Local post hardcore band Faith in Nothing are turning a page with the release of their debut album When It’s Over.

Recorded at guitarist Charlie Sandberg’s 07 Studios, the seven-track album features the lineup of Sandberg, frontman Austin Carter, bassist Ryan Wolfe, guitarist Bailey Evans, and drummer Dan Willig. However, some changes have occurred this year with Evans and Willig stepping aside and drummer Brett Lay entering the fray.

“We had these songs mostly recorded when those guys quit,” Sandberg said. “So, we decided to sit on that material and wait for the band to get it together and get our new lineup. 

“Then it was, ‘OK, now let’s release this stuff once we have something new to get behind it.’ Shortly after this, we’re going to start releasing singles of the newer stuff we’ve recorded with this lineup. This record is kind of turning the page on the first chapter of this band.”

The band will celebrate the Jan. 14 release of When It’s Over with a stacked lineup in Stan’s Room at Piere’s on Friday, Jan. 17, alongside Fort Wayne’s The Holy Nothing and The Mighty Vices, as well as Dayton’s Life in Idle.

“We wanted a diverse lineup and also have like-minded bands that we know will support each other,” Wolfe said of the 7 p.m. show.

Coming together

Forming in the summer of 2022, Faith in Nothing apparently got their start while a couple of friends were soaking in some rays.

“I was actually sitting on a beach in Florida with Bailey, talking about forming a band,” Wolfe said. “He ended up moving back to Fort Wayne a couple months later, and we made that happen. 

“Bailey and I were jamming a little bit, but a guitar player didn’t show up. So, we called Charlie, and he did show up, and he brought in Austin.”

According to Sandberg, he had been seeking an opportunity to get Carter involved in a band. He just had to find the right fit.

“The previous six months, Austin and I had been sending demos back and forth, just guitar parts or some Midi drum, and Austin would come up with vocal parts. We were just waiting to put a lineup together when Ryan and Bailey reached out to me,” Sandberg said.

“Austin was always introducing me to cool music that I was into. I thought he was a really good, raw talent that should just get with some other musicians, and he’d just come to life as a frontman. I always felt that about him, but the band I was in at that time was kind of on its last leg. So, I thought, ‘I don’t want to bring this guy that’s totally new into a band that is kind of dying.’ ”

And it was a move Carter has been thankful for.

“Charlie and I met back in 2019, and I recorded some acoustic stuff with him. Years later, he reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in joining a band,” he said. “This is the first band I’ve ever been in. So, honestly, it’s been a great experience.”

What to expect

With a lineup in place, the band released four singles, beginning with “Little Robots” in 2023, followed by “C.A.R.,” “New Habit,” and “Reckless,” all of which appear on When It’s Over.

“With the lineup change, it seemed like that was the most appropriate format-wise, and put all that stuff from that era onto a single release,” Wolfe said.

“I think (the album) goes up and down. From songs like ‘Waiting’ that will have you dancing a little bit and put you in a good mood. Then you have songs like ‘Decay’ and ‘Reckless’ that might make you a little bit more self-reflective on things.”

For Sandberg, he put his marketing skills to work in providing a description of the album for streaming platforms.

“When It’s Over is the story of one day waking up in a life you didn’t desire and figuring out how to will into existence the reality you want and need,” he said. “The record seeks to clean up the messes one makes of their own mind in survival mode.”

Looking Forward

With this record complete, Faith in Nothing are looking forward to what’s next.

“It’s always a kind of a high-water mark for a band to put out an album instead of a single or an EP,” Wolfe said. “We’re definitely excited. We already have a ton of material that is already in the works, and we’re already playing some of these songs out live.”

That new version of the group may sound a bit different. When describing the outlook of the band when Lay hopped behind the kit, Sandberg sounded optimistic.

“It took a good while for us to find our identity with Brett as the drummer,” he said.

“That’s when it was like, ‘We want to be a little heavier. We want to be a little moodier.’ Brett brings really aggressive, emotional feel to the drums. It really drives the band.”

Wolfe shares that sentiment.

“It’s like playing with a different train conductor,” Wolfe said. “It’s a totally different vibe in the room. He just pounds the s— out of the drums. I think Charlie and I were kind of wanting to write more aggressive, heavier stuff. Brett came in and fell right into place.”