Cliffdiver Shares Single Ahead of Newly Announced Album

Tulsa, Oklahoma’s cliffdiver has announced their sophomore record, birdwatching, and is sharing the new single “going for the garbage plate (feat. Stoph Colasanto of Carpool).” Following quickly on the heels of the two singles that the band shared last month, “dayz gone” & “black lodge breakfast burrito (limited time only),” “going for the garbage plate (feat. Stoph Colasanto of Carpool)” is quintessential cliffdiver, with pop-rock hooks, Dony Nickles’ flawlessly smooth sax lines and tasteful synth embellishment as the band’s singers Joey Duffy and Bri Wright lay into their struggles with depressive episodes. As always, cliffdiver don’t shy away from bluntly discussing the messy aspects of mental health struggles, delving into the avoidance and isolation that accompany the darkness of depression.

Speaking to the song, Matt Eheler writes; “This track screams classic Cliffdiver to me. A perfect combination of pop, rock, big hooks and complimenting sax riffs. It dives into the feelings of loneliness you experience during depressive episodes and reveals that even through work and seeming progress, at times nothing feels like it’s changing. This was a song we really wanted a guest feature on and Stoph from Carpool came through with the spot on lyrics and vocal delivery that really hits the point home. Some of my favorite guitar riffs and tones came to be on this song and really makes it feel powerful and anthemic.”

cliffdiver’s album title is not only a hobby for many of the members, but signals a spiritual overhaul rippling through the band. Just a few months into birdwatching’s gestation, the whole band went through a horrific experience together. While on tour, a freak accident led to a truck chain link flying into their van and nearly killing bassist Tyler Rogers. While Rogers made a miraculous recovery, the brush with morality stuck with all of them. "Being that close to death will change anybody,” Ehler says, who actually picked up his birdwatching habit in direct response to the van accident. “Making it known how real it is. It made me stop caring as much about things like being online, partying, etc. I’ve slowed down on so much stuff.”

By Duffy’s estimation, Cliffdiver have learned to approach these new songs with a different perspective. No longer simply introspective, the songs on birdwatching are a dizzying array of references, of moments big and small, old wounds alongside brand new awakenings. Lead single “Dayz Gone” is an anthemic banger, Wright howling about the banalities of tour life. “Black Lodge Breakfast Burrito (Limited Time Only)” is another cheeky title for a song processing the more insidious ways mental health issues creep on you. “I wanted to stop talking about what’s wrong with us,” Wright explains. “I wanted to find out what happens after you’ve done all your introspection and kicked some addictions. A yearning to move past your s. A yearning to feel good enough for other people.” Sometimes that takes the form of Duffy and Wright calling themselves and their own behaviors out.

Cliffdiver’s birdwatching isn’t the sound of everything getting better. It’s a real life take: Things get better, but they also get worse again, and better again, and worse again, and nobody will ever have it all figured out. In each snapshot, Cliffdiver offers a companion for those ups and downs. 

“We can make changes for the better so it doesn’t hurt as bad as it used to,” Duffy concludes. “Once we realize we’re not the only ones that feel this way, you can say: Maybe the system is f*cked, and maybe we’re all f*cked — but we’re not alone.” 

cliffdiver’s birdwatching was recorded with producer Brett Romnes (Hot Mulligan, Mom Jeans, Free Throw, and many others) at Barber Shop Studios in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey and will be out September 20th on SideOneDummy. The band is currently on the road with The Early November, and you can find those tour dates below.

cliffdiver & The Early November Tour Dates

Thursday, July 11 @ Trees, Dallas, TX

Friday, July 12 @ Orlando, FL , The Beacham

Saturday, July 13 @ The Masquerade , Atlanta, GA

Sunday, July 14 @ Eastside Bowl , Nashville, TN

Tuesday, July 16 @ Canal Club , Richmond, VA

Wednesday, July 17 @ Union Stage , Washington, DC

Thursday, July 18 @ Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ

Friday, July 19 @ The Sinclair, Boston, MA

Photo Credit: Justice Dodson

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