Subtle has resurfaced with a pair of new tracks, a new lineup and forthcoming cassette release set to arrive in March.
Matt Carter
After a long hibernation, Subtle have resurfaced with a pair of new tracks that fit perfectly in the band’s well-established vein of emo noise rock. My Favoutite Morning and Calculus Class are the band’s first new tracks in over nearly two years. While Subtle was largely inactive during much of 2019, founder and principal songwriter Drew Sweet jumped at the chance to record a few new songs when the opportunity presented itself.
“In early December, my good friend Micah Brown reached out to say that he was going to be in Saint John working on a recording project with his brother Ryan,” said Sweet. “He mentioned that we should get together and I told him that he should record Subtle. Micah is an audio engineer based out of Montreal and I’ve been a big fan of his work for a long time. This was a great opportunity to finally get to work with him in a closer capacity. Micah mastered the last EP (2018’s Borderline).”
This latest session was recorded as a two-piece with Sweet handling vocals, guitar and bass together with Colin Ferris on drums.
“Subtle, at that time, was inactive,” said Sweet. “I had a few songs that I had half written. Colin Ferris, who previously played guitar [in the band], got on a drum kit and helped me finish out these songs. I liked Colin on the kit so much that I invited him to be on the recording.
“We got together with Micah just before christmas, at Sanctuary Theatre,” said Sweet. “We found a room at the top of the old, repurposed church and set everything up. Our room was directly next to a very large, open dance studio, which made for a terrible draft. With hats and sweaters on, we spent two days tracking these two songs.”
Despite the band’s prolonged spell of inactivity, this latest release finds Sweet’s emotionally rich songwriting as strong as ever and his vocal delivery on both My Favoutite Morning and Calculus Class are some of his strongest to date.
2020 will also find the band performing live with a new lineup.
“With Colin now on drums, we have since added Mike Roy on bass (Plaster Lungs, Leinster) and Dawson Cole on guitar (Cassette Tapes, Rival), and we’re playing some shows in support of our single release.”
These two track will appear together with a couple of previously released tracks on a new cassette-only release coming in March via Monopolized Records.
“This new single is meant to shoot a little flare in the air and let people know I’m still here,” said Sweet.
Upcoming Performances:
Feb. 28 | Callie’s Pub | Saint John | w/ The Backstays + Jason Ogden + Wrote | View Event
Mar. 13 | Taco Pica | w/ Sadie + Matty Grace + Guilhem + Designosaur | View Event
