CIRCULAR REFERENCE ICT

Making Something Out of Nothing

Yours Faithfully Lewellen releases first EP Anthology to the Late Fear

The first step in creating something is starting, even when you have nothing, even when you know nothing.

My friendship with Laken Ward started in the summer of 2023 where we met at Annex 1, the epicenter of the DIY revival in Wichita. I had her and a few other friends over for a Fourth of July cookout, but I could tell early on that she was hooked on the scene, much like I was after going to my first DIY shows.

I don't remember when or how it went exactly, but we had a conversation at some point that went something like this…

Since then, we've had a few drum lessons, and I helped her buy a drumset from an old dude on Craigslist. I watched and cheered on from my phone as she posted drum practice videos on her Instagram story. Watching her woodshed in her sweltering garage reminded me of my early days grinding it out alone for hours on end.

I didn't expect her to turn her mom's garage into a short lived, but much loved DIY venue, The Dock. It was there on May 10, 2025 that I watched her and our friend Vincent Estrada play their first show as Yours Faithfully Lewellen.

Today, April 12, 2026, a little less than a year later, Yours Faithfully Lewellen drops their first EP titled Anthology to the Late Fear. With Gabe Tucker on bass guitar, this six song EP is a solid first outing from the emo-violence inspired group, and is one of the best emo releases Wichita has produced in years. It's raw, emotionally honest, and well crafted. I'm a huge fan of 90's emo like Jerome's Dream and Rodan, and this right in that same vein- never letting the heaviness get in the way of vulnerability. There's a fair amount of experimentation, while still being true to the genre as a whole.

Recorded at Shocker Studios by Ryder Cahill and mastered by Rishabh Tirupsur, the quality is commensurate with any of the great recent releases coming out of there lately. This EP is short, but it's meant to last.

With the second era of shows happening at The Furnace, and some very big ones, it's only a matter of time before we see the next round of new bands emerge. I asked Laken if she had any advice for anyone who used to be in her situation, when we first met.

"Number one, basically start. Start doing anything you ever wanted to do. At the very least, you'll not have to go a part of your life without even having started to do the thing you always wanted to do. Number two, go to shows. GO TO SHOWS. Make friends! Then, when you start doing whatever it is, you'll have friends and you can make music. It's fun!"

Anthology to the Late Fear is proof you can start with nothing, knowing nothing, and end up with something very cool, and have fun doing it.