OMAHA INDIE STAPLE CRITERIA ADDRESS THE AGE-OLD ADAGE, “IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME,” ON NEW GRUNGE-POP SINGLE, “I AM THE END”
Jason Gordonjason@releasewave.comSpartan Records and Criteria are pleased to present “I am the End,” the latest single to be lifted from the Friday, May 22 release of SEIZE!, the forthcoming studio album from the Omaha indie-rock band featuring Stephen Pedersen (ex-Cursive). “It’s not you. It’s me.” Whether it's the end of a friendship, a romance, or a job, “I am the End” is about owning its demise even when you’re never alone in that endeavor.
"The video for ‘I am the End’ is a brief — and hopefully funny — reflection on the day-to-day, tiny miseries that many of us experience in adult life, keeping a straight face through it all and attempting to remain positive in the end,” Pedersen said. “Huge props to Jeff VanRoy and the team at Dundee Digital for shooting, co-directing and editing and Timmy Tamesiea and Mike Smith for conceiving, writing and performing the mini-misery vignettes!"
Watch the music video for “I am the End” below, and pre-0rder SEIZE! via the Spartan Records store at the pre-order link.
Releases
Seize!
May 22, 2026Omaha indie-rock band Criteria, led by Stephen Pedersen (ex-Cursive), will release their new album SEIZE! on May 22 via Spartan Records. Along with the album announcement, the band has released the video for crushing lead off single "You Maketh Me" an absolute ripper that captures what Criteria do best. The album, recorded in Omaha with producer Matt Bayles, embodies a blend of heavy rock reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins and Quicksand, exploring themes of loss and the importance of seizing the present moment. The band's latest work is a reflection of personal and professional transitions, offering a glimpse into the current state of life through intense and poignant soundscapes.