Saetia (pronounced SAY-shuh) is a New York City-based screamo band. While relatively unknown during their initial existence, the band is now seen as one of the most critically lauded bands of the late-1990s screamo scene. Stewart Mason of AllMusic described their music as an "essential document" for fans of screamo.[3]
History
1997–1999: Formation, Saetia and breakup
Saetia initially formed in February 1997 when each of its members were attending New York University.[4] Their name originates from a misspelling of the Miles Davis track "Saeta", from his album Sketches of Spain.[citation needed] The band had numerous members throughout its existence, with frequent changes in membership. The band's first bass player, Alex Madara, was affected by a severe allergic reaction which placed him into a coma for eight days, finally resulting in his death on December 14, 1998.[5]
Their drummer, Greg Drudy, was the original drummer of the band Interpol prior to their current popularity. He operated the record label Level Plane, which was initially started so Saetia could release a 7-inch single to sell at shows.[6] Other members of the band continued their musical careers in numerous outfits, some of them joining screamo bands such as Off Minor, Hot Cross and The Fiction, as well as the bands Errortype: Eleven and Instruction.[4][7]
The group would eventually break up in October 1999. Saetia's final, posthumous single, "Eronel" (also a title of a Thelonious Monk composition) was released under the Witching Hour label in 2000. The single contains three songs recorded by Steve Roche and mixed by Pat Kenneally. In 2001, Level Plane issued A Retrospective, a discography album that compiles every recording the band has made, including recordings taken from one of the last shows the band played at ABC No Rio.[citation needed]
2016: Posthumous releases
In 2016, Secret Voice, the label of Touché Amoré vocalist Jeremy Bolm, released Collected, a two-disc, 180 gram vinyl set that includes every studio recording by the group.[8][5] The tracks from the ABC No Rio also saw their own release in the form of a cassette titled Live At ABC No Rio Spring 1999, which was also released in 2016 through Secret Voice.[9]
2022-present: Reunion and On
In April 2022, Saetia, consisting of Billy Werner, Jamie Behar, Adam Marino, Colin Bartoldus, and Chris Enriquez (drummer of Spotlights, Julie Christmas and On the Might of Princes), announced via Instagram that they rehearsed for the first time in 24 years.[10][11] In November 2022, they brought back Steve Roche (on drums) and new member, Tom Schlatter (on guitar) and played live at four locations in New York and Pennsylvania.[12]
On January 3, 2025, Saetia release its first new music in over 26 years. The first release was track "Tendrils", which is the first of the three tracks from the upcoming "Tendrils EP".[13]
Adam Marino – guitars, vocals (1997–1999, 2022–present) – guitar on Demo, Saetia 7", Saetia LP/CD
Colin Bartoldus - bass, vocals (1997–1999, 2022–present) – bass on Saetia LP/CD, guitar on Eronel 7"
Steve Roche – bass (1999), guitar (1999), drums (2022–present) – bass on Eronel 7", guitar at final live performance before disbandment, drums for reunion
Tom Schlatter – guitars, vocals (2022–present) – guitar for reunion
1,000 CD copies pressed, 1,000 LP copies pressed. 800 LPs were packaged in "standard" sleeves, 100 were packaged in the same sleeve but with the colors inverted, and 100 were tour editions that came in sleeves similar to the CD edition.
1,000 copies pressed, multiple different sleeve variations exist
1999
Eronel
Released: 1999
Label: Witching Hour
Format: 7"
1,000 copies packaged in standard sleeves, 100 hand-numbered copies packaged in a "paperback" manilla envelope, 10 hand-numbered copies packaged in a manila envelope with a picture of the band stuck on it, and 25 copies packaged in special "gravestone" sleeves that were sold as part of the Witching Hour Subscription Series.
2025
Tendrils EP
Released: January 3, 2025
Label: Self-released
Format: Digital, 12"
First new music in 26 years. First single Tendrils was released on January 3, 2025.
Live Albums
Year
Album Details
Notes
2016
Live At ABC No Rio Spring 1999
Released: January 12, 2016
Label: Secret Voice
Format: CS
Features tracks previously released on A Retrospective. Unknown number of copies pressed, all copies purple.
2023
LIVE FROM SAINT VITUS BAR
Released: December 1, 2023
Label: Self-released
Format: Digital
Recorded live at Saint Vitus November 2022, part of the reunion weekend of shows
^Davenport (2017-05-30), Joe. "Interview with Greg Drudy". adequacy.net. Delusions of Adequacy. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved 2017-06-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
