Montreal two-piece Solids announced that they would be following up their 2014 debut Blame Confusion with a new EP called Else later this year. Now, the band have unveiled the first soundbite from the new set with the arrival of "Blank Stare."
The track is a dark, grunged-out number that hears the duo eschewing any "slacker rock" labels by opting for lower frequencies, themes of anxiety and alienation, and a personal desire to push themselves creatively — all inspired by what they learned after spending the better part of last year on the road.
"I see this song (and the same could be said about the whole EP) as a kind of laboratory in which we tried to forget our habits and reflexes as songwriters," guitarist and vocalist Xavier Germain-Poitras said in a press release. "To not repeat ourselves was definitely something we kept in mind as we were writing it, and lyrically it's mostly about comfort as a paralyzing force so I guess we could see that as some kind of general theme. There's nothing like comfort to slow you down."
Else is due out in Canada on April 15 through Dine Alone Records and it can be pre-ordered here. Scroll past the band's upcoming tour dates to listen to "Blank Stare" in the player below [via The Fader].
Tour dates:
02/27 Hamilton, ON - This Aint Hollywood *
02/28 Toronto, ON - Horsehose Tavern *
03/03 Peterborough, ON - The Oxford
03/04 London, ON - Run Runners *
03/05 St. Catharines, ON - Detour Music Hall *
03/19 Rimouski, QC - Mont Comi, Snowmission
04/02 Drummondville, QC - Pub Heriot
04/08 Sherbrooke, QC - Petite Boite Noire ~
04/09 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC - Zaricot ~
04/15 Mirabel, QC - Centre Patrick Lepage
04/16 Québec, QC - Méduse ~
04/20 Sudbury, ON - Townhouse
04/21 Timmins, ON - Working Class
04/22 Rouyn-Noranda, QC - Cabaret de la Dernière Chance
04/23 Gatineau, QC - Petit Chicago
04/29 Victoriaville, QC - Salle des Scouts
04/30 Chicoutimi, QC - Sous Bois
05/05 Boston, MA - O'Briens #
05/06 Brooklyn, NY - Palisades #
05/07 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie #
05/08 Washington, DC - Songbyrd #
05/09 Pittsburg, PA - Black Forge #
05/10 Columbus, OH - Big Room Bar #
05/11 Chicago, IL - Subterranean #
05/12 Lansing, MA - Macs #
05/14 Montréal, QC - Bar le Ritz PBD #
* with the Dirty Nil
~ with Dernier Sex
# with Stove, Clique
The track is a dark, grunged-out number that hears the duo eschewing any "slacker rock" labels by opting for lower frequencies, themes of anxiety and alienation, and a personal desire to push themselves creatively — all inspired by what they learned after spending the better part of last year on the road.
"I see this song (and the same could be said about the whole EP) as a kind of laboratory in which we tried to forget our habits and reflexes as songwriters," guitarist and vocalist Xavier Germain-Poitras said in a press release. "To not repeat ourselves was definitely something we kept in mind as we were writing it, and lyrically it's mostly about comfort as a paralyzing force so I guess we could see that as some kind of general theme. There's nothing like comfort to slow you down."
Else is due out in Canada on April 15 through Dine Alone Records and it can be pre-ordered here. Scroll past the band's upcoming tour dates to listen to "Blank Stare" in the player below [via The Fader].
Tour dates:
02/27 Hamilton, ON - This Aint Hollywood *
02/28 Toronto, ON - Horsehose Tavern *
03/03 Peterborough, ON - The Oxford
03/04 London, ON - Run Runners *
03/05 St. Catharines, ON - Detour Music Hall *
03/19 Rimouski, QC - Mont Comi, Snowmission
04/02 Drummondville, QC - Pub Heriot
04/08 Sherbrooke, QC - Petite Boite Noire ~
04/09 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC - Zaricot ~
04/15 Mirabel, QC - Centre Patrick Lepage
04/16 Québec, QC - Méduse ~
04/20 Sudbury, ON - Townhouse
04/21 Timmins, ON - Working Class
04/22 Rouyn-Noranda, QC - Cabaret de la Dernière Chance
04/23 Gatineau, QC - Petit Chicago
04/29 Victoriaville, QC - Salle des Scouts
04/30 Chicoutimi, QC - Sous Bois
05/05 Boston, MA - O'Briens #
05/06 Brooklyn, NY - Palisades #
05/07 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie #
05/08 Washington, DC - Songbyrd #
05/09 Pittsburg, PA - Black Forge #
05/10 Columbus, OH - Big Room Bar #
05/11 Chicago, IL - Subterranean #
05/12 Lansing, MA - Macs #
05/14 Montréal, QC - Bar le Ritz PBD #
* with the Dirty Nil
~ with Dernier Sex
# with Stove, Clique