Recorded live over five days, “I need you to know” encapsulates SHAKERS’ relentless energy. Channeling the likes of Xerxes, Comadre and Touché Amoré, the five-piece from Wiesbaden, Germany have created a record that sits neatly between Is Survived By and The Lack Long After, one that shakes with ferocious energy and incredible musicianship. Pounding drums and ever-intriguing bass lines provide a rock-solid foundation for intricately interplaying guitar melodies, while the range of emotion displayed in the ever-oscillating vocals is rarely found in a genre that is often reluctant to show vulnerability. Today, we’re giving you a special exclusive stream of the band’s new song and music video “If it’s done with, it’s eternal”, the second single off their debut LP “I need you to know”!
A song about those moments devoid of any sense or hope. When all that’s left to fall back on is cynicism. Nothing to brag about, but we’ve all been there.
“I need you to know” comes out April 10th 2020 on Konglomerat Kollektiv (GER), I.Corrupt.Records (GER), La agonia de vivir (ESP), Saltamarges (CAT), La SOJA (ESP) & Unlock Yourself Records (RUS).
Credits: Fireworks Footage by Shakers / Additional VHS Footage by Thorsten Burgholz / Editing by Joshua Ziegler
More about the album:
Reckoning with loss and acknowledging change, “I Need You To Know” is a record that confronts the minutiae of everyday struggle and takes them to task.
“It still goes on, and it takes its toll. It still goes on, but we’re not alone,” can be heard lamenting on opening track “Allay”. However, all is not completely lost – they are in as much pain as we are, but they’re right there beside us. There is no suggestion that they know the right path, that they are privy to knowledge or a way of life that we are unaware of. They face the same struggles that we do, but they can help us appreciate what we are feeling and show that, although there might not be a light at the end of the tunnel, at least we’re in the dark together.
The album is full of little moments of ingenuity – the screech of feedback in “Swan Song”, the agonizing backing vocals on “Spin” and “If It’s Done With It’s Eternal”, the sound of the snare being turned on in “Fuse”. These little moments are brought to life by Jan Kerscher’s (Ghost City Recordings) excellent production, capturing the band’s live presence and energy, their emotion and technical prowess.
“I Need You To Know” is a record that is brimming with character and personality, full of emotion and soul and musicianship, all the while retaining an intensity that is paralleled by the band’s songwriting.
There is an acceptance of what can’t be changed, a willingness to confront the harsh realities of life, but I Need You To Know is not a pessimistic, negative album. It is ultimately one of hope. “I saw the cracks in the walls and the sun shining through.” Shakers know that there is something else, and invite you on their journey to try and find it. We might not make it, but we have each other.
More Shakers? Check out their live session and their first single “Somersault“:
The band and Konglomerat Kollektiv have teamed up for a special donation from part of the proceeds from the sales of the record:
As with our first release, we’re donating part of the takings from the sale of “I need you to know” to an organization of the band’s choosing. Shakers chose NSU-Watch as the recipient.
NSU-Watch is an independent watch-blog that is dedicated to monitoring the investigations surrounding the series of murders committed by the German Nazi terrorist group NSU that has been grossly mishandled, ignored and played down by the authorities.
Right now NSU-Watch is planning to release a book about the NSU-Trial in Munich, monitoring the work of the Investigation Committee investigating the NSU-Complex and the trial against the so-called “Hannibal-Network”, a right-wing network within the German armed forces and publishing a Podcast about the NSU-Complex, right-wing Terrorism and Racism.
You can find out more about their very important work and support them directly via this link: NSU-Watch50 cents of every Vinyl-Sale of “I need you to know” will be donated. If you choose to pay more than 12€, the additional amount will be added to the donations in full. 100% percent of the takings via Bandcamp-downloads of “I need you to know” will also go to NSU-Watch.
