Sometimes it seems puzzling how one style can encapsulate so much sound and how cross-genre tendencies are able to distinguish the apparent label or tag and result in fitting into no particular category. Kansas City based experimental spoken work rockers LISTENER do just that. Their new single “Little Folded Fingers” go with a subtle touch, encompass much of the range of artst and emotional expression, and challenge the boundaries of indie rock. The band is phase-releasing their new record as a set of four seven-inches over the next 8 months and we’re extremely pleased to give you the first listen of “Little Folded Fingers”. The track comes from the first chapter of the series called Being Empty: Being Filled (volume I) and follows the recently released track and video “There’s Money in the Walls”, an epic sounding, amusing and poignant oeuvre that’s not included on the new EP. Check out both tracks below, order the new 7” HERE (US) and HERE (Black Basset Records, Europe), and scroll down to see the details of their upcoming European tour, kicking off in 2 days in Italy!
The band’s vocalist and bassist Dan Smith commented:
“Little Folded Fingers” is a song about the invention of a life. When I was writing songs about inventors for the new record I wanted to write a song about my parents holding on to life and making it out of nothing, just the way we all do. I was thinking about a friend’s newborn baby with their cute little folded fingers holding on to their parents finger, and about about birds on a wire swinging around in the wind, and the natural electricity we have in our bodies that our parents give us. Everyone holding on to something. All enemy, all family.”
Expanding outward from singer Dan Smith’s solo project many years ago, Listener has evolved into a cohesive trio through countless shows and time spent on the road. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the band is frequently on tour in the States and abroad. Playing to crowds around the world, the band relies on interpersonal connections and a love of performance to present a consistent, riveting set. Feeding off of this internal energy, a Listener show is full of hard hits, flailing, sweat, and an outpouring of Smith’s lyrically-dense vocals. Teetering between singing and spoken word, Smith’s delivery offers an open conversation and a nudge of encouragement to engage in the world around.
Inspired by a love for live music, the ever-changing nature of life as human beings, and an earnest desire to bring honest emotion to the stage, members Dan Smith (bass/vocals), Kris Rochelle (drums), and Jon Terrey (guitar) aim to immerse and include an audience in the idea that life can be lived meaningfully. Beyond the music, the band also embodies the DIY ethos so important to independent acts. From building community, ethical sourcing of souvenirs, and creating art that is actively considerate of others and the environment, Listener’s desire to consistently flex their head muscle truly sets them apart.
For their new record, Being Empty: Being Filled, each song is based loosely (and sometimes not so loosely) around different inventors and their lives. Not collapsed into simple A to B narratives, each track pulls from personal experience and historical context. Although raucous at times, the members of Listener understand that chaos can be tamed and being intelligent about writing a melody can sometimes deliver the emotion to greater effect.
LISTENER Tour Dates:
