EPK – The Mourning – If I Die I Die (2026) (single)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We think If I Die I Die will connect with people who have wrestled with fear, anxiety, mortality, and the feeling that their own mind is working against them. It has the progressive metal elements our fans expect, but it also has a very direct emotional center. The phrase itself is blunt and memorable, but its meaning is deeper. It is not about giving up. It is about finally refusing to let fear control your life. We want the listener to feel like they are being pulled through a psychological and spiritual battle. The song starts from a place of fear and pressure, then moves toward surrender and release. By the end, the point is not that death has been defeated in some shallow, easy way. The point is that fear no longer gets to sit on the throne. Musically, we want the track to feel cinematic, intense, melodic, and cathartic. By facing it directly, she conquers the thing that had been ruling her.” – The Mourning
For fans of Lacuna Coil, Amaranthe, Flyleaf, Disturbed, Evanescence
Band: The Mourning
Album Title: If I Die I Die
Release Date: June 2, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Themourningmusic.com | Facebook.com/themourningmusic | Instagram.com/themourningmusic | Youtube.com/@themourningmusic | TikTok.com/@themourningmusic
Spotify | Themourning.bandcamp.com
“The band blends mid to uptempo grooves while also introducing space and atmosphere in just the right places. Combining melody, technical/progressive musical elements, and harmony lead vocals, I feel this band caters to both musicians and non-musicians alike.” – Todd La Torre (Queensrÿche)
“The Mourning masterfully marries classic synth sounds, modern Haken-esque rhythms, and massive vocal hooks into a modern progressive package worthy of every fan’s undivided attention.” – Metal Injection
“In a world of clones, The Mourning is a true original and a breath of fresh air.” – Gear Gods
“‘Hush’ is a very pleasant surprise. It displays a lot of compositional variety, and offers a strong throwback to prog metal classics while also keeping a unique sound and mixing in unexpected elements. All band members deliver spectacular performances both from a technical and creative standpoint… it is certainly worth your time, and especially given that it’s a debut, I find it very impressive. 8/10” – The Prog Space
“With the release of “Hush”, the band continue to showcase their mastery to balance technical prowess with broader thematic appeal. The Mourning will most definitely make a big impact on the prog metal scene today and in the future.” – Metal Epidemic
“An impressive first album from a young band with room to grow. Fans of bands like Haken and Distrct 97 will enjoy this album. One to watch.” – Prog Radio
“Hush” a sensory treat that transcends the limits of perception.” – Roadie Metal
“US band The Mourning are out with the album “Hush”, and progressive metal is the style explored on this production. It is a distinctly accessible variety of the form we get with this band, with their take on this tradition more often than not revolving around a little bit of an ebb and flow movement. Usually with more delicate parts alternating with more powerful ones, from distinctly contrasting passages to parts that alternate with more of a subtle difference as to the dominant aspects of each of them. With a range in expression from delicate acoustic or semi-acoustic parts to booming and powerful guitar riff driven excursions. The songs will typically revolve around solid melodies rather than technical instrument details, and for my sake I did find some similarities in sound and execution with the more typical heavy metal bands of the 1980s. In this case with the powerful and melodic lead vocals probably having a lot to say for this association to be formed. An album to seek out if you tend to enjoy the more accessible parts of the progressive metal universe.” – The Progressor
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Band: The Mourning
Single Title: If I Die I Die – 3:51
Release Date: June 2, 2026
Label: Self-Release
Distribution: TuneCore
Genre: Progressive Metal
Single Recording Credits
All songs performed by: The Mourning
All songs written by: Francesco Pinter and Johnny Ray
Produced by: Alex Nasla
Mixed by: Alex Nasla
Mastered by: Alex Nasla
Single Artwork by: Tullius Heuer
PRO Membership: ASCAP and BMI
Single and Live Band Lineup
Nanda Hayek – Female Co-Vocalist
Johnny Ray – Male Co-Vocalist
Alex Nasla – Keyboards
Jason Berlin – Drums
Jason Ashcraft – Guitar
Alon Mei-Tal – Bass
Francesco Pinter – Lead Guitar
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About the Single Artwork.
The single artwork for If I Die I Die, created by Tullius Heuer, serves as an analogy for a being that was alive, but confined inside a cage-like chrysalis, limited by the boundaries that once held it. The moment captured is not death, but rebirth. The creature emerges into a wider perspective, spreading its wings toward new hope. It reflects the heart of the song: shedding fear, letting the old self fall away, and realizing that freedom begins when we stop living inside the prison of dread.
About the single:
Lyrically, If I Die I Die is about overcoming the fear of death and the existential dread that can take over when fear becomes the loudest voice in the room. The song is written almost like a conversation between fear and faith, with one voice trying to keep control and the other trying to break free. Musically, it represents a heavier new direction for The Mourning: progressive metal with a darker, more metal-forward punch, dual vocals, cinematic tension, and a cathartic emotional release.
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Story Angles / Fun Facts About the Band
1. The Mourning made their live debut at 70000 Tons of Metal 2025, sailing from Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The performance was especially surreal because it was the first time that lineup had played for a paying audience and the first time they had met one another in person. Kerrang! Later, called the band an “outrageously talented new prog collective” and described their 3 a.m. debut as “one of the sets of the weekend.”
2. The band followed 70000 Tons of Metal with Prog on the Ranch 2025 in Brooksville, Florida, continuing to build its presence in the progressive music scene.
3. The Mourning quietly brought Nanda Hayek into the band in October 2025. Rather than announcing it immediately, the band spent months developing the new music, video, and visual identity for If I Die I Die, so the announcement could arrive with a complete creative statement in June 2026.
4. If I Die I Die represents a deliberate shift into a heavier, more metal-forward chapter for The Mourning. The song keeps the band’s progressive and cinematic identity, but brings a darker edge, a stronger dual-vocal dynamic, and a more direct emotional impact.
5. The single’s artwork and music video both center on transformation and confrontation. The artwork shows a creature emerging from a cage-like chrysalis into a wider perspective, spreading its wings toward new hope. The video follows a woman being hunted by death until she finally faces it and realizes fear was the true enemy.
L-R – Alex Nasla, Nanda Hayek, Jason Berlin, Jason Ashcraft, Alon Mei-Tal, Johnny Ray, Francesco Pinter.
Photo credit: Alex Nasla
The Mourning is a progressive metal band now based out of Los Angeles, California, built around cinematic songwriting, soaring dual vocals, intricate musicianship, and deeply human lyrical themes. Founded by vocalist and songwriter Johnny Ray, the band was created to turn personal struggle, spiritual searching, and modern existential weight into music that feels both technically ambitious and emotionally immediate.
After first emerging with the debut EP Theosis, the band’s identity came fully into focus with their full-length album Hush. Created for listeners facing anxiety, depression, loss, trauma, and existential struggle, Hush became the defining release of The Mourning’s first major era. Across songs like “Chaos Machine,” “The Mountain,” “He Cries,” “I Feel The Rain,” “Hush,” “My Own Hell,” and “Smooth Seas,” the album explores the inner storms people carry, the search for meaning, and the possibility of spiritual and emotional release.
Musically, Hush bridged progressive metal, melodic rock, atmospheric passages, intricate guitar work, expressive keyboards, soaring vocal hooks, and a dual-vocal dynamic that gave the record its emotional depth. The album moved through many landscapes, from the uplifting irony of “Chaos Machine” to the spiritual grandeur of “The Mountain,” the sorrow and compassion of “He Cries,” the gratitude of “I Feel The Rain,” and the heavy psychological weight of “My Own Hell.” It was a record built to feel expansive and adventurous while still remaining focused on melody, emotion, and story.
The Hush era also brought together many of the musicians and collaborators who shaped The Mourning’s sound. Alex Nasla produced, mixed, and mastered the album and later became the band’s keyboardist. Francesco Pinter’s guitar work elevated Johnny Ray’s melodies and ideas into a more intricate and emotional progressive-metal space, while Jason Berlin’s drumming gave the album its rhythmic foundation. The album also featured contributions from Eliana Blanchard, Loren Whitaker, Brandon Delpino, and guest musicians including Trey Xavier, Thomas Griggs, Eric Mullins, Graeme Currie, Jeff Pogan, and Charlie Robbins.
Hush helped establish The Mourning beyond their local scene, receiving praise from progressive and metal media. Musipedia of Metal called it “a complex, engaging prog metal album from a band who are extremely talented,” while The Prog Space described it as “a very pleasant surprise” and noted its compositional variety. Other outlets highlighted the band’s philosophical lyricism, dual vocals, emotional weight, and blend of progressive precision with raw feeling.
That momentum carried into 2025, when The Mourning made their live debut aboard 70000 Tons of Metal, sailing from Miami, Florida to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. For the band, the moment was surreal: not only was it their first performance in front of a paying audience, it was also the first time the lineup had met one another in person. Kerrang! called The Mourning an “outrageously talented new prog collective” and described their 3 a.m. debut as “one of the sets of the weekend.” Metal Insider later wrote that the band “left a strong first impression” and offered something “distinctly their own.” The Mourning followed that appearance with a performance at Prog on the Ranch 2025 in Brooksville, Florida.
After Hush and the band’s 2025 live appearances, The Mourning made a deliberate creative shift. While melody, atmosphere, spirituality, and progressive structure remain central to the band’s identity, the next chapter moves in a heavier, more metal-forward direction. In October 2025, the band quietly brought in new female co-vocalist Nanda Hayek, a Brazilian native living in the United States and based in Los Angeles, California. Nanda is also known as the vocalist for Brazilian progressive band OverAlive, and had taken a long sabbatical to complete her Master’s degree and develop her career as a psychotherapist, along with her curiosity about the human psyche and the ultimate question of the meaning of life.
Rather than announcing the change immediately, The Mourning spent the following months developing new material, shaping the visual identity, and preparing the music video for “If I Die I Die.” Releasing June 2, 2026, the single introduces a darker, heavier, and more direct era for the band. Written by Francesco Pinter and Johnny Ray, and produced, mixed, and mastered by Alex Nasla, “If I Die I Die” confronts the fear of death, existential dread, and the exhaustion of living under fear’s control. Its central line, “I’m tired of all this fear, I’m done living in fear,” captures the heart of the song: surrendering fear, shedding the old self, and stepping into something freer.
With Nanda Hayek joining Johnny Ray in the band’s dual-vocal dynamic, The Mourning enters this new chapter with a wider emotional range, a heavier musical direction, and a renewed sense of purpose. “If I Die I Die” is more than a new single. It is the sound of the band carrying the emotional weight of Hush forward while stepping into something heavier, freer, and more fearless.
Discography
2026 – If I Die I Die – Single
2026 – Moment Redux – Single
2024 – Hush – Album
2018 – Theosis – EP
Shared Stage With
The Mourning has shared the stage with many bands, including the following notable artists from the 70000 Tons of Metal 2025 lineup:
Sepultura, Emperor, Symphony X, Stratovarius, HammerFall, Sonata Arctica, Candlemass, Delain, Decapitated, Suffocation
Tours and Festivals Performed
2025 – 70000 Tons of Metal – Miami, FL to Ocho Rios, Jamaica
2025 – Prog on the Ranch – Brooksville, Florida
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