Dayton, Ohio’s Shelter & Sound releases its debut single, “Frailty,” via Sweet Cheetah Records on September 11. Presave it here. The band is the post-hardcore project composed of songwriters Michael Coates and Shawn Bell. 

In the mid-’00s, Coates was deeply embedded in the alternative music scene; songwriter and guitar player for national touring act Auburndale, he also co-founded Substream Magazine and launched Thriving Records (ADA / East West Warner Music Group). But, following the sudden death of his partner and co-founder Marc Young in 2009, Coates walked away from music entirely. Guitars were packed into closets, gear was sold, and the creative fire was tucked deep inside for well over a decade, as he turned to a corporate life.

Coates’ recent “spark” was entirely accidental. Hanging his old guitar on the wall as simple office decor, it led to casual strumming, which quickly triggered an undeniable, decades-in-the-making flood of songwriting and emotion. Partnering with a long-time friend and collaborator Shawn Bell, they met producer and recording engineer Aaron Carlson. Coates and Bell re-entered the studio to craft a sound defined by maturity, nostalgia, and modern heavy rock production.

The early demos and new production caught the ear of Sweet Cheetah Records, who is currently stepping up to help release the project. Driven by explosive dual guitars, soaring chorus hooks, and deeply personal lyricism, Shelter & Sound’s “Frailty” explores the disconnect between instinct and self-preservation and the resolve required to rebuild.

Photo courtesy of Anna Bell.