LI Sound: Envy on the Coast says goodbye musically

Envy on the Coast looked like it was on its way to something big with its second album, "Lowcountry" (Photo Finish), when it arrived in March.

But inside the band, the strain of the struggle was taking its toll, and last month, Envy decided to break up after guitarist Sal Bossio and bassist Jeremy Velardi announced they wanted to leave the band.

Singer Ryan Hunter says the breakup wasn't much of a surprise. "I kind of expected it," he says. "We've seen our friends' bands struggle. It was our time, I guess."

Hunter and guitarist Brian Byrne are already at work together on two new projects - one that will be their main focus and one designed to "frighten people, kind of a musical car wreck."

But before they dedicate themselves to new directions, Envy on the Coast wanted to say goodbye properly - in concert.

"When the question came up about whether we should do farewell shows or if we should just close the book, my immediate reaction was that we had to say, 'thank you,' " Hunter says. "My reaction was, 'I don't care what it takes. Although the four of us put a lot into this, there are people who made extremely far drives, sacrifices, spent all their hard-earned cash on this band at one point or another. We owe it to the fans to say goodbye to this the right way.' "

And to the band's fans who won't be able to make it to the show, Hunter says its message is simple: "We appreciate everything that anyone's ever done for us. Thank you."

Envy on the Coast plays Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl., Manhattan, at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $17.50 through livenation.com.

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