The Apologist | EP Release
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Take a look in advance
The Apologist is a five-piece heavy rock band from Amersfoort that combines catchy vocal lines and groovy rhythms with dissonant guitars and a menacing tension. With extensive experience and performances at various major venues and festivals such as Into The Void, The Rock Circus, and ESNS, the band is carving out its own path through the Dutch rock scene.
2026 marks a new chapter for The Apologist, with Jeroen van der Weijden taking over on bass. The drum stool had already changed hands in 2024, and Mats van der Valk has been pounding away at the drums ever since. Both bring impressive résumés to the table, with years of experience in bands such as Autumn, So Called Celeste, and My City Burning. The varied drumming and the raw, uncompromising bass sound leave a strong mark on the first release by the current lineup.
The new EP *Harbinger*, recorded…
The Apologist is a five-piece heavy rock band from Amersfoort that combines catchy vocal lines and groovy rhythms with dissonant guitars and a menacing tension. With extensive experience and performances at various major venues and festivals such as Into The Void, The Rock Circus, and ESNS, the band is carving out its own path through the Dutch rock scene.
2026 marks a new chapter for The Apologist, with Jeroen van der Weijden taking over on bass. The drum stool had already changed hands in 2024, and Mats van der Valk has been pounding away at the drums ever since. Both bring impressive résumés to the table, with years of experience in bands such as Autumn, So Called Celeste, and My City Burning. The varied drumming and the raw, uncompromising bass sound leave a strong mark on the first release by the current lineup.
The new EP *Harbinger*, recorded in the summer and fall of 2026, builds on the distinctive foundation of *The Apologist* and combines it with a more alternative approach to their sound. This is enhanced by the mixing work of William Blackmon (SE), who has previously worked with various bands on the Pelagic Records label. With *Harbinger*, The Apologist explores new territory without losing their familiar elements. The album is more conceptually driven than ever, with themes such as alienation and moral decay supported by the stylistic artwork of Utrecht-based artist Beau Ringeling.
Daisypusher
Daisypusher is the solo project of singer and guitarist Justin Ruitenschild, in which emo, grunge, and shoegaze come together in a sound that is both loud and vulnerable; dreamy, yet also eerie. What initially began as a private writing process as a form of catharsis and escapism has evolved into a project that made its debut in June 2026 with the debut single “pine leaves.” Roaring guitar feedback and hazy shoegaze textures collide, enveloping the introspective songwriting in a wall of sound. Nostalgia tastes bittersweet; dreams aren’t what they seem.
Physical tickets are available for purchase at Velvet Music Amersfoort
When
- Thursday, January 28, 2027 8:30 - 11:30 p.m.