Boardwalk Riot! - The Extensions Find Their Voice

The Extensions Find Their Voice
Written by Michael Campanile
August 9, 2026

This coming weekend will be a big one for The Extensions. Not only will the indie rock band from New Jersey be headlining an excellent lineup at the Baronet Rooftop in Asbury Park, but they will also be releasing their fourth album, Modern Vice, via Mint 400 Records.

What makes The Extensions unique is that they have four members who can step up as the lead singer, and for the first time, their album will lean into that strength. Brian Erickson, Will Blakey, Becca Cristino and Lisa LoVell each take turns stepping into the role while dummer Pete Stern provides the album's heartbeat as usual.

Modern Vice finds the band embracing "the most fully realized version of themselves to date”. The goal was to not just say this album is different from prior releases, but to actually make it sound different. Erickson is very happy with the results—"Your ears are always getting something new. Just as you get comfortable, BANG!, there's a new voice. I feel proud of it”.

The band also wanted the record to have a cinematic quality. To borrow their words, the music belongs not to a single narrator, but to an ensemble cast. From start to finish, the harmony of the four vocalists weaves in and out of the mix, as each enters and exits like characters moving through interconnected scenes.

By the time you reach the final track, “Love at First Night”, all the characters who had circled one another for the whole album are finally in a room together. Erickson describes the song as “walking into the night when you’re twenty, the lights go up, and next thing you know, you’re forty,” a sentiment that captures Modern Vice’s larger preoccupation with time, memory, romance, and the subtle ways people change without realizing it.

Erickson also highlighted “Over Now”, a song that had been in and out of his setlists for the past twenty years. Having tried a multitude of arrangements, none felt right until he handed it over to LoVell. “Art can take its time. When you finally find that spot for it, you can pull the trigger. Lisa does such a good job with it, and unlocks something that I was unable to.” He credits her interpretation of the song as one of the album’s emotional high points, and is excited for it to finally be out there.

Having had a chance to preview Modern Vice, I can understand that excitement. The artistic craftsmanship is stellar, and it should prove to be one of the best albums released by Asbury's local scene this year. You can listen to four tracks on their Bandcamp site now, and pre-order the CD for a discounted price before it releases on August 14.

Tickets are on sale for The Extensions’ show at Baronet on August 15, with support from Cussing and Renee Maskin and The Wilder Tide. This should be a special show as all three bands are celebrating new releases. You won't want to miss it.

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