WARREN TEAGARDEN - HAIKU ISLANDS VOLUME TWO [EP] - [SELF-RELEASED]

Singer-songwriter Warren Teagarden releases Haiku Islands Volume Two, the second installment in his three-part EP series exploring self-contained songs as independent “islands” of sound and style. The project pairs his lo-fi and garage-punk roots with more refined, nuanced arrangements, while keeping its core indie rock spirit.

The series title nods to two ideas: 'islands' for the way each track stands on its own, and 'haiku' for the overall 5–7–5 concept across the trilogy — three EPs released with five, seven and five songs, respectively. Haiku Islands Volume One, includes 5 tracks, Haiku Islands Volume Two, includes 7, and Haiku Islands Volume Three, will include 5. Teagarden says he was also drawn to prime numbers; each EP’s track count is prime, and the total number of songs across the series (17) is prime as well.

"I'm willing to explore my ideas in the songs, almost thinking aloud rather than stating a conclusive viewpoint. The songs aren't so much trying to provide answers, but to ask interesting questions." - Warren Teagarden

The lead single, “Hella Kismet Shit,” released on Sept. 12, delivering a sly, anti-authoritarian bite. It's a fictionalized jab at a controlling figure, loosely inspired by a former day-job manager with a restless groove and sharp turns of phrase. Other highlights include “The Accent,” which leans into night-driving imagery and the 'laws of attraction'; “Fun Times,” a bittersweet cut with wry, skewed humor; “Learning Love,” a reflection on relationships that didn’t go as planned (featuring lead vocals by Eliza Hunt); and “Birthday,” which recalls two very different nights with two New York bands set against shifting relationship tides.

Teagarden recorded the EP with Mark Pistel at Room 5, mixed by Grace Coleman at Different Fur and mastered by Lien Do at Different Fur.

“I think a lot about what the future might look like,” Teagarden said. “You can’t really think about the future without thinking about the past, and how your past shapes the choices you make. Most of these songs deal in some way with navigating the possibilities of personal growth, tempered by the limitations of our own experience.”