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Beloved singer/songwriter Rocky Votolato recently revealed his new band, Suzzallo, and the group announced their debut full-length, The Quiet Year, due out May 2nd. They're back with another new single, the dynamic "Tsunami Waves."

After the devastating loss of his child in a tragic car accident, Votolato formed Suzzallo as a means of transmuting extreme grief into something healing. Votolato's solo career has primarily been defined by intimate, acoustic-based music, but Suzzallo swings hard in the other direction. The Quiet Year is an explosive eulogy of fuzzed-out alternative rock that's as stirring and anthemic as it is intense and cathartic. "Tsunami Waves" follows previous single "River" (and its just released new music video) and offers another dose of massive guitars and soaring melodies led by Votolato's agile voice. The track also includes performances from Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service.

Votolato discussed the new song and the collaboration saying:

"Deep grief can feel like literally being knocked off your feet by huge waves that come out of nowhere when you least expect it. Every other memory you have puts you underwater. I think that’s why I was drawn to this imagery and I thought tsunami waves were the perfect metaphor and concept to describe what I was going through. I needed art and songwriting more than I ever have before making this record, and I’m so grateful I had distorted guitar sounds to channel all this loss into. This song is about finding your resilience even as the waves keep coming at you. Couldn’t be happier with how the song turned out and It was such a joy and honor to get a chance to work with Ben Gibbard on it as well. I love everything he added to it, especially his backups and the bass 6 he played in the post-chorus, which I think created one of the prettiest moments on the album."

Suzzallo is a fresh start for Votolato but the band's origins go back much further. “I guess it all started to take shape in the summer of 2022, about six months after Kienan [they/them] passed,” he explains. “I knew I needed a louder, bigger, more explosive sound to say what I needed to with this project. This kind of personal tragedy rearranges everything about you as a human and artist. I needed a new channel to express what I was going through and the only thing that made any sense to me were the most distorted guitar sounds I could find.” To create Suzzallo, Votoato teamed with a cast of friends and collaborators. The band's lineup was rounded out by bassist Steve Bonnell (Schoolyard Heroes) and drummer Rudy Gajadhar (Waxwing), and the trio recruited legendary producer John Goodmanson (Unwound, The Blood Brothers, Sleater-Kinney) to record The Quiet Year. Votolato’s friend longtime friend Gibbard performed on several songs, lending his signature vocals to beautifully placed harmonies, along with providing electric guitar, bass 6, and piano.

The Quiet Year confronts the shattering weight of grief head on, while also revealing an uplifting strength and determination to carry on beneath it. “I was completely shattered and knocked down by this loss, but I feel like Suzzallo is a big part of getting back on my feet and finding a reason to keep going,” says Votolato. “I’m so grateful for the way creating art has helped me process my grief and heal, and I hope these songs can bring some catharsis and comfort to others now as well.”