(PR) Bursting forth with lush orchestration, fuzz-filled melodies and infectious, Technicolor pop, Bad Veins' debut full-length album will be released July 21 on Dangerbird Records. Having already made a name for themselves with their highly talked-about shows and acclaimed self-released 4-song demo, the eponymous LP marks the first official release for the Cincinnati-based duo of Benjamin Davis (vocals, guitar, keys) and Sebastien Schultz (drums).Produced and mixed by Justin Bailey of the Black Iris Collective, a coalition of indie musicians who compose music for ads, Bad Veins was taken under the collective's wing free of charge, proving to be a labor of love. While Davis recorded a majority of the album in his home studio in Cincinnati, Schultz tracked the drums in Richmond and together, they mixed the album in Los Angeles.
Beginning with the symphonic, widescreen pop of "Found," complete with Schultz's marching band drums, blasting horns, swelling strings and Davis' confident howl, the 10-track album is a true testament to the duo's ingenuity and innate songwriting abilities. Sounding more like a full-blown indie-rock orchestra than a two-man operation, the songs were all written and arranged by Davis. While they received some assistance in the studio from friends who laid down horns on several compositions, Davis and Schultz fully realize their songs live with the help of their "unofficial" third member, Irene, a 1973 Pioneer reel-to-reel tape machine responsible for playing back many of the lush background mixes.
A long-standing fan-favorite at shows, "Gold and Warm," will be the album's first single. The cinematic intro rapidly erupts into a pounding drum beat, distorted guitar lick and a crunchy bass line, as Davis' croon takes center stage, revealing a place where "sunlight is gold." Similarly, "Falling Tide" displays the band's penchant for pop hooks as the song races out of the gates on an urgent beat and pulsing bass. "Afraid" slows the pace as Davis sings over a pump organ and is backed by a soaring choir. "Go Home" fittingly closes out the album with a hypnotic piano over an electronic beat and the click of Irene running out of tape.
