It's always a pleasure to see a band come into their own, and in the case of Los Angeles hardcore outfit Touché Amoré, it only took them a couple of albums to get there.
The group's upcoming sophomore album, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, is their first on new label Deathwish Inc. and is a staggering display of impassioned vocals, locked-in riffing and dizzying drumming. The all-around growth of the band since their debut album, 2009's ...To the Beat of a Dead Horse, is really something.
"It's growth altogether," vocalist Jeremy Bolm tells Exclaim! "We figured out the sound we've been working towards and really dialed into it."
Working with renowned producer Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids, Coalesce) at Blacklodge Recording studios played a big part in Touché Amoré's new album. Recording in February at Rose's small town Eudora, KS studio was a positive learning experience for the relatively young band, who formed in 2007.
"We've never recorded in a professional studio with anyone we didn't know," explains Bolm, "so it was a new experience for all of us. [Rose] pushed us to play faster and it was recorded live."
In fact, it's the band's newest member, drummer Elliot Babin, who took a leadership role on the new album, turning in a landmark performance that rivals some of extreme music's best drummers. Babin is a full-on maniac on the album, limbs flying at hyper speed, which must have been a real treat to watch in the studio.
"It was awesome!" says Bolm. "He's grown so much as a drummer; we're thrilled to have him. He joined after the first album and has really come into his own."
But the rest of the band aren't slouches either; Bolm, for instance, has written some of his most intense lyrics, battling depression and pessimism through his own version of scream therapy. "There's a few recurring themes on the record," he explains. "The main one is finding solace through everyday depression. The long road it takes to get through. The road on the record is literal; there's lots of references to being away."
Bolm's writing style is curious in that he's one of those songwriters who almost exclusively writes in the first person. So there are a lot of "I" and "me" in his songs. "Ninety-five percent of things I've written are about me," he says. "What I'm going through at that time. I'm being as direct as possible. It's just the way I write."
While Touché Amoré are sure to get extra attention and tour offers from their new album, their reason for doing what they do won't be changing anytime soon. "We never went into this with a purpose, aside from playing music that excites us," says Bolm. "These days travelling drives us; getting to see amazing places and play for people who haven't seen us."
And the band are sure to see plenty of driving. In support of Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, Touché Amoré have announced a Canadian tour, which finds the band travelling the country's more eastern half. All the Canadian dates are below, while you can view the band's entire schedule here.
Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me is due out Tuesday (June 7) via Deathwish Inc.
Tour dates:
7/5 London, ON - London Music Hall
7/6 Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
7/7 Quebec City, QC - Cafe L'Agitee
7/8 Moncton, NB - Moncton Youth Center
7/9 St. John, NB - King's Square Festival
7/11 St. John's, NL - House Show (TBA)
7/12 St. John's, NL - Headquarters
7/14 Halifax, NS - Gus' Pub
7/15 Halifax, NS - Khyber ICA
7/16 Charlottetown, PE - Charlottetown Refinery
The group's upcoming sophomore album, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, is their first on new label Deathwish Inc. and is a staggering display of impassioned vocals, locked-in riffing and dizzying drumming. The all-around growth of the band since their debut album, 2009's ...To the Beat of a Dead Horse, is really something.
"It's growth altogether," vocalist Jeremy Bolm tells Exclaim! "We figured out the sound we've been working towards and really dialed into it."
Working with renowned producer Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids, Coalesce) at Blacklodge Recording studios played a big part in Touché Amoré's new album. Recording in February at Rose's small town Eudora, KS studio was a positive learning experience for the relatively young band, who formed in 2007.
"We've never recorded in a professional studio with anyone we didn't know," explains Bolm, "so it was a new experience for all of us. [Rose] pushed us to play faster and it was recorded live."
In fact, it's the band's newest member, drummer Elliot Babin, who took a leadership role on the new album, turning in a landmark performance that rivals some of extreme music's best drummers. Babin is a full-on maniac on the album, limbs flying at hyper speed, which must have been a real treat to watch in the studio.
"It was awesome!" says Bolm. "He's grown so much as a drummer; we're thrilled to have him. He joined after the first album and has really come into his own."
But the rest of the band aren't slouches either; Bolm, for instance, has written some of his most intense lyrics, battling depression and pessimism through his own version of scream therapy. "There's a few recurring themes on the record," he explains. "The main one is finding solace through everyday depression. The long road it takes to get through. The road on the record is literal; there's lots of references to being away."
Bolm's writing style is curious in that he's one of those songwriters who almost exclusively writes in the first person. So there are a lot of "I" and "me" in his songs. "Ninety-five percent of things I've written are about me," he says. "What I'm going through at that time. I'm being as direct as possible. It's just the way I write."
While Touché Amoré are sure to get extra attention and tour offers from their new album, their reason for doing what they do won't be changing anytime soon. "We never went into this with a purpose, aside from playing music that excites us," says Bolm. "These days travelling drives us; getting to see amazing places and play for people who haven't seen us."
And the band are sure to see plenty of driving. In support of Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, Touché Amoré have announced a Canadian tour, which finds the band travelling the country's more eastern half. All the Canadian dates are below, while you can view the band's entire schedule here.
Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me is due out Tuesday (June 7) via Deathwish Inc.
Tour dates:
7/5 London, ON - London Music Hall
7/6 Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
7/7 Quebec City, QC - Cafe L'Agitee
7/8 Moncton, NB - Moncton Youth Center
7/9 St. John, NB - King's Square Festival
7/11 St. John's, NL - House Show (TBA)
7/12 St. John's, NL - Headquarters
7/14 Halifax, NS - Gus' Pub
7/15 Halifax, NS - Khyber ICA
7/16 Charlottetown, PE - Charlottetown Refinery
