Wormy (Noah Rauchwerk) today has shared "I Hate You," the final single from his anticipated sophomore LP Shark River, out this Friday, January 16th via Rose Garden. The brisk, infectious track premiered earlier today via FLOOD Magazine and arrives alongside a video, which features Nick Carpenter of Medium Build. "I Hate You" was produced by Renny Conti, who also plays electric guitar on the song, and follows singles "Cocaine Bear," "Give Up" (produced by Samia and Renny Conti) and "27 Days," which have earned praise and support from Brooklyn Vegan, Chorus.fm, Son Of Marketing, Americana Highways, and more. Wormy is also set to headline Brooklyn, NY's Union Pool on January 31st for his record release show, tickets HERE.
"'I Hate You' is about conflicting feelings of jealousy and love for your successful friends," Rauchwerk explains. "I wrote it in a patch when Nick (Medium Build) and I had grown apart and I missed him a lot and also wanted to be in his shoes. Nick and I made this music video as a nod to one of my favorite books and movies, Stephen King’s Misery. Everything you’re watching is completely true and actually happened!"
Wherever you go, there you are. It’s a familiar adage to anyone who’s ever tried to outrun their
demons, but it feels particularly cruel for a traveling musician. No one knows this better than Noah Rauchwerk, whose life on the road as a touring drummer offers him precious little stability and plenty of time for reflection. Thanks to his work with artists like Samia, Willow Avalon, and Renny Conti, his days are chopped up between long drives, crowded venues, and strange hotels. His years are chopped up between months-long nationwide tours and sporadic, meandering stays back in New York and New Jersey while he waits to leave again. This sense of lacking a permanent home and discomfort with impermanence comes to a head on his second album Shark River, which finds Rauchwerk grappling with the splintered friendships, shattered relationships, and stagnating uncertainty produced by a life in constant motion.
Shark River finds Rauchwerk embracing vulnerability with a collection of songs that explore loneliness, heartbreak, and the comforting but ultimately doomed escapism of life on the road. Skillful production and backing vocals from his bandmates Conti and Samia drench the LP in a sepia-toned indie glow, complete with the occasional pedal steel, but Rauchwerk’s vocals betray his fondness for emo-leaning folk luminaries like Bright Eyes and the Mountain Goats. Sometimes, his singing feels more or less like melodic speaking, a friend telling you about a hard day over a couple of beers; other times, you can feel his panic as he shouts into the microphone. On Shark River, Rauchwerk finds himself grappling with the splintered friendships, shattered relationships, and stagnating uncertainty produced by a life in constant motion.
The album asks many of the questions that haunt people as they grow shakily into adulthood. Will I ever find love that endures? Will my friend ever call me back? What’s the difference between building a life and just living a life? But amidst the self-doubt and regret that flow through Shark River, there are glimmers of optimism that keep Rauchwerk afloat. Even when he’s singing about giving up, you get the feeling he never will — that part of a life in motion is the understanding that you keep moving forward. Eventually, you’ll get home.
"I Hate You" is out today via Rose Garden. Shark River LP is out January 16th, 2026. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment