Chattanooga-based hardcore punks GUMM have announced their debut album, “Slogan Machine,” set for release on May 19th via Convulse Records. GUMM, known for their frantic and intense hardcore sound reminiscent of mid-80s DC, gained attention with their 2020 EP “Piece It Together” and their “Two Song Promo” released in 2022.
The band’s upcoming full-length debut, “Slogan Machine,” showcases their melodic yet deceptively heavy sound, grounded in Revolution Summer material while remaining inventive. The album’s lyrics delve into themes of social decay and alienation, reflecting the growing distrust and unease that has emerged over recent decades.
To give fans a taste of what’s to come, GUMM has released a new single, “Free,” which promises to be an exhilarating preview of their forthcoming album. Video by Haylie Jimenez can we watched above.
Vocalist Drew Waldon discussed the new song saying: “This song is more or less about recognizing the parts of my upbringing that were harmful. I’ve had to unlearn a lot of the things that I was indoctrinated with early in life, to the bewilderment of friends and family who still feel content living within the limits of those specific moral, artistic, spiritual boundaries. I broke free, and am still breaking free, from the ideas and beliefs that were thrust upon me at a young age and were used to keep me subservient for many years. I’m breaking free from certainty – the ‘only one truth’ mentality; I’m breaking free from systems and schools of thought that prey on people’s fears in order to keep them ignorant and controlled; I’m breaking free from any voice that tries to limit or belittle my creativity and personal growth. For years I was on track to live a very muted, “safe” version of the life I truly wanted for myself, because of the circles I was in. I’m breaking free from those and I think everyone should.”
Check out both new tracks, including the title track below!
Since forming in 2018, Gumm have been releasing a steady stream of promising EPs, and now Slogan Machine finds the band creating their most impressive work yet. Recorded by Jarrod Gee, the record’s eight songs are chalk full of adventurous riffs and heavy bass lines that perfectly tee up Waldon’s memorable lyrics. “I feel like there’s a certain lack of self-awareness and empathy overall right now when it comes to people of differing opinions and ideals,” he explains. “The folks being the loudest generally prefer to reach for quick, easy talking points and slogans to bark at one another, rather than do the work to actually affect change.”
But despite all of the frustration on Slogan Machine, there’s also an optimism buried within–a desire for something more. With equal parts vitriol and conviction, the album tapps into an innate connection to humanity that can’t be fully undone, in spite of the powers-that-be who seek to take advantage of all the chaos and division.
Gumm will be touring in the spring in support of Slogan Machine, including dates supporting Drain, Drug Church, 7Seconds, and more. See full itinerary below.
6/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ The Launchpad *
6/21 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile *
6/22 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory *
6/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Theater *
6/24 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst *
7/21 – Washington DC @ Black Cat ^
* w/ Drain, Drug Church, Magnitude
^ w/ 7Seconds, One Step Closer
