(Chromatic) Ahead of this Friday the 13th's release of their 10th album, Devourer, via Run For Cover Records, Cursive has shared their new single "Bloodbather." The dynamic and defiant track-which features a soaring interlude that slowly builds to a cacophonous end-is out now alongside a blood-spattered, winking video starring Shannon Purser (Stranger Things, Riverdale, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser) and Aurora Perrineau (Westworld, Kaos), and directed by Chelsea Stardust (Satanic Panic, All That We Destroy).
"'Bloodbather' is the internal dialogue I assume most of us have, the squabbles of conscience to be a more upstanding person when you'd much prefer to wallow in your vices," explains singer/guitarist Tim Kasher. "Chelsea Stardust made an outstanding video for the song starring Aurora Perrineau and Shannon Purser in a prom-gone-wrong that quickly devolves into a fight club."
The video is part of the band's series of horror-themed clips created around the album by genre directors, and follows lead single "Up and Away," by Brea Grant (12 Hour Shift, Torn Hearts); "Botch Job," from Travis Stevens (A Wounded Fawn, Jakob's Wife, Girl On The Third Floor); and "Imposturing," directed by Kasher. Devourer is now available for preorder.
Cursive has also announced a west coast U.S. headline tour this January and February with Pile supporting on all dates. The band's forthcoming east coast run begins October 18th in hometown Omaha, NE, and they will also perform next weekend at Riot Fest in Chicago, IL.
In the years since their 1995 formation, Cursive developed into one of the most important groups to emerge from the late-'90s/early '00s moment when the lines between indie rock and post-hardcore began blurring into something altogether new. Albums like Domestica (2000) and The Ugly Organ (2003) became essential touchstones whose echoes can still be heard in new bands today. The pull of nostalgia can be strong over time, but Cursive's work has often felt like a rejection of those comfort zones; the band has continually pushed themselves, with Kasher's artistic restlessness steering them ahead. In fact, for Kasher, whose pointed observations always begin with looking inward first, it was an interrogation of this voracious creativity that planted the seeds of Devourer.
"I am obsessive about consuming the arts," he explains. "Music, film, literature. I've come to recognize that I devour all of these art forms then, in turn, create my own versions of these things and spew them out onto the world. It's positive; you're part of an ecosystem. But I quickly recognized that the term, 'Devourer,' may also embody something gnarly, sinister." Devourer delves into that darker space. The characters populating the album have bottomless capacities for consumption, whether it's resources, material goods, art, or even each other. Then they are consumed by larger forces, whether it's humanity, Earth, dreams, time, or life itself.
Fans have come to expect such heady topics from Cursive, but Devourer sets a new standard. The glibness of the First World toward the problems of others. The eternal struggle to stay on the straight and narrow. The eager acolytes exploited by their leaders. How anxiety can compound with age. How self-expression can warp into self-indulgence. The album being filled to the brim thematically and musically is unsurprising considering Kasher wrote an astounding 69 compositions after songwriting began in the fall of 2020. About 20 made it to the practice space, with a curated 13 ending up on the final album. Wrangling it all at Omaha's ARC Studios was Marc Jacob Hudson (Against Me!, Thursday, Fireworks), who co-produced Devourer with the band. The album sounds urgent and fresh, the work of a band still experimenting, still hungering to find new creative heights.
Cursive is the core trio of Kasher, bassist Matt Maginn, and guitarist/vocalist Ted Stevens, alongside: keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Newbery; cellist Megan Siebe; and recording/touring drummer Pat Oakes and founding drummer Clint Schnase (who trade drumming duties across Devourer, but join forces on "Rookie").
Cursive tour dates (new dates in bold):
09/21 - Chicago, IL @ Reggies Rock Club$
09/22 - Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
10/18 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room*
10/19 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room**
10/20 - St. Louis, Off Broadway^
10/21 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East^
10/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West^
10/23 - Orlando, FL @ The Social^
10/24 - Miami, FL @ Gramps^
10/25 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Bier Hall at Intuition Ale Works^
10/26 - Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 22
10/27 - Charlotte, NC @ The Neighborhood Theatre^
10/28 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall^
10/29 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage^
10/30 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts^
11/01 - Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall^
11/02 - Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall^
11/03 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom^
11/04 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom^
11/05 - Kingston, NY @ Tubby's^ (SOLD OUT)
11/06 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre^
11/07 - Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room^
11/13 - London, UK @ Camden Assembly
11/15 - Wangels, DE @ Rolling Stone Beach 2024
1/30 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre#
1/31 - Denver, CO @ The Gothic Theatre#
2/1 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge#
2/2 - Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club#
2/3 - Spokane, WA @ District Bar#
2/4 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile#
2/5 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall#
2/6 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's#
2/7 - Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall#
2/8 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall#
2/10 - Morro Bay, CA @ The Siren#
2/11 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall#
2/12 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater#
2/14 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House#
2/15 - San Diego, CA @ The Music Box#
2/17 - Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar & Billiards#
2/18 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom#
2/19 - El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace#
2/20 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger#
2/21 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk#
2/22 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall#
2/23 - Dallas, TX @ The Kessler Theater#
$ with Anthony Green
* with Gladie, Little Brazil
** with Gladie, Criteria
^ with Gladie
# with Pile
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