dropbear ‘gaze anew with ‘Bystander’

Boston alt-rock band unveil enchanting debut single on Friday, June 24

Jun 13, 2022

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dropbear’s debut EP ‘Spiralized’ is set for self-release on July 22

BOSTON, MA [June 24, 2022] -- The various places and spaces where the members of dropbear met in recent years are a pretty solid representative introduction to the Boston alt-rock band: On the floor of a local Cave In show, through musician network groups on the internet, and in the back of restaurant kitchens - where new co-workers quickly realized they had not only mutual friends, but also a shared love of similar music. The members of dropbear (band name stylized in all lower case, displayed as one word) like to playfully point out that they all probably danced together in the pit at shows before crystallizing as a quintet.

Now that dropbear are set to make their arrival with their first batch of music, they’re likely to inspire others to come together in the front of the stage at shows as well. On Friday, June 24, dropbear release their debut single “Bystander;” it’s the lead track from the five-song Spiralized EP, due out a month later on July 22.

“Bystander” makes an immediate impact. Balancing a genre spectrum unified under alt-rock, but with ethereal qualities of shoegaze and dream-pop, the urgent nature of post-hardcore, and the expansive depth of post-rock, dropbear’s debut effort is a captivating turn of blissful noise that sets a decisive tone for the forthcoming EP. It’s an impressive early expression from the young band, displaying a confidence and chemistry of five former strangers now entwined into each others’ creativity.

“I think the direction in sound is definitely going the ‘90s alternative and shoegaze route, but also eventually incorporating some more modern influences as well,” says drummer Tee Jay. “All of us have a diverse background as far as the type of music we play and what we listen to, so songwriting from here on out will most likely evolve. ‘Bystander’ was the first song written; it's the first track on the album, and it encompasses everything we love about ‘90s alt rock – catchy spacey riffs, a bit of shoegaze, loud driving drums and a few little off-time sections and chuggy riffs.”

dropbear formed a few years back by guitarists and longtime friends Joseph Perrier and Matt Tillman linked by a friendship of 20 years, and a desire to create music together despite the stars never aligning. The two share a love of ‘90s alt-rock, and classic thrash and death metal. They begin each writing process with a riff and drum tempo suggestions, and after many COVID-related delays sidetracked the project for an extended time and some lineup shuffling, dropbear, rounded out with Christian Russo on bass and Rachel Bacon on vocals, went into Labyrinth Audio in Peabody with a handful of songs ready for public consumption.

What emerged was five tracks that pulled sonic DNA of varying degrees from each members’ other bands and projects – Bacon in Rio Bravo; Russo in Hammer Bros and Hold This Moment; Tillman in Moons; Tee Jay in Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, Martyrs, and Lunar Throne; and Perrier’s Unrequited and Some Cities – but also felt distinctively dropbear from the start.

“In my old group, I used to sing songs that maxed out easily at two minutes in length, and I used to scream and sing and lose my voice after all of my old shows,” says Bacon. “I was out of the music scene for a long time – grad school, work, life, blah blah – and I joined dropbear after meeting Joe online in a Boston musicians group. I was really intrigued about joining a nu-gaze, shoegaze, alternative, genre-defying group and met up with Joe and Matt pre-pandemic to jam. When we practiced I was so in awe of their talent and since that initial jam it's been a fun challenge to use the full extent of my vocal range for the first time in a project. I've had such a blast writing lyrics and melodies and being granted the creative freedom to contribute to the mood and help round out every song.”

That shines bright on “Bystander.” With its slow intro build-up and looping guitar riffs, Bacon’s vocals buoy the track into soaring, skygazing territory. And she wasn’t afraid to incorporate personal experiences into her lyric sheets - both on the lead single and throughout the record.

“The EP, lyrically, has several themes where it's this personal moment of realization that you're the only person in your own way,” says Bacon. " ‘Bystander’ is a first person account about a bad breakup and watching someone walk out, and really… you're okay with it in the end. It starts as this frozen fight or flight but gives way to decisiveness by the end of the song. I think a lot of us can relate in some way or another when you decide it's more protective to see a person depart and stay out of your life.”

The members of dropbear are certainly glad to be in each other’s lives. Beyond countless hours of chats and correspondence over WhatsApp, they also have the Spiralized EP, and plenty more music on the way to show for it. From random encounters both online and IRL, to sharing a practice space and now a live stage — the dropbear story is one of five creatives joining forces for a singular musical vision that eschews boundaries. And the friendship helps feed the beast.

“I really think our biggest strength as a band,” admits Russo, “is that we all really get along and enjoy being around each other.”

Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to dropbear at dropbeartheband@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.