Fun rock show! Conjuring a bold new version of psychedelia informed by hard rock, R&B, electronica, and pop, this is their first stop in Morro Bay.
Austin-based indie psychedelic band The Bright Light Social Hour kick off spring
with new single “Not New” announced alongside news of tour dates and a new
album, Emergency Leisure, coming August 2 via Escondido Sound. Founded by
Jackie O’Brien (bass/vocals) and Curtis Roush (guitar/vocals) – and newly joined
by Mia Carruthers (keys/vocals), Zac Catanzaro (drums) and Juan Alfredo Ríos
(percussion) – the band’s latest single showcases the sound of the forthcoming
project, melding Texas trippiness with irresistible disco-punk groove. There’s an
equally lysergic music video accompanying the track, in vintage Bright Light Social
Hour style.
“In 2019 we did a tour we didn’t realize would be our last. At least for TBLSH as
we knew it. Emergency Leisure is a fictional autobiography from this period,
centered on a seminal, hedonistic night at Bar L’Escogriffe in Montreal – our own
Tropic of Cancer of sorts. “Not New” kicks off the odyssey, a new beginning in our
Fool’s Journey. ” –Jackie O’Brien
The band’s sound is iconoclastic and ever-evolving, with four studio albums to
date including the critically acclaimed Space Is Still the Place and Jude I & II. In
addition to composing original soundtracks for HBO, MTV, and Nintendo, they also
wrote and recorded the award-winning theme for Amazon’s “Sneaky Pete” at the
request of Bryan Cranston. The band is widely known for their explosive live
performances, including festivals such as Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, as
well as opening for Aerosmith, Osees, and The Flaming Lips. Their inventive
sound has garnered critical acclaim with support from the likes of CLASH, NPR,
The Wild Honey Pie, Earmilk and plenty more.
The new single showcases a band reaching peak song-writing prowess, a tight yet
bewildering journey with groove-rich drums, psychedelic synths and a dirty
dancefloor payoff that would make Nile Rodgers blush. With further singles, a new
album, and much touring on the horizon, 2023 is looking like an incredible year for
the Austin-based outfit.
“‘Not New’ is a late night smoldering in a Québécois alley punctuated by three-part
harmony, dusty driving drums, fat Mustang bass, glitter and congas. It’s our first
single as a renewed band in advance of our fifth album, a homespun moody after
hours soundtrack to strange times called Emergency Leisure.” –Curtis Roush
“Transportive… like you’re floating off to a galaxy far, far away.” – Vice
“Surreal, dreamlike… take me right to bed vocals.” — The Denver Post
“A lush, space-western odyssey.” – Consequence of Sound
“A touch of grunge, a little grime, and lots of spacey, psychedelic mind-melting
sounds.” — Leafly
