You might remember ‘Axiomatic Alarm Clock.‘, THE TIN CAN COLLECTIVE‘s fourth album that addressed the perils of adulthood and the struggle to find meaning in a 40 hour work week, or their amazing Live in The Living Room session, and their unique ability to craft hook-laden earworms that also feature relatable lyrical narratives. The band is back with a somehow even more amazing EP, ‘A Brief Look Back At Rising Tides’ (plus a tour to SXSW), and today we’re stoked to give you its first listen, along with their track by track rundown below!
The EP is a collection of songs written by John and his sister, Jess Warren and recorded with only two people allowed in the studio at a time.
A Brief Look Back At Rising Tides marks a significant turn in production. Though the scrappy indie/punk sound they’ve become known for is still there, thanks to the mixing/mastering of Jack Shirley (Jeff Rosenstock, Joyce Manor), it is clearer than ever before. The slick sound helps carry the serious emotional weight that the EP is bursting with.
Look for A Brief Look Back At Rising Tides everywhere on February 18th, 2022.
Here’s what John Warren had to say about the EP: “This was recorded over the pandemic when the first wave of infections started to fall and we were able to safely gather in small numbers. I think we could only have two people at a time in the studio.”
“These are some of my favorite songs that Jess and I wrote together. I have some very fond memories staying up late in my parents basement going over lyrics and ideas together.
Jess was on a roll then. I remember she sent me the acoustic demo of “The Walk To The Bar” when I was on the road filling in for another band. I thought, “Shit, she’s better than me.” I had to up my game and shortly after hearing that one I wrote Calamity Jane.
It was fitting that just she and I finally recorded them the way we wrote them – just the two of us.”
Jess Warren added: “I’m about to have a baby so I’ll be taking a bit of a break from the band – a maternity leave if you will (haha). These are some of my favorite songs John and I have written so it means a lot to release this right before I enter this new crazy chapter of life.”
John Warren started the Tin Can Collective in 2011 as a recording project, enlisting a rotating cast of friends to complete the outfit. Among the ragtag group were Jess Warren (John’s sister and co-writer on many of the songs).
Always pure of heart and full of intention, The Tin Can Collective has schlepped around the country in a rented minivan, playing their brand of beer-soaked indie emo punk for anyone who would listen. They quickly became cult favorites for their chaotic live shows and became what could be described as “a band’s band.”
EP track-by-track from John Warren:
Calamity Jane
“There’s no real Calamity Jane. Instead it’s directly about attracting what you put out into the universe.
I wondered why my relationships at the time were crashing and burning in cinematic fashion. At some point I had to look inward and realize I was the common denominator in the equation. I have to give credit to some old tin cans too. We closed with this song a lot on the road and the end section was largely a group effort. It eventually went from a fun thing we did live to my favorite part of the song.”
Walk to the bar
“Jess sent me this demo when I was on tour playing drums for another band. I had a day off in Minneapolis and was crashing at a friend of a friend’s house. It was mid December and freezing. I remember hearing it for the first time thinking how great and different all the changes were. I loved how there was no real… a really great piece of music.
When I got home we worked on this song together a lot and I added a few different chords here and there or the stops at the end. This is largely Jess’ creation though and when I hear the “fell into the wrong man’s bed” part at the end I still get goose bumps. I am brought back to that freezing attic in Minneapolis where I first heard it.”
Ocean City MD
“I am in a constant battle between acting hastily without thinking, and overthinking too much that I talk myself out of something. I had been feeling pretty despondent & took a trip to Ocean City, MD with some friends, determined to get out of my head & just enjoy the weekend. I was so intent on “not thinking” that at one point I walked into the ocean carrying my backpack, ruining my cellphone, my iPod, etc. I remember saying “What the hell was I thinking?” & then laughing about how I would never be able to find the middle ground between those two extremes.” –
I Wrote This Song On Your Guitar
“I had this romantic idea of what going on tour was like. The first time I was really able to do it was a two month long run that was totally crazy. I was surrounded by some really toxic people and I think I became one myself for a while.
I had a few weeks where I was stranded in upstate NY after the tour. I was waiting to play one last show and I was going to use that money to make it back to my parents house. The house I stayed at had no TV or internet, just a few acoustic guitars and a couple books on a shelf. I had no money to my name and nowhere to go. This song is about trying to make sense of what I lived through and who I had become in the process. I am not proud of who I was in that moment of time, though I think it’s an accurate portrayal of the sheer desperation I felt.”
Mornings Are The Afternoon
“I was living in Brooklyn & was unemployed & not really sure what I was doing with my life. I would wake up late every day & find it was already the afternoon. The majority of my friends were still on Long Island so I would drive back every chance I got. I brought a kernel of an idea for this song to John & we stayed up late one night trading beers & lyrics back & forth. We write together often but this song was our most collaborative effort to date & therefore one of my favorites.”
Upcoming tour dates:
3/4-Philly- Luigi’s Mansion
3/5-Pittsburgh- Govermemt Center
3/6-Morgantown West VA-1-2-3 Pleasant St
3/7-Ashville NC- Static Age Records
3/8-Athens GA- The Redline
3/9-Birmingham AL- Ghost Train Brewery
3/11-New Orleans, LA- Gasa Gasa
3/12-Austin, TX-The Hole in the Wall
3/15-Chicago, IL-The Burlington Bar
3/16-Detroit, MI- PJ’s Lager House
3/17-Akron, OH- Tune Temple
3/18-Washington, DC- Slash Run
3/19-Queens, NY- The Windjammer
