The Pacific Northwest has long been associated with clouds, coffee, and counter-culture, so it’s no surprise that these elements made a direct influence on Past Lives, a Seattle-based quartet whose music often sounds something like the world’s greatest caffeine high mixed with a hefty case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The band is often shelved in the post-punk/experimental-rock category, but the terms don’t do justice to the songs, which run the gamut of frantic hardcore-esque jams to brooding art-rock collages peppered with intricate arpeggios and epic guitar harmonies.
Past Lives—comprised of Jordan Billie, Mark Gajadhar, Morgan Henderson, and Devin Welch—formed in 2007, out of the aftermath of post-hardcore quintet The Blood Brothers. They hooked up with Seattle indie imprint Suicide Squeeze to release the Strange Symmetry EP in 2008, a move that landed the band a laudatory entry in the Journal of Popular Noise and thusly created a steady amount of buzz.
Now comes Tapestry of Webs, the band’s debut full-length that will see release later this month. It’s an erratic, evocative offering complete with shredding guitars, delicate pianos, poignant verses, and just the right amount of gritty feedback sprinkled over the top.
The band will spend a good chunk of winter and spring on the road touring the new material, so find them in a city near you soon.
Tapestry of Webs is out February 23 via Suicide Squeeze.
Dates:
02/18 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge *
02/23 Seattle, WA – Sonic Boom Capitol Hill, In-Store 7pm
03/12 St. Augustine, FL – Harvest of Hope Festival
03/14 Portland, OR – East End $
03/15 San Francisco, CA – Elbo Room $
03/16 San Diego, CA – Casbah
03/17 Phoenix, AZ – Trunk Space
03/18 El Paso, TX – Dominics Piano Bar
03/17 3.20 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03/21 San Antonio, TX – Ten Eleven
03/23 Kansas City, MO – Record Bar ^#
03/24 St. Louis, MO – Firebird #
03/25 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge ^
03/26 Milwaukee, WI – Miramar Theatre ^
03/27 Grand Rapids, MI – DAAC ^
03/28 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre ^
03/29 Cleveland – Now That’s Class ^
03/30 Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar ^
04/01 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
04/02 Montreal, QC – Casa Del Popolo
04/03 Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
04/04 Washington, DC – DC9
04/05 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
04/06 Atlanta, GA – 529
04/07 Orlando, FL – The Social **
04/08 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder **
04/09 Gainesville, FL – Rion Ballroom at University of Florida **
04/10 St. Augustine, FL – Café Eleven **
04/12 Wilmington, NC – Soapbox **
04/13 Carrboro, NC – Cats Cradle **
04/14 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern **
04/15 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church Sanctuary **
04/16 Baltimore, MD – Otto Bar **
04/17 Hamden, CT – The Space **
04/18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East **
04/20 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **
04/22 Princeton, NJ – Terrace Club at Princeton University
04/23 Columbus, OH – Cafe Bourbon St.
04/25 Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
* w/ The Oh Sees
$ w/ Get Hustle
^ w/ Air Waves
# w/ So Cow
** w/ The Thermals
Image by Robin Stein
