Exit Stage Left (Sweden) - Crossover Prog?

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   Another band whose music is part prog, part hard rock and part AOR, but I think with enough of the former to just about get them included here - and their debut album is a real cracker - so let's hope it all goes well for them. 

In the late summer of 2019 in Borås, Sweden, two musicians were on their way to meet up at a parking lot for one of their usual jam sessions. Sharing a love for progressive music and instrumental tomfoolery, they’d been playing together for a while trying to create something special. And this time, it WAS special. Singer/guitarist Arvid Wilhelmsson had brought a new song with him which was destined to be the first ever written for the band that would eventually become "Exit Stage Left" - a name they chose due to their shared love of the legendary live album by Rush.

A few months later, keyboardist Daniel Lyngsaa Larsson and drummer Jimmy Svahn joined the band, and with a looming pandemic on the horizon, the quartet started to work on original music - spending long nights trying out new ideas and developing their sound - with the songwriting of Arvid Wilhelmsson at its core.

The single 'Piece Of Gold' was finally released on all download and streaming sites on March 17th 2023, and the album 'Appleberry Trees' came soon after on March 31st - with a 2 LP release following a couple of weeks later. The album tells the story of a life's journey. It’s about growing up, spreading your wings, and despite things not working out as you’d hoped, you’re still thankful for the journey you took a chance on.

Band pic: https://hemifran.com/static/images/artist_thumbnails/Exit_Stage_Left_1.jpg.

https://linktr.ee/ExitStageLeft.
https://www.facebook.com/ExitStageLeftofficial/.

'Appleberry Trees' tracklisting:

1. Piece Of Gold (4:36) 
2. Good People (4:11) 
3. End Of The Night (6:49) 
4. Appleberry Trees (4:01) 
5. Vagabond's Respite (6:59) 
6. Son (6:30) 
7. Shine Through (4:07) 
8. The Poet (6:35) 
9. Old Man Smile (3:49) 
10. Champs-Élysées (3:41) 

Total time 51:18

- Arvid Wilhelmsson / guitar, vocals
- Robin Hellsing / bass
- Jimmy Svahn / drums
- Daniel Lyngsaa Larsson / keyboards, backing vocals

With:
- Jan Bengtson / flute

CD Xprnc Sweden AB - XPRNCESL - 001 (2023, Sweden)
2 x Vinyl LP Xprnc Sweden AB - XPRNCESL01 (2023, Sweden)

Listening links:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5kEy9nobCzPld4Vzw5PZF6.
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k7XjRax4AdKyciRgNLH49TObcBwO-5T2U.

Progfreak/TagYourMusic (added by Uwe a couple of months ago): https://tagyourmusic.org/artists/20577.