While there’s been no shortage of high-profile releases in 2020, there’s something far more exciting about discovering passionate undeground artists and getting to share their music with the world. It’s my passion embedded into what I do through IDIOTEQ and today, I am thrilled to be premiering the debut full length from Bordeaux, France based emo / indie punk artist GOLDEN SEAMS, a perfect example of dedication and independent, heartfelt craft, a record that grabs you on the first listen and keeps you enthralled through a lot more. Created by Arthur from Fireflies Fall label and bands Low Relief, Bear and Forbear, “Sublimons les Blessures” is an emotional journey of nostalgic memories and different impressions of the world, soundtracked by driving rhythms and colorful, anthemic melodies.
“Golden Seams is a solo project I initiated when my last band (Low Relief) stopped in September 2019″ – comments Arthur. “At the same time I was moving from Poitiers to Bordeaux, so I decided to start composing an album all by myself as It was difficult for me to have a new band at the beginning of my new life in this city. The first quarantine in France gave me a lot of time to finish the album, that I finally recorded last Summer. For now, I don’t think about touring because of the global pandemic situation.”
“Sublimons les Blessures” is out January 19th via Fireflies Fall (Vinyl & Tape, France), Voice of the Unheard (Vinyl, France), Seitan Hell Bike (Vinyl, France), Non Ti Seguo Records (Vinyl, Italy), Les disques Rabat-joie (Vinyl, Canada) and Lonely Owl Records (Tape, France).
This album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Caryl Marolleau at Studio Safuzz • Alexis Sebastian (Gros Enfant Mort, Johk, Bear and Forbear) plays the drums on all the songs • He wrote «Isolation» with me and sings on it • Clément Pequin (Johk, Bear and Forbear) sings a lot of backing vocals • Léa Dixneuf (Dark Days) sings on «From Great Heights to Nose Dive» • She also plays in the «For the Worst» music video • She supported me during all this year of writing/composing/demoing/… • Alexis, Clément, Léa and I were joined by Anne Rousseau and Noémie Geay & Damien Verdeau (Topsy Turvy’s) to record the gang vocals.
Cover credits: Audrey Chapelet (@audrey_barker_stickininmyeye) took the pictures for the covers • Carole Bouyer is the model in the pictures • Océane Boquet (@maya_culpa) did the layout.
Watch the official music video for the song “For The Worst”, directed and edited by Yann-Maël Le Roy (Stop Eject Films):
Track by track commentary:
1 – 235 km
It’s the First song I wrote and one of the most personnal I think.
It deals with the difficulty to leave a city where you got all your friends, your life, etc.. and success to move on in a new one.
2 – For The Worst
It’s about mental load that women had because of gender’s education. Here, is the viewpoint of a man (I can’t talk instead of women) with no education about it, who doesn’t understand.
3 – From Great Heights To Nose Dive
This one deals with the overconfidence I gave to a psychologist, who finally ended to destroy me through mostly sexist advices.
4 – Your Freedom My Prison
This one is about freedom and especially about people who smoke in closed places (which happen a lot on tour in DIY spaces). Is it a freedom to be forced to smell and breath somebody’s smoke ? I’m not sure. We need to take care to each other.
5 – Colorblind
The song deals with sexual aggression and harassment and particularly how abusers and their friends/family are/act as if nothing happened and let the things go. We have to be the best allies to the victims.
6 – Sleep (Interlude)
Just a feeling I had one night. A riff, a melody, a feeling.
7 – Kings Of Nothing
I’m a very anxious person and I grew up a lot from that. I do less crisis than before. This one deals with how to use our anxiety and transform it as a strength and how to move on with it and to understand your own anxiety.
8 – Isolation
Isolation is about the quarantine and the lyrics was co-written with Alexis from Johk/Gros Enfant Mort who sings on this one. It deals with our feelings during this period and especially how we felt socially imprisoned.
9 – L’envie indésirable
I didn’t write in my own language for a long time because it seems to me harder than in English but I really wanted to try again and I’m pretty proud of the result and the text.
It deals with addiction and the reasons we could felt that we have to drink alcohol (mostly) or taking other drugs.
10 – One Man’s Meat Is Another Animal’s Poison
The last song is about animal condition and veganism.
Arthur claims that in 2020 he listened to more screamo than punk rock, but here’s a list of 20 songs he had in mind (more or less) when he wrote “Sublimons les Blessures”:
Boston Manor – Salt Water
Free Throw – Perfect Driftwood
Heavy Heart – Out Of Hand
Intenable – L’époque
Iron Chic – Cutesy Monster Man
No Guts No Glory – Chat Noir²
Not Scientists – Submarine
No Trigger – The Honshu Underground
Polar Bear Club – Blood Balloon
Respire – A Heart Still Pines
Spanish Love Songs – Buffalo Buffalo
State Champs – Elevated
Taylor Swift – You Need to calm down
U2 – With or Without You
The Detectors – Diciotti Dillemma?!
The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die – Haircuts for Everybody
Traverse – Coeurs Fauves
Turnover – Cutting My Fingers Off
Wank For Peace – Was That What You Expected Kid
Youth Fountain – Helpless / Letters to Our Former Selves
