The Drums tackle 'Brutalism' on new album, tour in April

photo: Nicholas Moore

The Drums released the critically acclaimed "Abysmal Thoughts" in 2017, marking the band's first release as a solo project from Jonny Pierce. Now, two years later, The Drums announces its fifth LP and a North American tour in support of the album.

Brutalism, co-produced by Pierce, will be released on April 5 via ANTI-. Pre-order the album HERE, and get your tickets for the upcoming tour HERE.

Listen to first single "Body Chemistry" HERE.

"For the year prior to writing this song, I had been dealing with an increased feeling of depression. To counter that, I was doing all I could do to try and make myself feel good: implementing all sorts of self-care, going to therapy, eating well, exercising at the gym, taking a step back from partying, and focusing on positive relationships while weeding out the not-so-good ones" he explains.

"I still found myself weighed down with anxiety and depression. This song asks the question: Is this dull, sad feeling in my DNA? Is it part of my gene pool? Can it ever be corrected? I had been confronting some of my most stubborn demons, and I came to realize that confronting doesn't always mean conquering."

Like Jonny Pierce, Brutalism is a bicoastal record - written and recorded between Upstate New York and a studio in Stinson Beach. Following a painful divorce and an incredibly difficult stint living solely in Los Angeles, Pierce decided it was time to face his demons, and the making of this record is a part of that process.

"I was exhausted, depleted and sabotaging myself, partying so much but in reality running away from pain. It was a downward spiral." Pierce knew it was time to go to therapy, and begin to reckon with his depression. "It was do or die," he says. While he focused on his mental health, the making of Brutalism became an extension of self-care for Pierce.

He brought in Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands) to mix the album. If there was a guitar part he wanted to write but couldn't play, he brought in a guitarist. It's also the first Drums record with a live drummer. Delegating freed up Pierce's time to produce a more specific vision.

The past year has been transformative Pierce, who may seem to have a permanent rain cloud above his head but is working towards a better, healthier headspace. "I don't think I'll ever really find myself," he says. "I don't think people do. I don't think there's a day that you wake up and you go, Now I know who I am. The best way for me to be an artist is by taking a goddamn minute, being still and listening to what it is that I want and need." It was a real year of growth for him, but growth towards what? "I don't really know, and that's OK."

Track listing:

1. Pretty Cloud

2. Body Chemistry
3. 626 Bedford Avenue
4. Brutalism
5. Loner
6. I Wanna Go Back
7. Kiss It Away
8. My Jasp
9. Blip Of Joy

Tour dates:

4/24/19 - Tustin, CA @ Marty's On Newport
4/26/19 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
4/27/19 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
4/29/19 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
4/30/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
5/01/19 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
5/02/19 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theater
5/04/19 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
5/07/19 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
5/08/19 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
5/09/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore
5/10/19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
5/11/19 - Washington, D.C. @ The Black Cat
5/13/19 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
5/14/19 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
5/15/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
5/16/19 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theater
5/17/19 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
5/18/19 - Tampa Bay, FL @ The Orpheum
5/20/19 - Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
5/21/19 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Downstairs)
5/22/19 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
5/23/19 - Austin, TX @ Emo's