After years navigating the highs and lows of the Los Angeles music scene, City of Sound frontman Jordan “J” Wright and his band have returned home to Indiana — the place where the project began and the next chapter is now being written.
Joining them onstage for the first time this fall will be Blake Liller, a 20-year-old drummer from Fishers, Indiana (a suburb of Indianapolis). The band’s newest touring member and longtime fan, Liller, will debut live with City of Sound at Dragon Con, where the band will perform two sets — including the Sunday, August 31 concert finale on the convention’s Main Stage. Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention that takes place every Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Ga.; this year’s event (August 28-September 1) is expected to draw 75,000 attendees from all 50 states.
“DragonCon is an event I’ve wanted to play for years. This is the perfect place to gather with our people, tell them we love them, play new songs, and begin a new era for City of Sound,” said Wright. “Our listeners are our greatest hope, and they are the reason we’ve made it this far because they have picked us up in our darkest moments, inspired us when we need to fight and break through barriers, and celebrated our wins. My goal was always to bring the band back home to the place that inspires me most — the woods and rivers of Indiana. Now that we are here, we are more driven than ever to remain fandependent and relentless with our sound.”
“I’ve followed City of Sound for years, and even used to watch Jordan play Rocket League on YouTube. As a gamer and a musician I find it surreal to be debuting at Dragon Con with them,” Liller said. “Getting to start this journey in front of thousands of people, then hit the road with them after — it’s a dream.”
City of Sound’s DragonCon performance is expected to draw thousands of fans from across gaming, anime, fantasy and music communities — a natural crossover for the band, whose fanbase calls itself “The Madness.” The group is known for its immersive, emotionally driven performances and sweeping orchestral-meets-rock sound. Often compared to Muse, Coldplay and M83, City of Sound has earned a national following while operating independently. They now call themselves “fandependent” — a nod to the listeners who helped fund their upcoming second album, Destination: Arrival — which is expected later this year.
