Indie-pop lovers get ready, because come December 4, The Drums are taking over Club Downunder. The Drums are currently touring all over the country for their latest record, Abysmal Thoughts, and Tallahassee is just one of the band’s lucky stops. Supported by their opening act, Hoops, The Drums are set to take the stage at 9:30 p.m. with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. If you’re new to The Drums, don’t worry. Get to know a little more about the band, listen to fan favorites, like “Blood Under My Belt” and “Days,” and get ready for a performance you won’t want to miss.
1. “Abysmal Thoughts” is the first record the band has released in over three years.
With their previous record, Encyclopedia, released in 2014, Johnny Pierce is now making the album he’s always wanted. Abysmal Thoughts is his story of what happiness means even when the worst has already happened. Pierce shared his thoughts on the new record in an interview with Pitchfork, sharing, “Happiness can be confusing to me. It shows up out of nowhere, and before you can even get used to it, it’s vanished. But “Abysmal Thoughts”? I can rely on them.”
2. Johnny Pierce and Jacob Graham, long-time childhood friends, are the founding members of The Drums.
The two formed The Drums back in 2008. Pierce shares a little of his relationship with Graham in an interview with Noisey, stating, “I met Jacob many, many, many years ago at bible camp, and we connected over synthpop, of all things. We really developed a relationship that was based on our love for music, which not a lot of people around us shared any enthusiasm for.” The two later moved to Brooklyn in 2009 after residing in Kissimmee, Florida and later found their drummer, Connor Hanwick, and guitarist Adam Kessler.
Courtesy: NME
3. The Drums have gone through a couple of rough patches.
From stylistic disagreements to Pierce wanting to pursue a solo career, the band has been through multiple ups and down together. A previous member had left and when “Blood Under My Belt” was released from the new record earlier this year, Pierce took full writing and production credits. Jacob Graham then took to Instagram to say, “It’s true, I have quit The Drums. It’s actually been over a year now since I left the band but it’s just now coming to light with today’s press. There are no hard feelings whatsoever, I wish Johnny and the band the best of luck.” Pierce is the last remaining member of the band.
Courtesy: Turn Up The Volume!
4. Pierce is back to writing all the songs himself and playing every instrument this record.
In an interview with ANTI, Pierce shared how writing this album was like a “full-on long-running therapy session.” Song after song, beginning with “Mirror,” it felt like all his thoughts flowed together perfectly. Pierce shares, “It very much felt like I was releasing. I had this visual of turning a handle and watching steam just pour out of the valve, relieving a lot of my artistic and personal anxiety… and if there’s one thing I can rely on it’s the healing power of being an artist. I’m falling back in love with music.”
5. 50s and 60s-pop was the band’s primary influence.
While living in Florida, the boys tended to pick up this 60s-pop vibe which they claimed influenced most of their music. In an interview with Clash, the band shared, “The 50s, 60s influences came from moving from New York to Florida, sunny vacation-land Florida, in the dead of winter… We just started listening to girl groups from the 1960s, The Shangri-Las and The Ronettes and all that. It infused its way into the sound in a pretty organic way.” Other major influences on The Drums came from other notable bands, such as the Beach Boys and The Smiths, and from the help of the reverb. Without this musical instrument, The Drums wouldn’t be able to create their unique sound that sets them apart from others in the music industry.
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