Mikoto signs with Torque Records

Official press release: Orange County, CA melodic hardcore act, Mikoto, have announced today a deal with Torque Records who will release their debut full length, "We Are The Architects," on October 14th. The band - Ray Harkins (vocals), Matt Moody (guitar/vocals), Martin Diaz (guitar), Kelly Orr (bass), and Max Cuzor (drums) - have posted two songs from the forthcoming album on their MySpace. Mikoto has built a fervent buzz since their inception in late 2004 with relentless touring alongside Horse The Band, Misery Signals, Saosin and Chiodos to name a few. In 2005, the band released a self-titled EP via Level Plane Records. The band didn't stray too far from their sound on the EP when it came time to write "We Are The Architects." "It's an obvious extension of what the band was doing on our EP," said Harkins. "It is pretty similar, but with this record we have definitely utilized Matt's clean vocals a lot more. These songs still represent the same kind of 'sound' we've had, just a bit more well structured," added Diaz. The five-piece recorded "We Are The Architects" in just 25 days with producer and Saosin guitarist, Beau Burchell (The Bronx) amidst his busy touring schedule. "We would send him demo recordings online and he would listen to them on tour and give us his feedback," Harkins described the process. "Beau was instrumental in the process of getting this record together. The record would have sounded drastically different if we recorded with anyone else." In agreement, Diaz expressed, "Beau helped us looks at each song as a whole and not the parts individually." More than just an album title, Harkins elaborated, "'We Are The Architects' was inspired by the idea that we as individuals build, create and attempt to mold our lives into better versions of what they used to be. We wanted to visually capture the idea of each person being an "architect" and creating their own future and destiny." The band also addresses the current music scene and how it has affected them. "There are those who really are passionate about what this music scene is about and should not let the bad things outweigh the positive aspects." Even with Mikoto's many options for releasing "We Are The Architects," Harkins explained, "Torque was really supportive and above all enthusiastic about our band and releasing the record. Many of the other labels we were speaking to just had a very singular focus on what our band meant and who they could sell us to while [Torque] really just wanted to spread our name in a very organic manner." Sharing the love, Torque Records owner, Kevin Gales, stated, "Mikoto is a world-class band who has created an unforgettable record. The guys had a bunch of options open to them and we're far beyond fortunate for this opportunity." Track Listing: 01. The Hours You Keep 02. Waiting By The Docks 03. Days Run Long 04. Giving Up 05. It Was Better When No One Knew About It 06. Courage Is Just Well Concealed Fear 07. The Stage Is Set 08. Gut Check 09. Every Story Is A Ghost 10. You Won't Find My Prints 11. Silos And Smokestacks