The Thing reveal August 6 release date for self-titled album
NYC’S THE THING REVEAL AUGUST 6 RELEASE DATE OF NEW SELF-TITLED ALBUM
LEAVE IT ALL ON THE TABLE WITH TWO NEW SINGLES “MR. USELESS” AND “THE WALTZ” — STREAM
ANNOUNCE RESIDENCY AT NEW YORK’S NIGHT CLUB 101 THIS JULY
EUROPEAN TOUR KICKS OFF LATER THIS MONTH — SEE ALL DATES HERE
“Splitting the difference between classic garage skronk and a metallic murk that eschews doom for grime, The Thing can sometimes seem at war with their own desires: They’re as eager to play heavy riffs as they are to deliver a clean melodic punch.”
“New York psych/garage outfit The Thing are deeply DIY.”
One of NYC’s most vital, new rock voices, The Thing has announced their self-titled album will be released on August 6 with today’s release of “Mr. Useless” and “The Waltz.” As reverent of the city's gritty past as they are hungry to reinvent it, the new double-single marks the third release from the album rollout — unveiling The Thing in packages of A/B-sides. Recorded entirely analog, self-produced, and tracked live to tape without the use of a computer, the result is The Thing at their most immediate and unfiltered — Stream today’s new tracks.
In the Byrds-tinged “Mr. Useless,” The Thing employs David Bowie’s cut-and-paste lyrical method to tell a story about “finding meaning in life, as opposed to sitting and watching and waiting for fate to step in,” according to guitarist Michael Carter.
“The Waltz” is one of those songs you remember what you were doing the first time you heard it. Soul-stirring and cinematic, it moves at a molasses-sweet pace until lead singer Zane Acord punches through with the strained “I hate the way I love you.” Then following his cue, the rest of the band goes into total overdrive before one hell of a release. Acord shared that he “wrote about a toxic relationship: even though it's bad for you, you love it.”
“Mr. Useless” and “The Waltz” singles artwork [Download]
With each set of singles released, the accompanying artwork is one piece of the puzzle that will eventually build out the album artwork.
Known for their relentless work ethic, dynamic live shows and staunchly DIY ethos, The Thing are torchbearers of the current NYC scene, and a vanguard of what the city’s rock history means under a modern lens. Formed in New York City in 2022, the band have since played more than 300 shows across North America and Europe.
Having most recently joined Wine Lips for two shows in New York City, The Thing is next headed to Europe. While playing internationally, the band will make stops at Relache Festival in France, Best Kept Secret in The Netherlands and the sold out Freak Valley Festival in Germany. This week, they announced their residency at New York’s Night Club 101 this July. Tickets for The Thing’s upcoming tour are on sale now here.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
EUROPE
May 28 - Venezia, Italy - Caracol Olol Jackson
May 29 - Belgrade, Serbia - KC GRAD
May 30 - Velenje, Slovenia - Šaleški študentski klub
May 31 - Budapest, Hungary - Szimpla Kert
June 1 - Zagreb, Croatia - Močvara
June 2- Modena, Italy - Nowhere Club
June 4 - Perpignan, France - Le Nautilus
June 5 - Zaragoza, Spain - La Lata De Bombillas
June 6 - Bordeaux, France – Relache Festival
June 7 - Sopelana, Spain - La Atalaia de Gardoki
June 8 - San Sebastian, Spain - Dabadabass
June 9 - Seignosse, France - Black Flag
June 10 - Nantes, France - Venue TBA
June 12 - London, England - The Shacklewell Arms
June 13 - Nottingham, England - JT Soar
June 14 - Amiens, France - Péniche Célestine
June 15 - Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands – Best Kept Secret Festival
June 16 - Kusel, Germany - Kinett
June 17 - Brussels, Belgium - La Source
June 18 - Berlin, Germany - Neue Zukunft
June 19 - Siegen, Germany – Freak Valley Festival
June 20 - Frankfurt, Germany - Dreikönigskeller
June 21 - Memmingen, Germany - Mood Club
NORTH AMERICA
July 10 - New York, NY - Night Club 101
July 17 - New York, NY - Night Club 101
July 24 - New York, NY - Night Club 101
August 22 - Amagansett, NY - The Stephen Talkhouse
See all dates here
So far from the LP, they’ve shared “Above Snakes” / “Dave’s TV” and “Can You Help Me?” / “Family Business.” A sampler platter of the band’s singular approach to rock music, recent highlights include the praise of Rolling Stone at SXSW and the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds Rock playlist.
ABOUT THE THING:
What is The Thing? It’s a New York band, sure, but it’s also an ethos. A return to rock & roll’s roots — to garage bands toiling between the family minivans, to groups like the Beatles and their unique alchemy, to tape machines and live band recordings instead of slick studios and myriad songwriters. “We've kind of adapted the ethos of: with restriction comes creativity — old becomes new. And throughout every part of the process that remains true,” says guitarist/vocalist Jack Bradley.
Never is that more apparent than on their self-titled third record, out August 6th on their own label. A rough and tumble suite of 12 songs that nods to everyone from The Kinks to The White Stripes, The Thing sounds like old New York revivicated and remixed. “It showcases all of us, all of our different personalities,” says bassist/vocalist Zane Acord. “In The Thing, we’re a collective band. We hang our hats on being a true band — where we all have the spotlight. I think that gives us a different edge.” That album follows 2023’s debut, Here’s the Thing, and The Things Is, which dropped the following year.
The four members of Thing came from intersecting backgrounds, lending to their rock-and-roll-as-melting-pot vibe. Acord grew up with a drummer dad who hipped him to bands like Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad; he met guitarist/vocals Michael Carter — an avid Beatles fan — in middle school. The duo went on to collect Bradley in high school, an aspiring producer with a studio in his basement and a yen for psych rock. Jazz drummer Lucas Ebeling linked up with the band when everyone found their way to New York in 2022. They’ve since played more than 300 shows across the world.
The band’s self-titled work, then, is a culmination of all those influences — and all that hustle. “We threw all of our different various influences throughout — all the decades of rock and roll and adjacent genres — and ended up with something of our own,” Bradley says. “Our contribution to the genre. Our style. Our… thing.”
LONG LIVE THE THING.
For more information on The Thing, please visit:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
Press photo by Art Davison
