Cursive continues horror videos with “Bloodbather” ::antiMusic.com

09.10.2024

(Chromatic) Ahead of the release of their tenth album Devourer on Friday the 13th via Run For Cover Records, Cursive have shared their new single “Bloodbather.” The dynamic and defiant track – which features a soaring interlude that slowly builds to a cacophonous ending – is available now alongside a blood-splattered, winking video starring Shannon Purser (Stranger Things, Riverdale, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser) and Aurora Perrineau (Westworld, Kaos) and directed by Chelsea Stardust (Satanic Panic, All That We Destroy).

“'Bloodbather' is the internal dialogue most of us have, the guilt of being a more decent human being when we'd rather indulge in our vices,” explains singer/guitarist Tim Kasher. “Chelsea Stardust made a stellar video for the song, featuring Aurora Perrineau and Shannon Purser at a prom gone wrong that quickly degenerates into Fight Club.”

The video is part of a series of horror clips from the band created by genre directors around the album, and follows lead single “Up and Away” by Brea Grant (12 Hour Shift, Torn Hearts); “Botch Job” by Travis Stevens (A Wounded Fawn, Jakob's Wife, Girl On The Third Floor); and “Imposturing,” which was directed by Kasher. Devourer is available to pre-order now.

Cursive has also announced a US West Coast tour for January and February, with Pile opening for all dates. The band's upcoming East Coast tour kicks off on October 18th in their hometown of Omaha, NE, and next weekend they will also perform at Riot Fest in Chicago, IL.

In the years since their formation in 1995, Cursive has become one of the most important groups to emerge from the late '90s/early '00s era when the lines between indie rock and post-hardcore began to blur and something entirely new emerged. Albums like Domestica (2000) and The Ugly Organ (2003) became essential touchstones whose echoes can still be heard in new bands today. The pull of nostalgia can be strong over time, but Cursive's work has often felt like a rejection of those comfort zones; the band has constantly pushed itself forward, with Kasher's artistic restlessness driving them forward. Indeed, for Kasher, whose astute observations always begin by looking inward first, it was an interrogation of that insatiable creativity that laid the foundation for Devourer.

“I'm obsessed with consuming art,” he explains. “Music, film, literature. I realized that I was devouring all of these art forms and then creating my own versions of those things and spewing them out into the world. That's positive; you're part of an ecosystem. But I quickly realized that the term 'Devourer' can also embody something stark, something sinister.” Devourer delves into this darker space. The characters who populate the album have limitless consumption capabilities, whether it's resources, material goods, art, or even each other. Then they're devoured by larger forces, whether it's humanity, the earth, dreams, time, or life itself.

Fans have come to expect such heady subject matter from Cursive, but Devourer sets a new standard. The first world's superficiality to other people's problems. The eternal struggle to stay on the right path. The eager followers who are exploited by their leaders. How fears can increase with age. How self-expression can turn into self-indulgence. That the album is filled to the brim thematically and musically is not surprising considering Kasher has written an astonishing 69 compositions since he began writing songs in fall 2020. About 20 made it to the rehearsal room and a select 13 ended up on the finished album. At ARC Studios in Omaha, the whole thing was handled by Marc Jacob Hudson (Against Me!, Thursday, Fireworks), who co-produced Devourer with the band. The album sounds urgent and fresh, the work of a band still experimenting and still hungry to reach new creative heights.

Cursive is the core trio of Kasher, bassist Matt Maginn and guitarist/vocalist Ted Stevens, along with keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Newbery, cellist Megan Siebe, and recording/touring drummer Pat Oakes and founding drummer Clint Schnase (who alternate drumming duties on Devourer but collaborate on “Rookie”).

Tour dates in italics (new dates in bold):
09/21 – Chicago, Illinois @ Reggies Rock Club$
09/22 – Chicago, Illinois @ Riot Fest
18.10. – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room*
19.10. – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room**
20.10. – St. Louis, Off Broadway^
21.10. – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East^
10/22 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West^
10/23 -Orlando, FL @The Social^
10/24 – Miami, FL @ Gramps^
10/25 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Beer Hall at Intuition Ale Works^
10/26 – Gainesville, FL @ The Fest September 22nd
10/27 – Charlotte, NC @ The Neighborhood Theater^
10/28 -Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall^
10/29 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage^
30.10. – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts^
01.11. – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall^
02.11. – Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall^
03.11. – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom^
04.11. – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom^
11/5 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby's^ (SOLD OUT)
06.11. – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater^
07.11. – Buffalo, NY @ Recreation Room^
13.11. – London, UK @ Camden Assembly
11/15 – Wangels, DE @ Rolling Stone Beach 2024
30.1. – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater#
31.1. – Denver, CO @ The Gothic Theater#
2/1 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Urban Lounge#
2/2 – Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club#
2/3 – Spokane, WA @ District Bar#
2/4 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile#
2/5 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall#
2/6 – Sacramento, California @ Harlow's#
2/7 – Felton, California @ Felton Music Hall#
2/8 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall#
2/10 – Morro Bay, California @ The Siren#
11.02. – Ventura, California @ Ventura Music Hall#
12.02. – Los Angeles, California @ The Regent Theater#
14.02. – Pomona, California @ The Glass House#
15.2. – San Diego, California @ The Music Box#
02/17 – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar & Billiards#
02/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom#
19.2. – El Paso, Texas @ The Lowbrow Palace#
02/20 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger#
21.02. – Austin, TX @ Mohawk#
02/22 – Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall#
02/23 – Dallas, TX @ The Kessler Theater#