STREAM: Acquaintances – 8 ½ Lives [Threshold Premiere]
STREAM: Acquaintances – 8 ½ Lives [Threshold Premiere]
| Maio 29, 2019 8:15 am
STREAM: Acquaintances – 8 ½ Lives [Threshold Premiere]
| Maio 29, 2019 8:15 am
 |
| © Andy Alguire |
The Acquaintances are Jered Gummere (guitar, vocals), Justin Sinkovich (guitar, vocals) Patrick Morris (bass) and Chris Wilson (drums). After releasing their debut S/T LP back in 2013, the Chicago based indie-noise-rock outfit returns this year with their sophomore LP, named 8 ½ Lives. For this record, Justin and Jered wrote twelve songs and recorded them last year with Chris and Patrick. Also weighing in on the recording sessions of 8 ½ Lives were Stephen Schmidt (from Thumbnail and Chino Horde) playing the guitar, and Adam Reach (from The Poison Arrows and Pink Avalanche) filling in on the drums for some rehearsal and writing sessions and also playing some percussion and keyboards punctually on the record.
Mastered by John Golden, 8 ½ Lives was pieced together between Chicago, Philadelphia, and Portland, given that all the members of Acquaintances are spinning several plates at the same time. Jered plays in The Ponys, Bare Mutants and Richard Vain; Justin also plays with The Poison Arrows, Atombombpocketknife and Thumbnail; Patrick plays with Don Caballero and The Poison Arrows; Chris plays with Ted Leo + Pharmacists, Titus Andronicus, Hammered Hulls, Open City and Hound.
From the band members resume, you can pretty much guess what this record’s sounds like: indie rock and noise rock aesthetics fused together in equal measure, conveying a sense of nostalgia that might remind you of bands like Sonic Youth, Unwound and Polvo. But this is also a record about the uncertainty of life and learning not to fear what comes next. In accord with this motto, Acquaintances have already booked their first shows ever. The band’s live debut will take place at the nightshop in Bloomington, Illinois, on the 6th of June, and on that night they’ll also be sharing the stage with WitchFeet and Carly Beth (link for the event here).
8 ½ Lives is set for release on the 31st of May via File 13 Records, right in time for the celebration of the label’s 30th-anniversary, ranking also as its 95th release. 8 ½ Lives will also be released on tape via the Canadian label Coup Sur Coup Records. In the meantime, you can pre-order the album here.
