(left to right) Evan Franchi, Michael Robenalt, Jessie Roman, Jon Reeb and Luke Ashmore make up The Esteems. Credit: Mitchell Multimedia
Over a year in the making, The Esteems’ debut indie-rock album, titled “Course Correction,” was officially released Friday.
Formed during the fall of 2017, The Esteems includes lead singer and guitarist Jessie Roman, guitarist Luke Ashmore, keyboardist and vocalist Evan Franchi, drummer Michael Robenalt and bassist Jon Reeb. The Columbus-based band will perform “Course Correction” live for the first time at the Rambling House Saturday, according to its Instagram.
Roman said she embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led to the album’s creation.
“This album is about me basically coming to terms with the fact that I am bisexual,” Roman said. “It’s kind of the path of like dealing with the denial and accepting it, kind of feeling a sense of optimism and hope for what’s to come next. That’s kind of the path of it, and why it’s called ‘Course Correction.’”
Different from The Esteems’ June 2022 EP “Voice Memos,” the album features a more cohesive narrative arc, Roman said.
“It definitely felt like it was the first time we were in the studio as a five-piece,” Reeb said. “We were going through a learning process with Tony Rice, our producer and engineer, and I think after that experience, the songs and how they all came together was just like a little bit different from there.”
As the sole writer for “Course Correction,” Roman said the process of penning songs was difficult at times.
“ The challenge for me was to write some additional songs that could fit into the story without trying to force a song in there,” Roman said. “That’s when we wrote ‘On My Way’ and ‘Gravitate.’ I think they fit in really well.”
Throughout the album’s creation, Roman said each band member sought inspiration from various artists: Ashmore explored the sounds of Snail Mail; Reeb immersed himself in Modest Mouse; Roman delved into Soccer Mommy’s discography; Robenalt drew inspiration from Jeff Rosenstock; and the album’s mastering engineer, Glenn Davis, even compared Franchi’s work on “Course Correction” to genre-spanning singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby.
“I wouldn’t have thought I was inspired by [Bruce Hornsby],” Franchi said. “When [Davis] said that, I’m like, ‘It’s OK for me to admit that I might have been subconsciously influenced by that kind of styling.’”
Moreover, Robenalt said the album’s cover art visually echoes the theme of self-discovery.
“It starts off as that black and white arrow through a maze,” Robenalt said. “Then at the end, it’s sort of colorful and it’s sort of bursting a part of your old self.”
Roman said she hopes the band’s audience, as well as any new fans, can take away a positive message from “Course Correction.”
“There is no right or wrong way to do your life,” Roman said. “You can do it on your own timeline and find out who you are as you go along, and that that’s totally fine to do and that the people who love you will love you.”
The album release show will kick off at 9 p.m., at the Rambling House, and tickets can be purchased through The Esteems’ website.
