Orchestral, indie-rock band Particle Devotion comes home to Baton Rouge for its debut album release.
Comprised of former LSU music students, Particle Devotion is holding its album release party tonight, Oct. 22 at the Varsity Theatre.
While half of the band now currently resides in New Orleans, founding member, guitarist and singer Brian Bell said the Varsity is the launch pad for the new album because the band originated in the Red Stick.
“While we are transitioning to New Orleans, Baton Rouge is still like home to us,” Bell said.
The new album also ushers in a new chapter for the band, starting with a new name. Formerly known as Gardens, Bell said the band was too hard to find in a search result, making it difficult to get the band out there. He said there were at least three other bands named Gardens, which caused confusion.
0Bell said the search for a new name came when the band was prepping for a nationwide breakout and they needed a name that stuck out from the rest.
“When you search Particle Devotion on Google, we usually come up first. Before, when our name was Gardens, pictures of gardens would appear,” Bell said.
The new moniker comes from the first two words in the album. Bell said the name sums up the album and the band well.
The change in name also comes with a new addition to the band. Particle Devotion’s album producer Ryan Erwin is now a full-time member of the band as lead guitarist and singer.
Bell has been writing the debut album since 2012, before the band even formed.
“You have your whole life to write your first record,” Bell said. “We have been absorbing and getting experiences our whole lives, which all went into the album.”
While living in Tampa, Florida, Bell said found inspiration to write music for the band which had not formed yet.
Bell said he knew from the get go that he wanted to move back to Baton Rouge because his best friends and closest musically influential people around him were in the city.
“I had the band formed in my mind long before we actually started playing,” Bell said.
When Bell arrived at LSU’s music school in December 2013, he met Scott Graves, Nick Garrison, John Cleere, Clyde Bates and John Mann, all current members of Particle Devotion. Later, vocalist Chloe Johnson joined the band.
Due to the current eight-person size of the band, Bell referred to the band’s sound as “orchestral” and mixes various genres of rock in its music.
“At the heart of everything, we are an indie-rock band,” Bell said. “Our shows are very loud and intense but very emotional.”
Joining Particle Devotion at the release will be New Orleans band Palmyra. Erwin will also be performing his solo content before the show.