Attracting fans of psych, desert rock, shoegaze, goth, and neo-garage without aligning themselves directly with any these camps, SoCal's TOMBSTONES IN THEIR EYES (TITE) have been creating a fuzzed-out, psychedelic swirl for the past few years. Now with the upcoming release of their new album LOOKING FOR A LIGHT (April 20, 2021; Kitten Robot Records / Somewherecold Records), TITE are shifting their sound ever-so-slightly and elevating it up a few notches. It is an album swathed in thick fuzz that allows its melodies to shine bright. "I think there is a greater variety of sound in the songs, less reliance on massive layers of fuzz guitar, clearer vocals, better lyrics," explains guitarist/songwriter John Treanor about the new album. The first single "Quarantine Blues" premieres today on Post-Punk.com.
Embracing the sounds of their earlier albums and EPs but pushing forward, TITE have constructed a lush album that wraps itself in feedback for warmth, not distance, which makes it more inviting and less impenetrable. "It's less focused on darkness and depression, more hopeful maybe, than some of our earlier work, and even has a love song ('Ship On The Sea')," he elaborates. "Some songs only have one or two guitar tracks ('Wrong', 'Hey'), which is not our norm. It's hard to put it into words, but I see it as a step forward in my songwriting as well."
From the chiming atmosphere of "Ship On The Sea" ("It was not meant to be a love song. It was meant to be about being alone... out alone on the sea with no other ships in sight. But as the lyrics shaped up, it turned into a love song") to the abrasive melodies of "I Can Hurt All The Time" ("For a song about depression, this song rocks. This song makes me feel good, even though the subject is dark, because songs like this make me feel less alone, even though I wrote it. Haha"), Looking For A Light is rife with dark fuzzed-out sounds and mesmerizing and celestial melodies.
"Quarantine Blues" was written during the first two months of the current pandemic but instead of anchoring it to this specific era, Treanor opened it up a bit and made it more universal. "I assumed there would be hundreds of pandemic songs written and wanted this to be a bit more timeless," he says. "So in my lyric editing, I intentionally left the lyrics a bit more vague as to when and what was being referenced. It could be about isolation, it could be about the pandemic, or it could be about the plague."
Produced by Paul Roessler (T.S.O.L., Josie Cotton, Richie Ramone) who has produced all of the band's recordings, Looking For The Light captures the band at a career pinnacle with a new label and a new musical outlook. Signed to '80s New Wave icon Josie Cotton's Kitten Robot Records, TITE are preparing for a thrust into the mainstream. "I'm in love with this band and the journey it takes you on," says Cotton, excitedly about her new signing. "Lush and dark, searching and lost, undulating... like a junky poet traveling across the Arctic Circle on the way to somewhere. You never want it to reach the end."
Adds Treanor: "I'm extremely excited to be on Kitten Robot Records. Kitten Robot Studio has been our home for years, and I am honored that we are able to be part of the label, as well. I love Josie's spirit, her own music, and she has been nothing but kind to us. I'm grateful to her and the label for the opportunity and hope that together we can bring the band to another level." And on their work with Roessler, "We've really learned a lot and he has helped us define and refine the TITE sound. I can't actually imagine recording a TITE record anywhere else."
Roessler echoes Cotton's sentiment: "Rarely does a band just get better and better. On this album, the songwriting has really evolved. Not a weak moment on this whole record."
With the quarantine blues seeming to lessen and the hope for a reopening of the touring industry on the horizon, TITE are hopeful that they'll be able to present their new music to a wider audience. "I'm dying for these songs to get out into the world," Treanor says excitedly. "It's a big step forward for us musically, and I hope that it gets heard and appreciated by not only our existing fans, but new ones as well. Besides playing live and touring, which I'm looking forward to when things open up, I'm also excited because we have another record in the works already and the songs keep coming out, thankfully!"
Tombstones In Their Eyes is John Treanor (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Stephen Striegel (drums, percussion), Josh Drew (bass, guitar), Paul Boutin (guitar, bass) and James Cooper (synths, midi-drum programming). Looking For A Light was produced by Paul Roessler and will be released on April 20, 2021 via Kitten Robot Records / Somewherecold Records.
