BrooklynVegan is hosting the exclusive premiere of “Dyed In The Wool,” the new single from Anchorage, Alaska-based hardcore punk quartet SHE. The song is the latest preview of the band’s impending Goodpaster LP, nearing release in June.
SHE is vocalist/lyricist Andrew Sims, guitarist Mercy Cofield Jr., bassist Justin Costiniano, and drummer Justin Rodda. The band formed on Halloween of 2008 and has since carried forward with a DIY ethos and a deep love for all elements of creating their records, having self-released their entire catalog to date. Drawing influence from contemporary aggressive acts alongside jazz, hip-hop, punk, and pop, SHE has melded a uniquely angular and emotive sound that pulls their listener in many directions. Borrowing from bands such as, but not limited to, Converge, Pig Destroyer, Meshuggah, Cursed, Blacklisted, Cruel Hand, and Trapped Under Ice, the band’s output could easily be enjoyed by fans of any of these acts, as proven on their first studio full-length, Goodpaster.
Goodpaster delivers thirteen new tracks in under twenty-seven minutes, unloading a salvo of SHE’s explosive metallic hardcore while seamlessly executing continuous infectious hooks, making for an instantly memorable listen. The album was recorded, engineered, and mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studio (Nails, Kruelty, God’s Hate), mastered By Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Year Of The Knife, R.A.M.B.O.), and completed with artwork and layout by Justin Costiniano.
With the release of the “Dyed In The Wool” single, Sims offers, “I wrote this when I was in a particularly negative space. Pinned it on the highway for a real lengthy stretch midday with a mind full of nothing save death then caught the fear seeing a cop driving the opposite direction pull off on the next exit seemingly to try and tag me. Luckily, I saw him and was gone. No harm. No foul. This experience scared the hell out of me. I scared myself, which is a miserable feeling. So, I took it and utilized the moment as a metaphor for chasing one’s goals and dreams. The ‘love’ referenced in the song could be romantical or otherwise an obsession or passion. It’s about how often times the shadow of a thing presents as far larger than the thing itself. We find ourselves wandering a labyrinth of thought parsing out this and that all the while attempting to make left of right. Sometimes there isn’t any sort of clear answer or path and you’re just meant to continue pushing through the reeds. Like many of us, I’m not a particularly sunny-sided individual. I see myself in car wrecks and downed planes. I see myself lost amongst the vine covered concrete of labyrinth hedgerows. Nothing is certain. Not everything is so vague either. We just sort of… navigate the unfamiliarity of life projecting as much familiarity as we’re able to stomach. There’s a reason there are sayings such as ‘l’appel du vide,’ this being that you are not the first person to feel this way. Many have stared into the abyss and envisioned tumbling into it with a sense of relief. Seeing as mental health has become a more prominent and openly discussed issue in our modern society, I think it’s incredibly important to speak up. If you or anyone you know exhibits issues with mental health, please, please talk about it. Check on your friends. Check on yourself. Channel that energy into other, more productive avenues. Pin that pedal just to see where you land. One hundred on the fucking highway, baby.”
SHE’s “Dyed In The Wool” is now streaming at BrooklynVegan RIGHT HERE.
SHE will self-release Goodpaster on Ox Blood And Bone LP and all digital platforms on June 16th. Find preorders at Bandcamp where “Arguments In Space” and “Protocol Assimilator” are streaming HERE.
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