For all intents and purposes, Lakehurst is Burning is the reincarnation of Atlanta-based post-hardcore heroes, The Paper Champions, who captivated audiences in the southeast with their angular, guitar-fueled rock from 2002 to 2008. From the very beginning, TPC seemed poised to breakthrough when one of their earliest recordings—the dynamic yet graceful “Ask Emma”—appeared on Deep Elm Records’ acclaimed Emo Diaries #9: Sad Songs Remind Me compilation and then somehow made its way onto MTV’s Road Rules soundtrack. That initial flickering of success grew brighter with the 2004 release of their debut full-length, Weekend of Compromise (RY005), the band’s first for the fledgling Atlanta imprint, Reason Y Records. That was followed in January 2006 by the ambitious 4-song burner, End.Transmission (RY006), an Amelia Earhart-influenced concept EP that would become TPC’s most acclaimed and accomplished record. Finally, in December 2007, the group released an expansive 11-song retrospective entitled Sounds from the Cutting Room Floor (RY009), which covered all their unreleased and b-side material.

Unfortunately, within a month of Sounds’ release, the band decided to amicably part ways due to creative differences. According to vocalist/guitarist, Jason Neubert, “[TPC] had a fantastic history and we were able to create a library of music and experiences that all four members are very proud of. As with any relationship, over 6 years the chemistry started to decline and our musical and compositional directions started to become strained…. I don’t think I regret anything about how TPC ended—all four releases I’m very proud of, both videos are very cool in their own right, and the experiences we had as a band will last a lifetime.”

After the demise of TPC in early 2008, three of the members decided to start anew with freshly written songs, along with a new name and outlook. They recruited friend Garrett Grashuis (formerly of Columbia, SC’s Dade County Resistance) to play bass and began to develop new material. With 3/4 of the TPC lineup intact, there was a natural tendency for the band to tread familiar musical waters, but they continued to push until they settled on something a little darker and grittier. Although TPC fans will appreciate the occasional hyper-charged pacing and simmering tension-and-release dynamics, Lakehurst is Burning have achieved something much more focused, a propulsive yet reflective sound that points to a band that is by turns more weathered and mature. The band name itself is a reference to the air force base in Lakehurst, NJ where Jason and Brad Neubert’s great-grandfather manned the tethers for the Hindenburg when it was engulfed in flames, tragically killing 36 people.

In March of 2009, LIB entered the Jam Room in Columbia, SC and began recording the 7 songs that make up their debut EP. Additional recording and mixing was done at Wizkid Sound Studios in Atlanta. “We’re all very excited about this release and feel that it is the perfect segue to a new musical chapter for us,” says Jason. “We’re just excited to continue writing and playing music and to involve our friends and family in the process. Plus, we think it smokes.”

Lakehurst is Burning’s self-titled EP is slated for an October 27th release.