Incremental progress. Monumental setbacks. Small victories. This is the story of American Opera.

After eight years of nonstop touring, Brooklyn-via-Michigan singer-songwriter John Bee found himself alone in a once-crowded van, wandering through the circulatory roads of America. It was during these long months, with a handful of newly-inspired songs, that American Opera was born — an unrepressed light emerging from a sea of misery.

"The never-ending road of try, fail, try, fail, try again, fail again — all of that is miserable," says Bee, "but there are moments, and I think this is true in life, that make every little piece of the puzzle worth it. Tiny glimmers of hope that tell you to keep pushing and keep going."

Fast-forward to 2017. That tiny glimmer has grown to a burning sun. With over 300 North American shows in the books (direct support for the likes of The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter, and Cursive) and multiple Warped Tour appearances, American Opera is no longer wandering — the band is at full tilt. 2017 will also mark the arrival of the final missing piece of the puzzle — a debut record, aptly titled Small Victories.

More than a record, Small Victories is a collection of moments, both devastating and victorious. Ominous nostalgia confronting hopeful reemergence. Sonically, think Manchester Orchestra meets Langhorne Slim — polished stones in a bed of gravel and grit.