Icarus Phoenix has always moved like a band built for distance—geographically, emotionally, and sonically. Baltimore-based but rooted in Montana and Utah, their music carries folk’s warmth and rock’s forward momentum, the kind of sound that can feel intimate in the lyric and widescreen in the room. Now, they’re stepping into their next era with a new single that doesn’t ask politely for your attention—it tightens its grip and holds on.
Their latest release, “Choke,” out now, is a sharp, urgent statement from a group that knows how to balance tenderness with impact. There’s a lived-in honesty at the core of Icarus Phoenix’s writing, but “Choke” leans into pressure—emotional, social, internal—turning it into something loud enough to share. It’s the kind of track that feels like a flare: immediate, bright, and impossible to ignore once it’s in the air.
Even more telling is what “Choke” is pointing toward. The single arrives as an advance taste of the band’s next album, Grave, due April 7th, 2027—a project that promises to expand on the band’s gift for intimate narratives and expansive soundscapes. If “Choke” is the opening scene, Grave looks set to be a full-bodied chapter: heavier in tone, bigger in scope, and still grounded in the human details that make their songs land.
At the center of Icarus Phoenix is Drew Danburry (guitar/vocals), a songwriter whose DIY legacy reads like a map of persistence. Touring and releasing music independently since 2002, Danburry has put out 500+ songs across 25 albums and 17 EPs, and played 800+ shows worldwide—a body of work built less on industry permission and more on sheer devotion to the craft. Around him, the band’s lineup—Eli Sims (drums), Leena Rhodes (guitar/vocals/synth), Brendan Russell (bass), Peyton Rodeffer (guitar/vocals/etc), and Andrew Young (drums/percussion)—brings muscle, texture, and lift, shaping songs that can whisper one moment and roar the next.
Their story is also a touring story: from Treefort Music Fest (Boise, 2021) to a DIY tour of Japan (2024), Icarus Phoenix have proven they’re willing to take the long way if it means taking the honest way. That same spirit is carrying them into a run of upcoming dates—some full-band, some solo—giving listeners a chance to catch these songs in their most immediate form: live, close, and unfiltered.
Upcoming Gig Dates:
- Oct 8— Peabody Heights Brewing Company — Baltimore, MD (Icarus Phoenix)
- Oct 16— Jackrabbit Lounge — Provo, UT (solo)
- Oct 17— Blue Gene’s — Salt Lake City, UT (solo)
- Nov 27— Spit & Sawdust — Cardiff, UK (solo)
- Nov 28— Rough Trade Liverpool — Liverpool, UK (solo)
Stream the song here
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