O Pioneers!!! didn’t break-up, they re-booted. By the time the Texas band ended in 2011 it had gained a reputation for being a revolving door of musicians, and that final line-up saw its sole constant—founder and chief songwriter Eric Solomon—backed by the bulk of Tampa punk band New Bruises. This final iteration proved to be something special, and though O Pioneers!!! came to an end, it was only to see that same line-up spring to life months later under the moniker Tiny Empires. The band released a single song—a nearly-nine-minute epic—on a split with Scranton’s Tigers Jaw in 2012, and though the band quickly fell silent, it was all in service of what would become its debut album, Weird Headspace.
Though it won’t be released until April 15, The A.V. Club has an advance stream of Weird Headspace, which proves that Tiny Empires spent its time matching the scope of that initial offering. Weird Headspace can also be pre-ordered via Tiny Empires’ Bandcamp, and with only a limited vinyl pressing in the works it’s best to snag a copy before they all vanish.