Slothrust to Release New 'Dystopian Theatre Rock' Album 'What They Grow in the Garden'
The band releases two new singles ahead of the upcoming record on Dangerbird Records.
Slothrust has announced WHAT THEY GROW IN THE GARDEN, a new album the band describes as dystopian theatre rock, set for release on September 18. Two singles from the record are currently available to stream.
Produced by the band and Jordan Witzigreuter (The Ready Set), WHAT THEY GROW IN THE GARDEN is the result of a band pushing itself to the absolute limit: the riffs hit harder, the hooks are catchier, the stylistic shifts even more unexpected. Billed as 'dystopian theatre rock,' the album's 12 tracks make good on that promise — a band once compared to Nirvana now sounds more like a grungier Queen, or the best album Muse never made.
Lyrically, the album is also an examination of the hive mind that explores what it means to be human and live in a system designed to exploit our perceived weaknesses by means of capitalism. The band wanted to explore old archetypal places like 'the garden' and 'the lake' through an allegorical and surrealist lens that encourages listeners to look inward for their big truths instead of at their phones. 'We really want people to take away a message from this album of self-liberation amidst the flickers of seemingly inescapable dread,' Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin of Slothrust said. 'Despite the permeating blue light of the external world, it is still possible to find your freedom and identify your core truths if you go within.'
Every Slothrust album is more ambitious than the last, from their lo-fi beginnings on 2012's FEELS YOUR PAIN to the polished rock on 2021's PARALLEL TIMELINE, produced by longtime Garbage engineer Billy Bush. Losing a member only made them more willing to experiment: WHAT THEY GROW IN THE GARDEN, the band's forthcoming Equal Vision Records debut, may be Slothrust's first album as a duo (drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Gorin and guitarist/vocalist Leah Wellbaum), but it's their biggest and wildest record to date.
Gravitating toward demos that spoke to a more universal dissatisfaction, Wellbaum kept in mind their musical peers suffering in a collapsing industry; they thought of the screen-addiction epidemic; they thought of life under late capitalism and overconsumption. All of these, of course, are connected: it keeps us numbed. 'We're getting further and further away from tactile, organic humanity,' Wellbaum says, and urges listeners to access the agency they have within these systems. A backlash against digital dependency, the songs on WHAT THEY GROW IN THE GARDEN detail the impossibility of truly outrunning complicity, but they make some leeway into stepping away from the cold blue light of phone screens.
Slothrust has changed a lot over the years, but they've never lost their capacity for surprise. They prove they can go right back to their grunge roots on a song such as 'The Lake', but they're most interested in pushing themselves: the very next song, closer 'Dystopian Cemetery', is a harmony-stacked stadium waltz, complete with pounding piano from longtime collaborator Willy Beaman. It only proves this is a band that can do anything — and they will.
Additionally, Slothrust has announced a full U.S. tour for the fall. Titled The Dystopian Theatre Tour, the run will kick off on Tuesday, September 15 at Reverb Lounge in Omaha, NE, make a stop at Riot Fest in Chicago, IL on Friday, September 18, and culminate in an appearance at The Bellwether in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, November 18. Support on the tour will be provided by The Velveteers and Um, Jennifer? in select markets. More information on tickets and VIP packages can be found via Slothrust's official site.
THE DYSTOPIAN THEATRE TOUR — DATES
SEPTEMBER
15 — Omaha, NE — Reverb Lounge *
16 — St. Paul, MN — Amsterdam Bar & Hall *
18 — Chicago, IL — Riot Fest #
19 — Ann Arbor, MI — The Blind Pig *
20 — Columbus, OH — A&R Music Bar *
23 — Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Bowl *
24 — Boston, MA — Royale *
25 — Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts *
26 — Towson, MD — The Recher *
28 — Durham, NC — Motorco Music Hall *
29 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade (Hell) *
OCTOBER
01 — Nashville, TN — The Blue Room at Third Man Records *
02 — Chattanooga, TN — The Boneyard *
03 — Cleveland, OH — Beachland Ballroom *
27 — San Francisco, CA — Bottom Of The Hill ^
28 — San Francisco, CA — Bottom Of The Hill ^
30 — Sacramento, CA — Harlow's ^
NOVEMBER
01 — Seattle, WA — Showbox Market ^
02 — Portland, OR — Revolution Hall ^
04 — Boise, ID — The Shredder ^
06 — Salt Lake City, UT — Urban Lounge ^
07 — Colorado Springs, CO — Black Sheep ^
08 — Denver, CO — Gothic Theatre ^
10 — Denton, TX — Rubber Gloves Patio ^
11 — Austin, TX — Scoot Inn ^
13 — Santa Fe, NM — Meow Wolf ^
14 — Phoenix, AZ — The Rebel Lounge ^
15 — San Diego, CA — Quartyard ^
17 — Pioneertown, CA — Pappy & Harriet's ^
18 — Los Angeles, CA — The Bellwether ^
* — headline show, The Velveteers supporting
^ — headline show, Um, Jennifer? supporting
# — festival appearance
WHAT THEY GROW IN THE GARDEN — TRACK LIST
Dissolve the Delusion
Burn the Deck
Smile
Ring the Bell
Twisted Paradise
Hearst Castle
00101001
What a Night
Absolute Power
Keep us Thirsty
The Lake
Dystopian Cemetery
Photo Credit: Levi Price
Photo Credit: Levi Price
