Deeper – "This Heat"
Back in the summer 2018, the Chicago post-punk band Deeper emerged with a self-titled debut. It was a promising introduction, the kind that leaves you wondering how a band could grow over the course a follow-up. Well, we’re about to find out pretty soon: Deeper are returning with a sophomore effort called Auto-Pain, out in late March. It turns out the band’s been building up to it for a bit — “Run,” their infectious single from last August, is included on the album. But today, we get more details about Auto-Pain, as well as another preview the album.
The title Auto-Pain is inspired by Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World — the opposite soma, the pill characters in that book could take to numb everything. A press release describes it as “the desire to return to a connection with thoughts and clarity, which comes at the expense feeling everything simultaneously.” Musically, Auto-Pain promises to be hookier, with slight modulations on Deeper’s aesthetic, icy synths mingling with those spiky post-punk guitars already at the foundation their sound. Thematically, it appears these songs will grapple with some heavy topics, depression being a major one.
Along with the announcement, Deeper have shared “This Heat.” Here’s what the band had to say about the new track:
In the dead Chicago winter, there’s a particular withdrawal from sun exposure that presents a deep contrast to the color and excitement the city in the summer. In “This Heat,” we explore this lack sun and the seasonal depression that sometimes accompanies it. It’s a metaphor for how we cope with particular low points and how euphoric it can feel when the feeling passes — even if momentarily. The song relates to the album as a whole because while the record is about depression, it’s also about finding a way to get better. We wanted to bottle up the hope we feel on the first day over 40 degrees.
“This Heat” has all the calling cards classic post-punk — clipped and yelped vocals, a nervy and anxious pulse. But, true to the band’s intention, there’s oddly something soothing about it. By the end, all the buzzing guitars and layers become almost pretty, a wave to coast out on. The song is accompanied by a video directed by Zach Harris, featuring the band members collecting plants that are evidently biohazards, then sending them to appreciative customers. Check it out below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Esoteric”
02 “Run”
03 “This Heat”
04 “Willing”
05 “Lake Song”
06 “Untitled”
07 “Spray Paint”
08 “4U”
09 “VMC”
10 “Helena’s Flowers”
11 “The Knife”
12 “Warm”
TOUR DATES:
02/10 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique *
02/11 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie *
02/12 – Tourcoing, FR @ La Grand Mix *
02/14 – Groningen, NL @ Vera *
02/15 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard van Troje *
02/17 – Bristol, UK @ Thekia *
02/18 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla *
02/19 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s *
02/21 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare And Hounds *
02/22 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut *
02/24 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms *
02/25 – Brighton, UK @ CHALK *
02/26 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton *
02/27 – Salford, UK @ BBC6 Session
03/04 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade NYC #
03/06 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover #
03/07 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub #
03/08 – Tampa, FL @ Hooch & Hive #
03/09 – Miami, FL @ Gramps #
03/13 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger #
03/14 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar #
03/15 – 20 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/22 – Hot Springs, AR – Valley the Vapors #
03/23 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR #
03/24 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 #
03/26 – Richmond, VA @ Poor Richards #
04/02 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (Album Release)
04/17 – Rotterdam NL @ Motel Mozaique
04/18 – Utrecht, NL @ Slathe
04/20 – Cologne, DE @ Hangende Garten
04/21 – Hamburg DE @ Hafenklang
04/22 – Berling, DE @ Schokoladen
04/23 – Prague, CZ @ Rock Cafe
04/24 – Zurich, CH @ Gonzo
04/25 – Luxembourg Lux @ Out Of The Crowds %
* w/ Twin Peaks
# w/ Corridor
% w/ Holy Fuck
Auto-Pain is out 3/26 on Fire Talk Records. Pre-order it here.