Photo by: Joshua Zucker-Pluda & Sean Stout
Uniform will be releasing their new studio album, American Standard, on August 23rd through Sacred Bones. Pre-orders are now available and can be found here. The group have also released the lead single for the effort, “This Is Not A Prayer”; listen below. Speaking of the album and new track, vocalist Michael Berdan shared:
“Although our new record is best experienced as one cohesive piece, it isn’t exactly Dopesmoker. The songs on American Standard feed into an overarching narrative with the goal of retaining their own individual identities.
Existing in the netherworld between Public Image Ltd. and Butthole Surfers, ‘This Is Not A Prayer’ best exemplifies the bludgeoning percussive interplay between dual drummers Michael Sharp and Michael Blume. Similar to bands like Swans or even Meshuggah, the guitar, bass, and vocals on this track act in complete service to what’s happening on the kits. The song is as purely rhythmic as we’ve ever dared to attempt, and we hope that these beats will take you where you need to go. Drums should serve as lead instruments in extreme music more often, but I digress…
Thematically, ‘This Is Not A Prayer’ touches on the internal paradox that I’ve experienced while in the throes of an eating disorder. It’s about how the best I’ve ever felt about my physical appearance came when the people I love have told me that I look sick. Rather than taking their concerns to heart, I internalized these sentiments as proof that I was on the right track. I was not.”
Of the writing process for American Standard guitarist and founder Ben Greenberg said:
“When we started this record, Berdan told me: ‘I trust you to come up with a solid foundation for this, however you envision this thing. I want you to realize it completely, because I believe in you.’ So I wanted to write something overwhelming and all-encompassing for Berdan to lead his narrative through… because I trust and believe in him.”
Uniform have also shared a batch of late summer West Coast performances. The run kicks off with a record release show in New York before heading west. Get the itinerary below.
American Standard track listing:
- “American Standard”
- “This Is Not A Prayer”
- “Clemency”
- “Permanent Embrace”
Tour dates:
8/30 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
9/03 Landers, CA – Giant Rock
9/04 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon ^
9/05 San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside ^
9/06 Eugene, OR – John Henry’s ^
9/07 Seattle, WA – Black Lodge ^
9/08 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios ^
9/09 Vancouver, BC – The Pearl ^
9/10 Tacoma, WA – Elks Temple ^
* = w/ Poison Ruin & LEYA
^ = w/ World Peace
