After years of building up steam as one of the most hard working live acts in New York, Gustaf finally released their debut single “Mine” back in October. Since then they’ve been quiet, but it seems they’ve been creating their debut album, Audio Drag For Ego Slobs, which they today announce will come out on October 1 through Royal Mountain. They’ve also shared a new single called “Book”, saying:
“Book is a song about the fallacy and fight of getting ahead vs being a head. It is seeking validation in the wrong places and from the wrong people. The hook, “I got ahead, I got a head” is a fun little taunt that we find either being thrown in our face or coming out our mouth. Everyone gets their moment up on the pedestal and everyone gets their turn falling off of it. Whether it’s up or down, ‘Book’ is about accepting whatever level you’re on.”
With taut, livewire sound, Gustaf immediately throw down a challenge: “show me the book of things I said.” It’s a confrontational attitude that they maintain throughout, giving “Book” a spikiness that’s impossible to ignore – and deadly addictive. While it may seem punky on the surface, Gustaf add a playfulness, surrounding lead singer Lydia Gammill’s stimulating sneer with lively, cartoony vocal quips, which chime perfectly with the song’s offbeat and sardonic humour.
You can find “Book” on streaming platforms, but we’d suggest checking out the great video below, which gives even more insight into this characterful band.
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
