Seattle-based psychedelic rock outfit Black Nite Crash presents an effervescent new single, “Sugarwave,” the second from their album Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash. It has all the hallmarks of the mid-90s indie style: fuzzed-out guitars, bouncy rhythms, and a kaleidoscope of influences. Firmly in the realm of bands like Lightning Seeds, Eels, The Beta Band, and The Wonder Stuff, this dreamlike musical tome was borne from a dream.
“The lyrics started out as scenes from a dream wherein my husband pulled some rather out-of-character capers,” Claire Tucker explains. “It got me thinking about dreams he’s told me about, where I did strange or terrible things, and what that might mean about our perception of each other — and even whether there was some hidden truth to the dreams. The song eventually developed into an impression of the gap between people’s true internal selves and how everyone else perceives us, and the attempt to bridge that gap, impossible as it may be. But the desire to be known can be at odds with the allure of likes and compliments and approvals and little dopamine hits — and that’s the Sugarwave.”
“The energy of the song is undeniable – we can’t keep still while playing it. We haven’t done anything quite like it in a while…We’ve been trying to let the songs just come and guide us rather than trying to force things to sound like some preconceived notion of what the band should sound like”.
The band released a DIY visualizer created by Jim Biggs, collaborating with Coffee With Stripes.
For the last two decades, Black Nite Crash revolved around original member Jim Biggs (vocals, guitar) – with a rotating cast of characters: over thirty members! The current incarnation features John Parker (bass), James Stone (guitar), Tony Zuniga (drums), and Claire Tucker(guitar/vocals). Despite the constant flux of energies, the band has maintained a coherent sound and vision. The new album was mixed by longtime collaborator Matt Brown (Trespassers William) and mastered by Adam Straney.
Work on the Washed in the Sound with Black Nite Crash began before the pandemic, the songs are a reflection of a band finding its feet again. Lockdowns began before tracking could be completed, postponing the evolution for a spell. But now, they’ve released their fifth LP.
“It looks to be the start of a period of more frequent releases as we work through our backlog of unreleased recorded songs, not to mention the surplus of new material we’re working on even now,” says Jim Biggs.
“Sugarwave” is available everywhere online, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Bandcamp, through the Neon Sigh label.
For more from Black Nite Crash, watch their previous release, “The Take,” a storyteller-led pulsating noir singalong with a trippy silhouette-laden video. Both tracks preview the most diverse set of songs the band has ever released, combining their trademark fuzzed-out guitars with some newer flavours.
To celebrate their new album, Black Nite Crash will be playing a handful of live shows, beginning with an October 8 album release show at Seattle’s The Central Saloon, followed by the Portland release show at The Six on November 5.
Upcoming Live shows:
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