AUSTIN, TX | APRIL 18, 2018 – Chuggy guitar riffs, kick drum blasts and spitfire vocals define Austin pop-punk powerhouse group, Gold Steps. In March, the band, led by energetic firestorm Liz Mauritz (vocals) and rounded out by Zach Duarte (lead guitar), Elias Perez (rhythm guitar), Erasmo “Raz” Garcia (bass), and Roger Steadman (drums), announced their forthcoming EP, Incandescent. Produced by Rick King of King Sound, the EP (out 5/28/18) is a musical representation of emotions experienced in mood cycling episodes. It starts out with fire, a taking-on-the world feeling which could be interpreted as a sort of manic state, but as the EP progresses the tone becomes more erratic.
To continue pushing the EP, the band exclusively partnered with Heart Support to unleash a heartwarming and powerful documentary/music video for their new single, “As Luck Would Have It.” The band’s lead vocalist, Liz Mauritz is passionate about sharing her story with mental health in hopes that is can inspire and help those around her. She expands, “As long as I can remember I’ve struggled with mental health. A lifetime of anxiety and years of self-hard, body image issues, and panic disorder have haunted me into adulthood. I always felt along in my pain, turning to music for solace, and often writing lyrics about my inner turmoil.” For more on why Gold Steps partnered with Heart Support, head over to Substream Magazine now. In addition, Liz curated a special blog about mental health exclusively for Heart Support, which can be read here.
Last month the band unveiled their music video for opening track, “Firestarter,” exclusively with Alternative Press, which can be viewed here. The “Firestarter” music video was filmed by Brandon Timekeeper of Timekeeper Media and plays heavily on the themes of the EP with the focus being around a group of friends at a bonfire and engaging in a color war like battle with friends Forever Starts Today. Sparks fly and things heat up as the video progresses, leaving viewers with a visual representation of what the EP encapsulates. Mauritz expands on the song: “Even in your darkest moments, when you feel like everything’s working against you and you want to give up, there’s still an ember, a spark inside of you; and if you nurture that spark, you can come back burning brighter and stronger than ever. You just have to work for it.”
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The heart of Texas is pumping with the pop-punk palpitation of Austin-based quintet Gold Steps.
Liz Mauritz (vocals) leads the angsty, energetic firestorm, rounded out by Zach Duarte (lead guitar), Elias Perez (rhythm guitar), Erasmo “Raz” Garcia (bass), and Roger Steadman (drums). Chuggy guitar riffs, kick drum blasts and spitfire vocals define the band’s sound, but while their music brings the pit to your ears, Liz’s brutally honest lyrics get to your gut. The frontwoman is open about her struggles with anxiety, self-harm and panic disorder, an overarching theme in Gold Steps’ catalogue. “I know what it’s like to hurt, to feel alone, to want to give up in a moment of darkness; if we can make one person feel understood and less alone, we have been successful.”
The ups and downs of mental health burst and bloom on Gold Steps’ new EP, Incandescent. Liz explains, “these songs reflect my mental state at different points of my life in the last year: fiercely refusing to give up in the face of adversity; struggling with my sense of purpose outside the band; and glimpses of hope that I was ‘getting better,’ just to knock myself out again with self-esteem issues.” Tracked at Overcast Recordings and produced by Rick King of King Sound, the 7-track EP showcases the band’s musical growth, with bright leads and fill-heavy drums supporting melodies that span the vocalist’s full range. The band also explores the experience of someone observing a loved one struggle in closing track “Manic To Panic,” which expresses feelings of trying to understand, while reassuring “we’ll get through it again.”
Liz, Zach, and original bassist David Ramirez (who also contributed to the EP, Incandescent) set out in 2016 to create punchy, hard-hitting music in the vein of New Found Glory, State Champs and Hit The Lights. Armed with a name inspired by genre heavyweights Neck Deep, they quickly penned and recorded their debut EP Louder Than Words at Blackroom Studios.In their short tenure, Gold Steps has played nearly a hundred shows, sharing stages with The Ataris, Aaron Gillespie, Ace Enders, Forever Came Calling and Jonny Craig; touring the Southwest; and performing at So What? Music Festival and SXSW. They’ve partnered with nonprofit HeartSupport to spread awareness and reduce stigma around mental health issues, addiction and self-harm.
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