The post-rock influenced heavy rockers Pianos Become The Teeth are about to release their new (third) studio album titled Keep You via Epitaph Records.
Having evolved quite heavily as a band, this is the five piece’s first release that doesn’t feature their previously trademarked screamo vocals. Once a melodic hardcore/ screamo act, the band are now equally as melodic but more developed and down tempo on Keep You.
On Keep You the band worked with producer Will Yip (Braid, Title Fight, Touché Amoré) during a month long recording session in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. “I took a less unbridled approach to the songs this time around,” vocalist Kyle Durfey explains. “That’s what I felt the songs called for and in my heart it matched the tone of the record.”
Keep You deals with familiar concepts like mortality and communication in an intensely personal way that’s also remarkably relatable in its honesty. “The album is about things you want to say to people but you can’t for some reason whether it’s because they’re not in your life anymore or they’ve passed away,” Durfey explains.
To celebrate the release of this stunning album, the band have given us a run down of some of the music that influenced this new record and the band’s new sound.
Daniel Romano – Hard on You
“Daniel Romano was a member of the Canadian punk band Attack in Black. One of the guys in Single Mothers first introduced me to their music, starting off with the album Years (By One Thousand Fingertips), which I highly recommend.
The guitar solo in this song is one of my favorite recorded tones. He overdrives the amp just enough to sustain his notes and still retain the clean sparkle from the amp. Rolling back on the overdrive keeps his chords defined and his tone sounds huge. This is the type of tone I had in my head when I envisioned how Keep You would sound.” (Chad McDonald, guitarist)
The National – ‘I Need My Girl’ &
Bon Iver – ‘Holocene’
“I’m grouping these songs together since they all represent the same feeling to me – sad but hopeful. It’s remarkable how well these bands compose their songs. Most of their individual parts are simple, but they combine to create these enormously atmospheric songs.
We focused a lot on group dynamics in songs like April and Repine largely because of the songwriting on those four records.” (Chad McDonald, guitarist)
As Cities Burn – ‘Contact’
“For a few months I listened to this song every morning on my walk to work. I love how atmospheric and lush this song starts out and then the rest of the band kicks in and the sound just opens up and explodes. Say Nothing was influenced by this song – the riff part where Kyle sings “Maybe I don’t wanna talk about how…,” and then the heavy chords come in especially reminds me of As Cities Burn.” (Chad McDonald, guitarist)
Future Islands – Seasons
“Being from Baltimore, you hear so much about Future Islands; and for good reason. This album took me by surprise because I hadn’t followed them much until now and then regretted that I hadn’t. An amazing pop rock record with the nostalgia of late 80’s synth pop.” (Mike York, guitarist)
The Smiths – ‘I Know It’s Over’
“I don’t care what anyone says; Morrissey is an unbelievable musician and I think it shows on The Smiths album The Queen is Dead the most. Something about the dramatic lyrics and the 80’s indie rock ballads/pop structures that make the Smiths one of my favorite bands of all time.” (Mike York, guitarist)
Planes Mistaken for Stars – ‘Crooked Mile’
“Easily one of my favorite bands and most influential as well. The only band that I think I have ever been exposed to that truly just wanted to rock and didn’t care what anyone thought of them. This was also the record that Gared started singing a but differently and I remember being blown away at his voice. It almost scared me because of the way it sounded. A croon that is truly terrifying.” (Mike York, guitarist)
Bon Iver – ‘Perth’
“The tone of this song is so strange but in the most interesting way. So dense, and dark. Such catchy hooks without being poppy. Justin Vernon is an incredible artist.” (Mike York, guitarist)
Explosions in the Sky – ‘Your Hand In Mine’
“My favorite instrumental band by far. Can tell a story with no words. This is probably the most perfect music soundscape that exists in the post rock, or perhaps any musical, world.” (Mike York, guitarist)
Dinosaur Jr. – ‘Alone’
“My friend Andy showed me this song early this year and once he showed me, I was completely blown away. Hard to even convey the emotion in this song in words.” (Mike York, guitarist)
For more info visit of to pick up a copy of Keep You, visit www.epitaph.com
