Trust Ruins, the upcoming album by All Your Sisters comes out April 12th, 2019 via The Flenser. Following Dividing Lines from last month, Self-Medicating is the second track we get to listen off the anticipated record, and it streams for the first time ever in this article, right after the very interesting q&a with the project's mastermind, Jordan Morrison.
A forceful and quite heavy darkwave stunner of a track, Self-Medicating includes all of those qualities that have established the compelling sound of AYS as something so awe-inspiring, and amps them up to the max, teasing with passages of gritty garage rock and eerie psychedelia, while staying true to its dark roots and its firm post punk foundation.
Indulge in All Your Sisters' words and music right below.
I feel great about the new line up and I’m looking forward to touring with everyone. I think there’s definitely been an impact on the songs. These songs were written with the anticipation of putting together a full band for the live show, but I had no idea if anyone would actually be interested. So far, I’ve lucked out. I love everyone’s diverse backgrounds, how I’ve connected with them, and the way their sound has pushed the direction of the songs. I’m excited to get out there and tour. Should be fun.
We loved the previous record, and judging from what we've heard so far, we think the new one is going to be among our favorites too. How different is Trust Ruins from your other works?
Things always sound different with this band. Each record has its own place in time for me. With Trust Ruins I tried using different equipment and made time to work in a different headspace. No one wants to hear or make the same record over and over, right? I sure don’t. I think overall it sounds a bit larger and has more dynamics. I was having fun learning how to program synths while still keeping guitar as part of the core.
How much has your job as a paramedic affected you both as a person and artist?
I can’t really imagine it not having an effect on me. Ever since I started working in that field it changed the way I looked at the world, and how I thought about humanity and myself. I’m a little happier today, but back closer to the time when I was working as a paramedic, things just seemed so hopeless. I had no plan to improve my life, or anything for that matter. I felt connected to the people I came in contact with and wanted to disappear with them. My personality has been different ever since, and it shows up while writing. My friends can tell, I can tell. When you see the inside of someone’s skull or torso, or see them with a limb barely hanging on by a thread of skin and soft tissue it changes how you think, feel, smell, taste, and create. I don’t know why, it just does.
What is your defense against real life pain, and all the misfortune you have experienced during the past few years?
I try to stay in the moment and keep pushing forward. I don’t do well dwelling on past horrors. I get sucked into old ways of thinking and dealing with things which aren’t healthy. Aside from making music and going to shows, the most helpful coping mechanism I’ve found is exercising and healthier eating. My mind always feels better afterward. Therapists are great and I’m looking forward to seeing one as soon as I get solid health insurance again.
Which live show of yours do you think back as your most memorable and why?
The band’s been really fortunate to have had some great shows in its short existence. I’d have to say playing in Moscow in 2016 after an exhausting late show in Switzerland was beyond what I could have expected. I was so exhausted and had a hard time getting through soundcheck, but when the show started it was beyond full and I’d never seen such an energetic crowd. People knew the words to the songs, and up until that point, I’d never felt a feeling like that before. I was so bummed that we had to leave so soon after the show to catch a night train to the next city. There was so much to learn from that experience and we’ll have to wait until next time to see what the rest could have been. So many great people. I felt so very fortunate to be in their presence.
Besides music, what other works of art have provided inspiration for AYS?
One main thing is Film. My appreciation for it really grew during the time when my roommate Doug, who I lived with when I worked on the ambulance in Reno, shared his collection of movies with me during his days off. He always had so much to say about what he was showing me. I loved how a film maker could take an idea so bleak, often times painful, and show it in a different light that exposes its natural raw beauty. It helped me get by. I spent so many years of my life being irritated and misanthropic, but through film and music I found compromise. I really connected with original scores and how sometimes they’d take a movie to a different level. It had a huge impact on what AYS is today.
What are you currently listening to mostly?
Let’s see… Lingua Ignota, Planning for Burial, Chasms, SRSQ, Meredith Monk, Jocelyn Pook, and Mamaleek. Lately, the last few years, I’ve been really drawn to things that seem epic to me in some way, things that could fit in a film, and things that seem larger than life. When I listen to these records, I connect. They breathe their own life and provide me with an uplifting human connection while living in a formidable despotic world.
What's next for AYS?
We’re looking forward to getting out there and playing. The priority is touring. Feels like it’s been so long.
Cover art by Alex Brown
Top photo by Jess Garten
ALL YOUR SISTERS, ON TOUR:
March 14 Riverdale, CA @ Aurea Vista
April 14 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
May 16 San Diego, CA @ Space Bar
May 18 El Paso, TX @ Love Buzz
May 19 San Antonio, TX @ The Mix
May 21 Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlies
May 22 Dallas, TX @ Regal Room
May 23 Oklahoma City, OK @ Opolis
May 24 Albuquerque, NM @ Long Hair Records
May 25 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
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