New York psych-garage outfit The Thing announce new album 'The Thing Is'
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
February 2 - New York, NY - TV EYE
February 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
February 9 - Richmond, VA - The Camel
February 10 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Pour House
February 14 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
February 15 - Auburn, AL - 1716
February 16 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
February 17 - New Orleans, LA - Santos
February 22 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
February 24 - Oklahoma City, OK - Resonant Head
February 28 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
February 29 - San Diego, CA - WINSTONS
March 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
March 2 - Costa Mesa, CA - The Wayfarer
March 6 - Morro Bay, CA - The Siren
March 7 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst Atrium
March 8 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
March 12 - Bend, OR - Volcanic Theatre Pub
March 13 - Portland, OR - White Eagle
March 14 - Seattle, WA - The Sunset Tavern
March 17 - Sun Valley, ID - Sun Valley Resort (free show)
March 20 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Fest
March 21 - Salt Lake City, UT - The DLC
March 22 - Crested Butte, CO - Public House
March 23 - Buena Vista, CO - The Lariat
March 24 - Telluride, CO - The Alibi
March 28 - Fort Collins, CO - Surfside 7
March 29 - Steamboat Springs, CO - Schmiggity’s Live Music Dance Bar
March 30 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre*
April 3 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
April 4 - Milwaukee, WI - The Cooperage
April 5 - Appleton, WI - Gibson Music Hall
April 6 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout
April 10 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
April 11 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
April 12 - Toronto, ON - The Baby G
April 13 - Buffalo, NY - Iron Works
May 26 - Boston, MA - Boston Calling
* supporting Mo Lowda & The Humble + Bright Light Social Hour
See all tour info here
Today, New York psych-garage four-piece The Thing announce their sophomore album The Thing Is with the release of its third single “Midnight.” Three minutes of perfectly calibrated overdrive, “Midnight” sees the band punching the time clock for impending doom. Fast, driving, and unrelenting, this new cut is another taste of what’s to come from their second record arriving on February 2 — Presave.
Built up by Zane Acord, Jack Bradley, Michael Carter and Lucas Ebeling, The Thing is on an endless crusade when it comes to achieving the exact sound they’re looking for, religiously indebted to the DIY forefathers who came before. Formed in 2022, The Thing jump started their success once they fell in love with being on the road and fans started experiencing their live shows. Committed to doing everything they can in-house, the band records at their East Williamsburg studio Onion Records, creates their own visuals, and has crafted a visual identity that marries the grit of the 90s with the effortless temptation of the 70s.
On the inception of “Midnight” The Thing shared, “The initial idea came from a drunken stupor years ago when we were jamming in our living room. We spent close to an hour just on the one riff. We’ve been enjoying writing this way, entering a trance and trying to find a song amidst a cacophony. Eventually, we revisited this voice memo during our recording session for this album.”
Continuing, they said, “We whittled it down and settled on a form but had not found the lyrics. So, on the tail end of our most recent tour, we spent a few nights in an Airbnb in the Appalachians. The lyrics were inspired from conversions about nuclear weapons and how our time on earth is measured by a doomsday clock countdown. We were asking existential questions and affirming our belief in a creative life. We felt the spy-like essence to the instrumental fitted that lyrical theme nicely.”
Featuring characters and aesthetics that traverse The Thing visual universe, today also sees the arrival of the official video for “Midnight” — Watch. Filmed in black and white, the video is a jewelry heist that feels vintage yet modern at the same time. The band shared, “We filmed the ‘Midnight’ video at Horseman Antiques, a famous antique store in Brooklyn where Michael used to work. It’s a place where we all spent time doing odd jobs delivering various pieces of furniture. The idea is that we are burglars robbing the store in search of a coveted item.”
So far off of The Thing Is, The Thing has released singles and videos for “You’re The One” and “Neptunne.” “Neptunne” got picked up by Sirius XM’s Alt Nation for Advanced Placement and saw further support from Spotify’s All New Indie, Modern Psychedelia and Indie Arrivals, and Apple Music’s New In Rock.
Kicking off in a few weeks, The Thing will be back in their element, playing live music on the road. The North American tour kicks off with a hometown show in New York City at one of the band’s favorite venues, TV EYE. Snaking their way across the country, into Canada, and back, some tour highlights include a stop at Treefort Music Fest and Boston Calling — see all upcoming tour dates here.
Last year The Thing supported The Beaches, Miel De Montagne, Wine Lips, and more. Paired with their own headline dates, the grand total of shows they played in 2023 surpassed the 100 mark. The band’s track “Dixie Queen” was recently featured in EA Sports’ NHL 2024 Soundtrack alongside Fall Out Boy, Beck and FIDLAR. The Thing Is will arrive in its entirety on February 2, 2024.
ABOUT THE THING
The Thing is a four-piece from New York City.
The band originated in high school when Michael Carter, Jack Bradley and Zane Acord bonded over a shared love for rock & roll. Over the years, they honed their craft self-recording and writing songs influenced by 60s pioneers such as The Kinks, Grand Funk Railroad, and artists of the Nuggets compilation. As they progressed in skill and knowledge, the band started to envision a career inspired by the likes of Brian Jonestown Massacre, King Gizzard and The Black Keys.
The Thing started playing shows and generating a buzz around New York City in the winter of 2022. Shortly after, the band began touring up and down the East Coast. Their energetic live performances quickly earned the grassroots attention of honest music lovers.
Their debut record Here’s The Thing was released in April 2023. The album is a compilation of songs written throughout the early years of the band. It was self-recorded and produced deep in the hills of Sharon, CT, continued in their Crown Heights apartment, then finished in the band’s East Williamsburg studio, Onion Records. While each environment was set up with humble equipment, the band's commitment for authentic recording and their passion for rock & roll is what makes the album singular.
With the album out in the wild and the addition of Lucas Ebeling on the kit, The Thing is relentlessly touring, recording new music, and breaching the modern world of rock & roll as they work toward their second album The Thing Is.
