NYC band Gustaf recently announced that they’ll be releasing their debut album Audio Drag For Ego Slobs in October. Following on from “Book” they’ve shared a new single and video called “Best Behavior”, which came together differently to usual, as they explain:
“Best Behavior” was fun to record because it was one of the first songs we finished/crafted in the studio rather than onstage. It started out as a demo we had in the early days of the band but never ended up playing live. It sat forgotten until we began planning the record and came together pretty effortlessly in the studio. Unlike the bulk of the album that we developed over the course of many live shows, it was exciting to be making decisions and constructing the final song as it was happening. It also helped us get our footing and identify how we wanted to steer and produce the remaining recordings.
“The song’s ethos is a bit of the old and the new attitude for Gustaf. Our narrator, the ‘ego slob’, is bargaining with itself, scrounging for self compassion and self assurance despite a pile of hurt feelings in its wake. In demanding spoils despite having done nothing to earn them, we see the initial cracks in a brutish facade— our antihero slowly realizing maybe the shell they built for themselves was not built for the world.“
Having been built up in the studio gives “Best Behavior” a different purpose to Gustaf’s other songs; it feels more purposefully crafted to bob, pop and roll. This provides the perfect platform for vocalist Lydia Gammill’s characterful vocal, where she takes on the role of the egotistical narrator trying to convince the arbiters of truth that she’s been “good today”; didn’t lie, didn’t betray (at least not the people in the room), didn’t think of anyone else (today, anyway). Though, when tempted, she can’t help herself from begging “can I touch it?!”, before bouncing back to the affirmation of “I’m good / I’m very very good” in the gang-vocalled and entirely irresistible chorus.
As infectious and hilarious as the song is on its own, “Best Behavior” becomes whole new dimensions of brilliant in the video, where Gammill and co ham it up to bring this egotistical character to life. Take a look below.
Gustaf’s debut album Audio Drag For Ego Slobs comes out October 1 through Royal Mountain (pre-order/save). You can follow the band on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
They’ll also be touring on both sides of the Atlantic:
10/1 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
10/2 – Knoxville, TN – Mill and Mine
10/3 – Cincinatti, OH – MOTR Pub
10/4 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
10/6 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
10/7 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre #
10/8 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre #
10/9 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall #
10/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall #
10/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues #
10/13 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore #
10/15 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
10/16 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
10/17 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
10/18 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
10/20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel #
10/21 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom #
10/25 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s #
10/26 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater #
10/27 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
11/2 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge $
11/3 – Bristol, UK – Rough Trade Bristol $
11/4 – London, UK – The Dome $
11/8 – Leeds, UK – Hyde Park Book Club $
11/9 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) $
11/10 – Liverpool, UK – Arts Club Loft $
11/11 – London, UK – The Windmill, Brixton (Gustaf headline)
11/13 – Utrecht, NL – Le Guess Who Festival
11/14 – Kortrijk, BE – Sonic City Festival
11/14 – Brussels, BE – Witloof Bar
11/16 – Berlin, DE – Cassiopeia
11/17 – Haldern, DE – Haldern Pop Bar
11/19 – Lile, FR – The Black Lab
11/20 – Luxembourg City, LU – Rotondes Klub
12/09 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar (headline)
# – supporting IDLES
$ – supporting Pillow Queens
