first known use make a bold impression on their magnetic debut single 'Semantics'

For a band whose entire identity is built around questioning where songs actually come from, 'Semantics' feels like a fitting place to begin. The debut single from Burlington, Vermont duo first known use introduces Izze Kaukonen and Ethan Fitzpatrick as artists who are less interested in neatly defining themselves than in following ideas until they become emotionally or sonically interesting.

The pair describe songwriting as an act of capture and translation, and the single carries that same sense of discovery. It feels like a song willing to leave certain edges unresolved, allowing mood, texture and emotional detail to do as much work as any conventional statement of intent.

Izze's vocals give the track its human centre. Warm, expressive and quietly assertive, they bring intimacy to a sound that's otherwise comfortable pushing against more unusual indie and alt-rock textures. While Ethan's guitar work and arrangements complement that approach by keeping the song mobile and never allowing it to settle too comfortably into a single shape.

The track feels exploratory without becoming deliberately obscure, balancing experimentation with enough familiarity to keep the emotional thread intact. It's music that seems to enjoy pulling at small cracks in memory and experience, examining the moments that are often left sitting untouched.

As an introduction of their debut EP 'Yielding', 'Semantics' makes first known use feel like a band worth following precisely because they're still willing to be surprised by where the music takes them.