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The Bay Area band DROUGHT pulls inspiration from their personal lives and the spaces the members inhabit, harkening back to the intimate DIY spaces where communities are built and confessional songwriting meets crowds that take part in their emotional catharsis. Their spirited performances have fostered new fans across the West Coast.
This quintet of hardcore veterans formed in 2022, pulling from their diverse musical influences and ethnic identities to push a familiar sound in new directions. Although some members spent over a decade away from music, they were magnetically drawn back in!
Their debut, the 3-song EP, recorded with Ryan Ellery (Mom Jeans, Self Defense Family), was issued digitally. Now, it will be released in physical form for the first time ever on June 14 via Iodine Recordings. It will be limited to 300 copies.
"This EP is an ode to transformation and growth," the band shares. "None of us are the traditional preachy or dogmatic hardcore kids — we've had our own inner demons. So we wrote these songs for our younger selves. To let us know it's okay to be imperfect. And that the promise of a safer, more inclusive DIY scene is only possible if we can reflect, grow, and change. A better world is possible and it begins at home."
EP explores the struggles of loss and the rites of adulthood in increasingly precarious times. The band wrote "Oh Javelin," for instance, while guitarist RJ Rabe was battling cancer and drummer Ray Avila's father was ill, grappling with the existential question of how we spend our short lives.
Upon digital release in 2023, the three-track EP turned more than a few heads with its familiar-yet-wholly-new stylings perfect for fans of bands like Touché Amoré, Piano Becomes the Teeth, and mewithoutYou.
"When I was young, nothing felt more comforting than playing a record, poring over the liner notes and feeling less alone," says vocalist Viggy Ram. "And while releasing it digitally was exciting, it felt fleeting. When someone gets a record or goes to a show, you're actually giving your art to them—the ephemeral becomes real. With this vinyl release, we hope these songs keep you company when you need them to."
