CURLING — Shamble (single edit) & extra tracks album news
Plus: US SF Launch + Japanese Tour Dates
Curling’s third album No Guitar is their most fully realized work yet, a lush and intricate collection that covers a ton of ground, from the bittersweet jangle of power-pop, to indie-folk, Midwestern emo, and much more. The album marks the latest evolution for cross-continental duo Bernie Gelman and Joseph Brandel, who first met in high school and have been fusing their own unique musical sensibilities ever since, with Gelman operating out of the San Francisco Bay Area while Brandel currently resides in Japan.
Perusing an online message board, Gelman came across drummer Kynwyn Sterling from Portland, OR and reached out to see if she’d be interested in playing together. Pretty soon thereafter Brandel and Gelman decamped to Portland with Sterling and everything started coming together; the newly-formed trio felt their creativity flowing and four new songs emerged, the beginnings of many sessions to come with engineer Ian Pellici at Brothers Chinese Recording in Oakland, CA.
Royal Oakie Records is proud to release No Guitar (Deluxe Edition) which combines the original album with two instrumental bonus tracks from the No Guitar sessions, Cavalry and C2, both featuring transitional drummer Kevin Stewart. Mixed and mastered by David Glasebrook, the bonus tracks add further depth and stylistic reach to the album.
The album title reflects an initial effort to abandon the six-strings of their previous albums. “It lasted 30 minutes before we picked up some guitars,” Gelman laughs. “No Guitar was originally supposed to be the first Curling album where we diverged from writing songs with guitars. That definitely didn’t happen! Except for one song, which is called No Guitar.”
The album's opening track Shamble, to be released by Royal Oakie Records as a first single, recalls the jangly power-pop of Big Star and Teenage Fanclub, shot through a 21st century lens. The lyrics lead towards a wonderful crescendo…
On the desert plane of love
You lost your mind
Forever
Breathe out
Japan Tour Dates - February 2024
02/16 - Ninespices - Shinjuku - Tokyo, JP
02/17 - Space - Shinjuku - Tokyo, JP
02/18 - Pool - Sakuradai - Tokyo, JP
02/19 - Jam - Nishieifuku - Tokyo, JP
02/23 - Kichijoji Warp - Musashino - Tokyo, JP
02/24 - Flat - Nishi-Ogikubo - Tokyo, JP
02/26 - Fever - Shindaita - Tokyo, JP
US Album Launch Date
03/03 - Neck of the Woods, San Francisco, CA
Further US dates TBA
Here are the release dates:
February 9th 2024 - First single Shamble (single edit)
February 23rd 2024 - Second single Cavalry
March 1st 2024 - No Guitar (Deluxe Edition) digital + US physical releases - CD & cassette
April 19th 2024 - No Guitar (Deluxe Edition) UK/EU physical releases - CD & cassette
Pre-order link:
No Guitar (Deluxe Edition), by Curling