Just in case you’re feeling a little pissed off, sad and lonely or simply looking to dive deep into some rather dark shit, today we have an album that will check all those boxes and more.
Coming in at twelve jaw-dropping and blood-soaked tracks touching on everything from personal loss to domestic abuse to visual art and classic literature, today The Noise is incredibly excited to be bringing you the exclusive stream of Gatherers’ breathtaking LP We Are Alive Beyond Repair.
To check out the band’s first new release since 2015′s Quiet World along with our brief Q&A with vocalist Rich Weinberger, be sure to see below. Afterward, make sure to pick up a copy of the new LP before it officially hits stores this Friday via Equal Vision Records.
It’s been almost three years since we’ve heard new music from Gatherers. What do you hope people take away most from We Are Alive Beyond Repair?
Rich Weinberger: I don’t think there’s a specific takeaway we had in mind when we wrote this album. But we would encourage people to listen to it uninterrupted, from start to finish. We hope it’s an album people will be willing to listen to with more concentrated ears.
Where does the title We Are Alive Beyond Repair come from and what does it mean to you?
It was originally conceived as a lyric for our song “The Floorboards Are Breathing.” The line always stuck out to me and before I realized it, it had grown into something much bigger and thematic. Since “Floorboards” was one of the very first songs we wrote for the album, I was afforded the time to really chew on what that line meant. We decided on it as the album title way before the record was even written to completion and because of that, I think it provided us with this thematic “palette” to write within.
A lot of this record seems to be inspired by stories of death (“Every Pain In Monochrome,” “The Floorboards Are Breathing”). Was that intentional heading into the writing process or did the inspiration come organically?
The record wasn’t inspired by stories of death. I think to phrase it like that marginalizes the headspace we wanted to create. For example, although the song “Coat” was inspired by the passing of an old bandmate, the lyrics and melody were intended to create something bittersweet and innocent feeling. The record overall was inspired by people, mood, time, movement, literature, visual art, film and personal experiences.
With this record being so dark, did it take a toll on you personally?
Nope! But as soon as We Are Alive Beyond Repair became this consistent working title in my head, I intently stayed within a certain headspace. Any input, in terms of art, film, music at the time, I curated over the year to keep me within a very particular range of moods.
How have the recent member changes impacted this record?
We are happier than ever with our lineup. Anthony and Rob have done wonders and are some of the utmost talented people we’ve ever worked with (apart from being our close friends). I think they both respectively bring something new into the equation and added a perspective that helped us round out the record as a whole. Rob is a machine in the studio. Anthony is from Long Island, all of our favorite bands are from Long Island and so with Anthony came the early 2000’s vibe we adore so much.
Is there a story behind the album art?
The photograph was taken by photographer, Evelyn Bencicova. She’s a wonderful photographer based in Berlin. The shot was part of her Asymptote series. I was (and still am) a fan at the time and reached out to her the minute I saw the photo. After explaining the album title, and showing her our demos she was kind enough to lend it to us. To me, the photo embodied the album title perfectly. It felt cathartic but ambiguous.
Is there a specific song you’re most proud of on this record?
We’re proud of all of them. We gave ourselves the time we needed to write an album and not a collection of songs.
If you had to sum this record up in three words, what would they be?
Show your friends.
Tour Dates:
6/02 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
6/03 – Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall
6/04 – New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine
6/06 – Asbury Park, NJ @ THE SAINT
6/07 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
6/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
6/09 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
6/11 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
6/14 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
6/15 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
6/16 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links
6/17 – Austin, TX @ The Sidewinder
6/19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad
6/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
6/21 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
6/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
6/23 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
6/24 – San Jose, CA @ SLG Art Boutiki & Gallery
6/28 – Eugene, OR @ HiFi Music Hall
6/29 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
6/30 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
7/03 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
7/05 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
7/06 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
7/07 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
7/08 - St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
7/10 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
7/11 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
7/12 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency
7/13 - Lansing, MI @ Macs Bar
7/14 – Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch
7/15 - Bellefontaine, OH @ Holland Theater
7/17 – Cleveland, OH @ The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
7/18 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
7/19 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
7/21 - Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall
