LA-based post-punk darlings Second Still are slated to release a new EP this Spring on Belgium’s Weyrd Son imprint. Entitled Equals, the EP consists of five brand new cold tracks with one bonus track released over a string of formats. Preorders for the EP begin today via Weyrd Son’s Bandcamp, with the official EP release date slated for April 20th.
Lead single “Opening” picks up where the band left off with last year’s stunning self-titled debut. The track begins with Ryan Walker’s brief, but ominous guitar line before launching into a driving onslaught of hard-hitting drum programming and Alex Hartman’s hypnotic bass. Suki San’s vocals arrive soon after, dripping with reverb and peppering textural vocal repetition. The track twists and turns over the course of four and half minutes of cold bliss, building layers of guitars, staccato bass textures, and tense vocals into a frenzy, ending just as quickly as it began.
Equals marks a progression in the band’s sound with the inclusion of synthesizers. While they are absent from this single, they are a welcome addition throughout the course of the EP. In contrast to their debut LP, Equals was recorded in piecemeal form in various practice spaces and provisional studios. Engineered, mixed, and produced by Chris King, guitarist of Cold Showers and mastered by Mike Tierney, Equals marks a more DIY direction, with no dip in quality or power.
The angular die-cut artwork for Equals was created by Jean Lorenzo of Silent Em. The EP will be released on three different types of vinyl – black (300), silver (200), and silver with white/black splatter (100). The first 100 orders will include a flexi-disc featuring “Walls” – a previously released track recorded in 2016 under the same circumstances as the EP. A limited cassette edition of 100 copies, featuring all six tracks, will appear on sentimental Records [sic].
Preorders for Equals begin today and include a digital download of “Opening.” Check out the artwork and tracklisting below:
Second Still- Equals EP
1. In Order
2. Ashes
3. Automata
4. Opening
5. Altar
6. Walls (cassette, digital, and flexi bonus track)
Vinyl Preorder
Cassette Preorder
Additionally, sentimental Records has announced a similarly limited cassette release of Second Still’s Part Time Punks session, featuring a live drummer to flesh out the band’s sound for this release only. This release contains three previously recorded tracks, one exclusive new song, and a cover of For Against’s haunting “Echelons.” Presale for this release also begins today. Details and art below:
Second Still- Part Time Punks Session cassette
1. New Barn
2. You Two So Alike
3. Redwood Floor
4. Strangers
5. Echelons (For Against cover)
Preorder (sentimental | Second Still)
Second Still will be touring Europe in May, centered around an appearance at Wave-Gotik-Treffen on May 19th. Tour dates will be announced shortly on the band’s Facebook page, so stay tuned for more as they develop!
(Photo by Allison Littrell)
