Evan Stein Discusses If It Rains EP All We’ve Got

New England hardcore band If It Rains explores themes of love and loss on their new EP, All We’ve Got, following up their 2025 release How’s It Going to End? Vocalist Evan Stein discusses the band’s creative direction, unexpected musical inspirations, and the challenges of maintaining a local staple in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island music scenes.

Evan Stein Explains the Shift Toward Hardcore Love Songs

Refining the conceptual approach of their previous work, Stein notes that the new record centers entirely on relationships and heartache. Stein spent the past year discussing emotions openly with a friend following a breakup, shaping the EP’s lyrics for listeners who might not typically expect vulnerability in heavy music. Stein states that the goal was to make “the toughest dudes in hardcore feel something.” Musically, the release draws from 2000s melodic hardcore acts like Have Heart, Count Me Out, and American Nightmare, while integrating quieter, quirky influences such as Cameron Winter, The Microphones, and Field Medic.

Alex Allen Designs Rothko-Inspired Abstract Album Art

For the visual presentation of All We’ve Got, the band collaborated with artist Alex Allen. Bassist Nick suggested utilizing an abstract aesthetic reminiscent of Mark Rothko paintings to capture emotion rather than relying on traditional hardcore imagery. Stein expanded on the concept by referencing the cover art of Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain, viewing it as an abstract piece with distinct character. When Allen began sharing abstract artwork online, the band immediately secured him for the project.

Upcoming Autumn Tour Dates and Live Shows

If It Rains maintains a busy live schedule alongside their latest release. The band is slated to perform with Have Heart on October 23, 2026, at The Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts, followed by a Green Day cover set on October 30, 2026, at Studio 39a in Providence, Rhode Island. They will also share a bill with Haywire and Product of Waste on November 1, 2026, at Alchemy in Providence, while actively planning a dedicated record release show.

Looking ahead, Stein notes that the band has a show with Have Heart, a Halloween cover set of Green Day, a performance with Haywire on Nov. 1, and is currently organizing a release show for the record.