Revered indie pop group The Drums have announced their sixth full-length album Jonny, to be released on October 13th. Along with this news came a fourth single for the album titled “Better,” which dropped on July 12th. The extremely revealing album will be released via Anti- Records.
After a fair amount of success in the 2000s fronting multiple groups, singer/songwriter Jonny Pierce would create a band that stuck with The Drums, netting a timeless hit with their 2009 debut single “Let’s Go Surfing.” Now, nearly a decade and a half later, the band is closer to Pierce’s solo project. However the same light, upbeat energy is still there.
“Better” is a painful examination of a relationship, where Pierce once yearned to be with someone, but had to reevaluate, since the situation was not benefiting both partners. The arrangement reflects this feeling with a fast, danceable tempo that’s tainted with melancholy chords and background vocals. Without delving into the lyrics, the song has an underlying sourness that manifests in the instrumental harmonies.
The new single is written, recorded, produced, engineered, and mixed by Jonny Pierce, with the exception of some additional guitar performed by Waylon Rector. Each piece of album art for Jonny has featured Pierce completely nude. In an Instagram post announcing the project from July 12th, Pierce describes the album as “16 songs birthed out of my deepest wounds and out of my wildest joys. When I listen back to it, I hear my soul reflected back at me.”
Prior to the album’s release, The Drums will appear in Philadelphia at the Theater of the Living Arts on July 29th, with guest Cold Hart opening; details at XPN’s Concerts and Events page. The album Jonny will release on Oct. 13th, and is available for pre-order and pre-save here. The Drums’ newest single “Better” is out now on all streaming platforms.