Truth Club. Photo by Alex Montenegro.
One of Truth Club's key strengths has always been their harmonies. The Raleigh four-piece's debut album Not an Exit offered post-punk and noise-rock that shimmered for how its unusually tender, even cozy vocal melodies interacted with the angular and abrasive elements. Their June single "Blue Eternal," Truth Club's first on their new label Double Double Whammy, emphasized this tendency with yearning fuzz rock; listening back, it makes their new song "Exit Cycle," taken from their upcoming album Running From the Chase and premiering today on The FADER, even more of a heel turn.
Just as Not an Exit refused to stay content with one mood or expression of "indie rock," Truth Club's two new songs from Running From the Chase feel like long separated and reunited siblings. "Exit Cycle" is more nakedly vulnerable and morose, with an emphasis on vocals — singer and guitarist Travis Harrington starts off numbed and resigned, opening up more as the backing voices (which include fellow Raleigh artist Indigo De Souza) build a funhouse full of mirrors reflecting the song outwards into the world. If Pavement and Slint had a group musical therapy session, something like "Exit Cycle" might emerge.
Watch the video, directed by Alex Montenegro, below, a fever dream of a band rehearsal you might have if you ate too much before bed. Then scroll down for Harrington's statement on the song's creation, followed by Truth Club's upcoming tour dates. Running From the Chase is out October 6 via Double Double Whammy.
"Like most of the other songs on Running From the Chase, ‘Exit Cycle’ had been kicking around in some form for a few years. When we went to record the album, we had only just begun to conceptualize the vocal round and harmonies at the end. Yvonne and I compiled what we had written, and it didn't feel complete. It needed another voice.
"Indigo has been a long-time friend of mine, and I had always dreamed of getting to collaborate with her. Her voice has so much grace and power. I texted her and she happened to have just gotten back into town from a leg of shows and seemed happy to stop by the studio. I think she listened to the song maybe once, and then immediately got in front of the mic. It was a joy to watch her process. Suddenly, she landed on the arrangement you hear on the record, and Alex and I just froze, we looked at each other with the widest eyes like 'This is it' I think my jaw actually dropped.
“This song will always be remarkable to me because, for the longest time, I didn't think it would ever find a home with Truth Club. It has the most ambitious vocal arrangement we've ever attempted, and through this arrangement, I was finally able to collaborate with one of my oldest friends and constant sources of inspiration. The emotional path of the song parallels the journey of writing it: It begins in the most private and insular place, and finally grows into a joyfully collective outpour."
Truth Club 2023 tour dates
October 14 - Asheville, NC - Different Wrld
October 16 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR &
October 18 - Chicago, IL - Golden Dagger
October 19 - Detroit, MI - Lager House *
October 20 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern *
October 21 - Toronto, ON - Monarch Tavern *
October 22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Bottlerocket Social Hall *
October 24 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall *
October 25 - Kingston, NY - Tubby's
October 26 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
October 27 - Philadelphia, PA - Ukie Club *
October 28 - Washington, DC - DC9 *
* - with Squirrel Flower
& - with Horse Jumper of Love