10/8/24 ADDS
CURRENT
UPCOMING
RECENT
LIVE
ABOUT
Spotify
YouTube
VARIETY
Subtropical(Very Soft Records)
Add date: 11.12.2024
Release date: 11.8.2024
Links:
Apple Music
Bandcamp
Instagram
Spotify
Tidal
YouTube
Starting as a recording project of Rhys Woodruff, variety is an “arty punk, deranged alternative-rock” band from Austin, Texas (Post-Trash, 2024). Whether referencing drought-effected springs or the loss of a family member, variety’s lyrics address motifs of nature and the fluctuating decay and loss each human experiences. Musically, they’re reminiscent of bands like Deerhoof and Women, with a punkier edge. The live act features members from Borzoi, Porcelain, and New Strangers.
About Subtropical:
Subtropical paints several pictures of our natural world in flux. From the desiccation of the Edwards Plateau in Texas (title track) to the displacement of wildlife into urban areas (“I Thought It Was a Cat”). The album, mixed by Woodruff and mastered by Greg Obis (MJ Lenderman, Dehd, Duster), opens with “Plover”, “a twitchy rush of anxious energy… that describes an ecosystem gripped by constant tension” (Various Flames, 2024). These themes are held together by punky guitar music that stretches its influence around decades of rock n roll stylings in a way that sounds familiar while being authentically itself.
To do this, variety employs a school of thought they refer to as “half-remembered music”. An idea that Woodruff said he first came across through listening to an interview with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof discussing songwriting. “It’s something I’ve always felt about music I loved and wanted to incorporate into my own writing but someone put it into words. Hearing a song where you feel you’ve heard it before but something is different or off, creating a whole new piece - half-remembered music”, says Woodruff.
“Valentine” is a good representation of this idea. It's the most “produced” sounding song and the only song on the record not written by Woodruff—rather by his friend, Corey Anderson (of Austin band Exercise). “He sent me his demo of it years ago and I’ve always loved it. It sounded like a 90’s Weezer hit you’d never heard before. I like how my recording sounds so different from the rest of the songs on Subtropical. As if it was purposefully done that way since I didn’t write it”, says Woodruff on the cover.
There’s a “cutesiness” to songs like “Big Tuna” that evoke a feeling of naivety. Whereas songs like “Pooling Rain” describe the throes of walking away from a dying relationship accompanied by a relentless, repetitive 2-chord progression inundated with snares.
The album is a quick 24 minutes of catchy, refreshing rock music that leaves you wanting more than it offers. It will be self-released on November 8th and available on cassette and CD at shows or through instagram/bandcamp/email. The live band will be touring the Midwest in September (dates below) followed by an East Coast tour in November.
Apple Music
Bandcamp
Spotify
Tidal
YouTube
Starting as a recording project of Rhys Woodruff, variety is an “arty punk, deranged alternative-rock” band from Austin, Texas (Post-Trash, 2024). Whether referencing drought-effected springs or the loss of a family member, variety’s lyrics address motifs of nature and the fluctuating decay and loss each human experiences. Musically, they’re reminiscent of bands like Deerhoof and Women, with a punkier edge. The live act features members from Borzoi, Porcelain, and New Strangers.
About Subtropical:
Subtropical paints several pictures of our natural world in flux. From the desiccation of the Edwards Plateau in Texas (title track) to the displacement of wildlife into urban areas (“I Thought It Was a Cat”). The album, mixed by Woodruff and mastered by Greg Obis (MJ Lenderman, Dehd, Duster), opens with “Plover”, “a twitchy rush of anxious energy… that describes an ecosystem gripped by constant tension” (Various Flames, 2024). These themes are held together by punky guitar music that stretches its influence around decades of rock n roll stylings in a way that sounds familiar while being authentically itself.
To do this, variety employs a school of thought they refer to as “half-remembered music”. An idea that Woodruff said he first came across through listening to an interview with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof discussing songwriting. “It’s something I’ve always felt about music I loved and wanted to incorporate into my own writing but someone put it into words. Hearing a song where you feel you’ve heard it before but something is different or off, creating a whole new piece - half-remembered music”, says Woodruff.
“Valentine” is a good representation of this idea. It's the most “produced” sounding song and the only song on the record not written by Woodruff—rather by his friend, Corey Anderson (of Austin band Exercise). “He sent me his demo of it years ago and I’ve always loved it. It sounded like a 90’s Weezer hit you’d never heard before. I like how my recording sounds so different from the rest of the songs on Subtropical. As if it was purposefully done that way since I didn’t write it”, says Woodruff on the cover.
There’s a “cutesiness” to songs like “Big Tuna” that evoke a feeling of naivety. Whereas songs like “Pooling Rain” describe the throes of walking away from a dying relationship accompanied by a relentless, repetitive 2-chord progression inundated with snares.
The album is a quick 24 minutes of catchy, refreshing rock music that leaves you wanting more than it offers. It will be self-released on November 8th and available on cassette and CD at shows or through instagram/bandcamp/email. The live band will be touring the Midwest in September (dates below) followed by an East Coast tour in November.