The Thing deliver a double does of tension & release on 2 new singles
NYC’S THE THING DELIVER A DOUBLE DOSE OF
TENSION & RELEASE ON NEW SINGLES
“ALIVE (THE SWORD)” + “HOLY WATER” — STREAM
UNVEILING NEW, SELF-TITLED ALBUM
TWO SINGLES AT A TIME UNTIL THE THING
IS OUT IN FULL ON AUGUST 6
CURRENTLY ON EUROPEAN TOUR BEFORE
RESIDENCY AT NEW YORK’S NIGHT CLUB 101
THIS JULY — 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 today releases the next two singles off of their upcoming album with “Alive (The Sword)” and “Holy Water.” Arriving in full on August 6, the band has been releasing their self-titled third album in thematic packages of A/B-sides over the last few months. As reverent of the city's gritty past as they are hungry to reinvent it, The Thing was 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 releases.
Now officially crossing into the back half of the album, The Thing takes a moment to show how masterfully they can tiptoe between restraint and release. “Alive (the Sword)” rocks in like a viking ship on the high seas, building beautifully throughout the journey. Guitarist/vocalist Jack Bradley said it’s time to reflect on, “having patience and becoming the person that you know you should be — and having faith. There's no need to jump the gun, which is something that I struggle with.”
In the 6-minute epic that is “Holy Water,” there’s a palpable transition from something once in the realm of The Beatles, to the repertoire of Radiohead. Taking time to show off the Jazz training of drummer Lucas Ebeling, Bradley shared that “It came out really organically, all of us just playing and having the first part completely die out and then kick back in with the same chords and same song, but just with the different inflection.”
Both of today’s releases are a delicious slow burn, a moment in the live show where you’d imagine the band taking a breath. But do not be deceived. At no point along the way do The Thing surrender the entrancing hold they have on their listeners.
With each set of singles released, the accompanying artwork is one piece of the puzzle that will eventually build out the album artwork.
The album’s early singles have showcased a band both resilient and untethered. Quickly gaining traction, the releases earned the band the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds Rock and editorial nods from All New Rock and New Noise, with previous tips from Rolling Stone, AltPress amongst others.
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.
Fresh off a whirlwind week at SXSW, and dates supporting Wine Lips in New York City, this summer the band return to European shores for an extensive touring run, with stops in London, Nottingham, along with festivals including Relache Festival in France, Best Kept Secret in The Netherlands and Freak Valley Festival in Germany. And in July, The Thing will triumphantly return to their home of NYC for a residency at Night Club 101. Tickets for The Thing’s upcoming tour are on sale now here.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
EUROPE
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
THE THING TRACKLIST SO FAR
“Above Snakes" — stream
“Family Business” — stream | watch
“Can You Help Me?” — stream | watch
“Mr. Useless” — stream
“Alive (The Sword)” — stream
“Holy Water” — stream
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:
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Press photo by Art Davison
