It’s been a decade since SKATERS’ began in Lower East Side Manhattan. Within months of forming and a self-released EP, the band was signed to Warner Brothers Records, toured around the world, had global critical acclaim from various pundits. Two years later, they released their debut album, Manhattan with WBR, were dropped, self-released their sophomore album Rock n Roll Bye Bye independently, and then disappeared. It was a whirlwind ride for the band that came at one of the most difficult transitions in the music industry – the exact time digital downloads plummeted, and streaming had not yet reached the masses. SKATERS were caught in the shuffle, and broke up.

Lead singer and songwriter Michael Ian Cummings was disillusioned. Left in the common place many musicians find themselves when the band life stops. when what was your whole identity is no longer. He needed to unplug, reset, and find his inspiration once again.

Now, after years of reevaluation, working an array of day jobs and night jobs for that matter, he’s rediscovered his muse and has with his debut solo EP titled Oldest Troubles, which drops on May 26 via SOTA. Alongside the official announcement today, he also kicks off the release with a brand new single entitled “Contemporary Me.”

“There are things in everyone’s life that will haunt them forever,” he writes of the EP’s title track. “Whether it stems from internal or external influences from our past that have marred, mamed, and influenced the way we handle life. No matter how far we try to run from them they always find us. This song is about welcoming those relentless “troubles” in, confronting them, and beginning to make yourself stronger. Or, at the very least, learning to live with them.”

“I love having autonomy over how and when I release music. Making decisions and moving on,” Cummings continued. “Reminds me of when I was a teenager. Just make things because they are worth making. Move forward and try not to look back too much.”

Michael Ian Cummings
Oldest Troubles
Tracklisting
Sota

01. 2 Ways to Feel
02. Contemporary Me
03. Oldest Troubles
04. Suburban Crackhouse Beats
05. Hooray for None