EP, which was issued in September 2006 through the local indie Photo Finish Records. The full-length album
Lucy Gray arrived in the summer of 2007, followed by a tour supporting
Circa Survive and
As Tall as Lions. Drummer
Dan Gluszak left the fold in 2009, and the band recorded its sophomore long-player, 2010's
Low Country, as a four-piece. Shortly after the album's release,
Envy on the Coast announced via their Facebook page that they would not be continuing on, resulting in a six-year hiatus. In February 2016,
Ryan Hunter and Bryan Byrne resurrected the group for a new EP, Ritual, which was released via Equal Vision the following year. ~ Corey Apar