Scott's Spotlight #47: Edensong

 Will be posted to Facebook on October 2, 2025

Welcome to Scott’s Spotlight (#scottsspotlight) issue #47.  For more information about this series, please click here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/Gc2VkwHQWGLdeaDd/?mibextid=oFDknk

Today we are shining the spotlight on Edensong, who are often referred to as being a NYC prog band.  Much like Dream Theater, however, while the members may hail from the NYC area, they actually formed while away at college.  In Edensong’s case it was at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.  Their origin came in 2002 as a collaboration between 2 students there: drummer Matt Cozin and vocalist/guitarist/composer James Byron Schoen.  Eventually, guitarist Ben Wigler, with whom Schoen had played in a previous band and was a friend since childhood, was brought into the project. At this point, the band was titled Echoes of Eden. By April of 2003, the three had staged a full-on rock opera at the University with additional musicians brought in called “Beyond Eden”; what a way to dive into the deep end of the pool!  

After the students graduated from Wesleyan in 2005, they decided to change the name to Edensong and become an actual band. During the next couple of years, the band alternated between playing live gigs and recording their debut album.  It seems that the line-up was a bit unstable in the early years of the band.  By the time that the first album was completed many musicians had contributed to the tracks.  Even Ben Wigler was considered to be a “former member” by the time it was complete, even though he plays on the majority of the tracks.  Shoen was clearly the driving force behind the project.  The album is based on the material from 2003’s “Beyond Eden”.  The album was mixed and mastered by legendary engineer Bob Katz and released in the summer of 2008.  The album’s credits are as follows:

Line-up / Musicians

- James Byron Schoen / electric & acoustic guitars, vocals

- Arthur Sugden / piano, organ

- Michael Drucker / violin

- Eve Harrison / flute (1,2,4,6)

- Rachel Kiel / flute (3,5,7,8)

- T.D. Towers / bass

- Matt Cozin / drums & percussion

With:

- Ben Wigler / electric guitar (2,4-6,8)

- Kerry Prep / piano & organ (1,4)

- Neely Bruce / barrel organ (2)

- Joe Swain / violin (1,4)

- Sam Baltimore / cello (2,4)

- Hannah Goodwin-Brown / cello (7)

- Anthony Waldman / drums (5), percussion (2)

- Joaquin Cotler / African percussion (2)

- Steve Devita / percussion (2)

- Azalea Birch / tablas (3)

- Adam Bernier / synthesizer programming

- Ben Doleac / backing vocals (3,6)

The album seems to be fairly well received, with its blending of heavier rock and prog-folk elements, and has a respectable average score of 3.37 on Prog Archives.  I have enjoyed “The Baptism”, “Nocturne”, “The Sixth Day” and the fantastic, nearly 22 minute closing epic, “The Reunion”.  

Following the album’s release, Edensong began to establish themselves as a live act by playing some notable prog festivals such as the Three Rivers Prog Festival in August of 2009. ProgDay in September 2009 and Terra Incognita in Quebec City in May of 2010.

In order to showcase their abilities both in the studio and onstage, the next release came in 2010 in the form of an EP titled “Echoes of Edensong–From the Studio to the Stage”.  The release has 3 studio tracks and 3 live ones.  The song “Beneath the Tide” is here in both studio and live forms, with the live one being a bit longer than the studio version.  The live version of “The Reunion” is only about half the length of the album version, though.  One of the studio tracks “Lorelai” (not the Styx song), was originally included on an album called “The Haiti Projekt”, on which various prog bands contributed to raise funds for Haiti, following a series of disastrous hurricanes there.  

The credits for this release are as follows:

Line-up / Musicians

- James Byron Schoen / vocals, guitars

- Stefan Paolini / keyboards, vocals

- Barry Seroff / flute

- Mike Lunapiena / cello

- TD Towers / bass, vocals

- Anthony Waldman / drums, vocals

- Matthew Bauer / percussion

With:

- Benjamin Wigler / guitars (1,3,5)

- Carl Baron / cello (1,4,5)

- Mike Tee / bass (5)

- Alex Hornbake / bass

- Matt Cozin / drums (3)

- Michael Drucker / violin (3)

- Rachel Kiel / flute (3)

- Arthur Sugden / piano, organ (3)

- Adam Bernier / synths, programming (3)

While the band would begin work on their second full-length album in 2011, it would be 2016 before it would be released.  The album was titled “Years in the Garden of Years”.  By the time of this release, the core line-up seems to have stabilized as:

- James Byron Schoen / vocals, guitars, producer

- Stefan Paolini / keyboards, vocals

- Barry Seroff / flute

- TD Towers / bass, vocals

- Anthony Waldman / drums, gamelan, percussion, vocals

However, among the few guests on this album, one stands out:

With:

- Adrian Belew / vocals

- Malcolm Piper / chorus vocals

- Luna Skye / cello

- Eric Stephenson / cello

Yes, THAT Adrian Belew.  More on that in a minute… The album begins with the fantastic “Cold City” and closes with “A Yawn of a Blink”.  In between these is an 8 song cycle that shares the album’s title.  According to this article: (https://www.earsplitcompound.com/edensong-nyc-progressive-act-premieres-the-atman-apocalypse-at-puregrainaudio-years-in-the-garden-of-years-approaches-release-via-lasers-edge/) , the song cycle is based on a string quartet written by drummer Anthony Waldman–and if that isn’t one of the proggiest things I’ve ever typed, I don’t know what is!  As for Mr. Belew, he makes “a cameo” in the 7th part of the song cycle, titled “The Atman Apocalypse” which came about after a “chance meeting” with the King Crimson alumnus.  I believe it is at just before 2 minutes, and again at around 2:35.  If anyone can say for sure, please let me know.  I do know that it is a top-notch bit of prog.  For that matter , the whole album is excellent!

It would be nearly a decade before Edensong would get a new album out.  It seemed to be one thing or another causing delays, not the least of which was the pandemic.  Additionally, in this interview: https://arrowlordsofmetal.nl/edensong-interview-met-james-byron-schoen-guitars-vocals/#:~:text=I%20was%20in%20a%20place,collaboration%20that%20can%20happen%20organically, Shoen says that the band members had a total of 6 children born during that time period, that’ll keep you busy for sure!  But finally, this year, Edensong’s third full-length album saw the light of day, titled “Our Road to Dust”.  They have a notable celebrity endorsement in their advertising for it– Jethro Tull’s legendary leader Ian Anderson who says that Edensong are a “great example of contemporary progressive rock”; I concur Mr. Anderson.  Once again there are some line up changes:

- James Byron Schoen / guitars, vocals

- TD "BenBen" Towers / bass, vocals

- Barry Seroff / Flutes

- Nick DiGregorio / drums, percussion

If you’re keeping score, this means that long time keyboardist Stefan Paolini has left and apparently wasn’t replaced, and that long time drummer Anthony Waldman handed the drum throne over to Nick DiGregorio.  As for the music, in the same interview, Shoen says that the theme of the album deals with mortality, as implied by the album’s title. I have been listening to the album as I type this and have enjoyed every track immensely.  “Wykkr Bäsct” is playing now and has an intro that grabs your attention right from the onset. The title of that track is a fun way to spell “Wicker Basket”. The flute playing would make Mr. Anderson happy, indeed. There are occasional heavy moments and one roar/growl, but not an overabundance of that kind of thing.  The closing title track is a standout.

So, if you are looking for a modern prog rock band with classic prog influences and just a touch of modern metal, and a full-time flautist, I think Edensong just might be for you!  While they are not the most prolific band of the 21st century, their music is definitely worth a listen.  Let’s hope it isn’t another 9 years before the next one comes out!  Be sure to check out the links for listening below!

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Prog On!

Scott

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Links for Listening:

From “The Fruit Fallen”:

“The Sixth Day”:

https://youtu.be/f5k1wYYamG8

“The Reunion”

https://youtu.be/WDuWJ3ZoHdo

From “Echoes of Edensong”

“Beneath the Tide”

https://youtu.be/A34_EndRypw

“Lorelai”

https://youtu.be/jn4OGefD0kM

From “Years in the Garden of Years”

“Cold City”

https://youtu.be/uddWeNhD3Ss

“The Atman Apocalypse”

https://youtu.be/QCvvnOKCP2M

From:”Our Road to Dust”

“Wykkr Bäsct”:

https://youtu.be/04tk80b2ELg

“Our Road to Dust”

https://youtu.be/JM1pymYdj_o