2010s Rock Band Slothrust Returns With 2 New Singles Exploring Love and Dreams

If you were listening to alternative rock in the 2010s, there’s a good chance Slothrust made their way onto your playlist.

Now, almost two decades after their debut, the Los Angeles-based band is entering a new chapter. Slothrust, originally formed in Boston in 2010, announced in late July that their sixth album, What They Grow In The Garden, will be out on Sept. 18 under Equal Vision Records. Two tracks from the album were released Tuesday, one month ahead of the record’s official release.

“We really want people to take away a message from this album of self-liberation amidst the flickers of seemingly inescapable dread,” members Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin of Slothrust said in a press release. “Despite the permeating blue light of the external world, it is still possible to find your freedom and identify your core truths if you go within.”

The rock duo released two brand-new singles on Tuesday — “Dystopian Cemetery” and “Twisted Paradise” — which examine the themes of queer love, dreams and sleep paralysis. The new songs are two tracks out of the 12 expected on the album. Three additional tracks have already been released: “Burn the Deck,” “Ring the Bell” and “00101001.”

“Do not forget the delights that are possible within your own mind,” Wellbaum says of “Dystopian Cemetery,” which is a collaboration with producer and keyboardist Willy Beaman. “Tap back into the freedom mindset you felt as a child and follow what charms you. Pull on the threads of curiosity and let them lead you to the magic of your consciousness.”

Meanwhile, “Twisted Paradise” is inspired by “beauty and the horror of the subconscious mind when it is let off its leash at night when we go to sleep.”

“I have always been incredibly impacted by my dreams,” Wellbaum continued. “I have experienced profound healing from my dreams, as well as incredibly disturbing mental states that linger for days.”

The new music also marks another evolution for the band, which has continued to experiment with its sound since first emerging in the 2010s. Along with the new album, Slothrust will hit the road this fall for their Dystopian Theatre Tour with opening acts The Velveteers and Um, Jennifer?, starting on Sept. 15 at the Reverb Lounge in Omaha. The duo is expected to perform at various cities, including Nashville, Chicago, St. Paul, Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle, Boise, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego and more.

Wellbaum and Gorin first met while they were students at Sarah Lawrence College. After joining many music student groups, they decided to split off and create their own alternative-rock duo. They released their debut album, Feel Your Pain, in 2012, with the lead single, “7:30 AM,” being featured as the opening theme for FX’s You’re the Worst. Slothrust has released five studio albums since their formation, with their most recent being Parallel Timeline in 2021.

What They Grow In The Garden will be out on all streaming platforms on Sept. 18, and tickets for Slothrust’s upcoming tour can be found on the band’s official website. “Dystopian Cemetery” and “Twisted Paradise” are out now.

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