THE DRUMS
SHARE MUSIC VIDEO FOR "BODY CHEMISTRY"
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR STARTS TODAY
Brutalism out now on ANTI-
(VIDEO STILL)
Early praise for The Drums + Brutalism:
"With Brutalism, The Drums' sound feels bigger than it's ever been." - NPR Music
"...deceptively chipper, yet instantly infectious new song, 'Body Chemistry,' finds a rumbling rush of drums anchored by a thick bass groove, over which Drums mastermind Jonny Pierce laces silky guitars and his inviting croon." - Rolling Stone
"The latest album from the Drums-now just frontman Jonny Pierce-is his most honest" - Pitchfork
"'Body Chemistry' modifies their usual indie surf-rock with a funky bassline and electronic flourishes. The vocal melodies lean into a moody cadence a la of Montreal..." - Stereogum
"'Body Chemistry' applies Pierce's bright, prickly pop style to darker nights of the soul, asking whether lingering sadness is inevitable or if it just feels that way." - SPIN
"Featuring a healthy mix of The Drums' much-loved indie-pop spunk and bright new textures, The Drums sound as musically confident and lyrically woeful as ever." - Paste
"It sounds something like a beautiful panic, a pop song about realizing that you may not be able to resolve your flaws - and that's okay." - Consequence of Sound
"It's a hefty thematic struggle from a band known for sunny, beachside celebration-and it works beautifully" - Cool Hunting
"'Body Chemistry' modifies their usual indie surf-rock with a funky bassline and electronic flourishes. The vocal melodies lean into a moody cadence a la of Montreal..." - Stereogum
"'Body Chemistry' applies Pierce's bright, prickly pop style to darker nights of the soul, asking whether lingering sadness is inevitable or if it just feels that way." - SPIN
"Featuring a healthy mix of The Drums' much-loved indie-pop spunk and bright new textures, The Drums sound as musically confident and lyrically woeful as ever." - Paste
"It sounds something like a beautiful panic, a pop song about realizing that you may not be able to resolve your flaws - and that's okay." - Consequence of Sound
"It's a hefty thematic struggle from a band known for sunny, beachside celebration-and it works beautifully" - Cool Hunting
"Brutalism is an album composed of warm, sunny pop songs, but peeling back the individual layers reveals something much more raw and vulnerable. It's about feeling like an outsider, coming to terms with depression, and crazy intense love." - i-D
The Drums released its fifth album Brutalism earlier this month via ANTI-, and tonight the band's tour in support of the record kicks off with a sold-out show in Santa Ana. To celebrate the start of tour, The Drums share a music video for "Body Chemistry." Frontman Jonny Pierce explains the video concept: "On Brutalism there are a lot of songs about isolation, feeling cut off from others and seeing the world through a blurry lenses. We recorded my performance in front of a green screen in LA, and sent it to Russia where a visual artist processed the performance in a way that visual reflects of how I feel in my head sometimes." Watch the video now HERE.
The follow-up to 2017's "Abysmal Thoughts," which marked the band's first release as a solo project from frontman Jonny Pierce, Brutalism is quite possibly the best collection of songs in the band's ten-year career. Like Jonny Pierce, who co-produced the album, Brutalism is a bicoastal record - written and recorded between Upstate New York and a studio in Stinson Beach. Following a painful divorce and an incredibly difficult stint living solely in Los Angeles, Pierce decided it was time to face his demons, and the making of this record is a part of that process. "I was exhausted, depleted and sabotaging myself, partying so much but in reality running away from pain. It was a downward spiral." Pierce knew it was time to go to therapy, and begin to reckon with his depression. "It was do or die," he says. While he focused on his mental health, the making of Brutalism became an extension of self-care for Pierce, and makes for some of his most honest and relatable music to date.
On Brutalism, a lot is different. The album is defined by growth, transformation and questions, but it doesn't provide all the answers. It's rooted in an emotional rawness, but its layers are soft, intricate and warm, full of exquisitely crafted pop songs that blast sunlight and high energy in the face of anxiety, solitude and crippling self-doubt. Pierce was more open than ever, keeping his control freakery at bay while working with others to produce and record the album. He brought in Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, Amen Dunes) to mix it. If there was a guitar part he wanted to write but couldn't play, he brought in a guitarist. It's also the first Drums record with a live drummer. Delegating freed up Pierce's time to produce a more specific vision.
The past year has been transformative for Pierce, who may a permanent rain cloud above his head but is working towards a better, healthier headspace. "I don't think I'll ever really find myself," he says. "I don't think people do. I don't think there's a day that you wake up and you go, Now I know who I am. The best way for me to be an artist is by taking a goddamn minute, being still and listening to what it is that I want and need." It was a real year of growth for him, but growth towards what? "I don't really know, and that's OK."
Tour dates
4/24/19 - Santa Ana, CA @ La Santa **SOLD OUT**
4/26/19 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
4/27/19 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
4/29/19 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
4/30/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
5/01/19 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
5/02/19 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theater
5/03/19 - Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt
5/04/19 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
5/07/19 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge **SOLD OUT**
5/08/19 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
5/09/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore
5/10/19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
5/11/19 - Washington, D.C. @ The Black Cat
5/13/19 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
5/14/19 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
5/15/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
5/16/19 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theater
5/17/19 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
5/18/19 - Tampa Bay, FL @ The Orpheum
5/20/19 - Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
5/21/19 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Downstairs)
5/22/19 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
5/23/19 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
7/25/19 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
7/26/19 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
7/27/19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium
7/30/19 - San Diego, CA @ North Park
7/31/19 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
8/01/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
8/02/19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
8/03/19 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird
8/06/19 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
8/07/19 - Vancouver, BC @ Imperial
8/08/19 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
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