The Beths – Page 2 – 7th Level Music

The Beths announce live album, concert film, and massive tour.

Playing a home show still feels special for The Beths, who began playing shows in 2015 and quickly won over local audiences with a low-key approach that disguised their drive for excellence. Today, the band announces its first live recording and film, Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, out September 17th on Carpark Records. The announcement also comes on the three-year anniversary of the release of their debut album, Future Me Hates Me. Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 showcases the infectious energy The Beths bring to every performance. Native birds, wonkily crafted by the band from tissue paper and wire, festoon the venue’s cavernous ceiling while house plants soften and disguise the imposing pipes of an organ. The presence of the film crew isn’t disguised: much of the camerawork is handheld; full of fast zooms and pans. “Watching the film for the first time brought back all the emotions of 2020 for us. Sports Team have done such an amazing job of capturing the mix of anxiety and simple joy that was touring music in NZ at the time. We are so grateful that it happened and grateful to have it documented with so much love and care,” says lead vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth Stokes.

“Future Me Hates Me” is a fan favorite, as both band and audience feed off the mutual energy in the room.

Watch “Future Me Hates Me (Live)”

After building a loyal following through live performances and their 2016 EP Warm Blood, The Beths signed to Carpark Records and released the debut album, Future Me Hates Me, in 2018. Jump Rope Gazers, released in July 2020, was a slower, yearning follow-up that still fizzes and sparks with pop-punk sensibilities. Immediately seized on by both fans and music critics as a bright spot during an otherwise dark year, Jump Rope Gazers was named Album of the Year at New Zealand’s national Aotearoa Music Awards in 2020, and secured the band awards for Best Group and Best Alternative Artist for the second year running. The releases catapulted the band straight into lengthy international tours that saw them support legends like The Pixies and Death Cab For Cutie as well as headlining increasingly large shows of their own.

Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 has its genesis in an urge to share the now-rare experience of a live show as widely as possible. The accompanying film makes the deep bond Stokes, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck clearer than ever: capturing the in-jokes they share with audiences during on-stage banter, and foregrounding their mutual preoccupations with the game of cricket and New Zealand’s native birds. It’s a collective exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible. They deliberately include the date and location, because “That’s the sensational part of what we actually did,” says Pearce. In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous.

The band will follow up the release of Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 with a North American headline tour in 2022. “Our last North American tour was in summer of 2019, which feels like a century ago. There is no way to describe how much we have wanted to be over there playing music. Finally it is happening?! See you soon. xo,” says Liz. An artist pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, August 11 at 10am local time, with a Brooklyn Vegan pre-sale running on Thursday, August 12 at 10am local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 13 at 10am local time. Tickets are available at thebeths.com. Fans can join the band’s new Patreon in the meantime.

Watch Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 Trailer & “Future Me Hates Me” (Live)Pre-order Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

Album – https://found.ee/beths_nz2020
Film – https://found.ee/film_nz2020

Live Album Tracklist:
1. I’m Not Getting Excited
2. Great No One
3. Whatever
4. Mars, the God of War
5. Future Me Hates Me
6. introduction
7. Jump Rope Gazers
8. Uptown Girl

9. bird talk
10. Happy Unhappy
11. Out of Sight
12. thank you
13. Don’t Go Away
14. Little Death
15. Dying to Believe
16. River Run

Film Setlist:
1. I’m Not Getting Excited
2. Great No One
3. Whatever
4. Mars, the God of War

5. Future Me Hates Me
6. Jump Rope Gazers
7. Uptown Girl
8. Happy Unhappy
9. Out of Sight
10. Little Death
11. Dying To Believe
12. You Wouldn’t Like Me
13. River Run

Tour Dates:
Fri. Sept. 17, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ The Others Way
Tue. Sept. 28, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar
Wed. Sept. 29, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar
Thu. Sept. 30, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar
Fri. Oct. 1, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar
Sat. Oct. 2, 2021 – Auckland, NZ @ Whammy Bar
Fri. Oct. 22, 2021 – Tauranga, NZ @ Tauranga Arts Festival
Sat. Oct. 23, 2021 – Hawke’s Bay, NZ @ Labour of Love
Fri. Oct. 29, 2021 – Wellington, NZ @ San Fran
Sat. Oct. 30, 2021 – Wellington, NZ @ College of Creative Arts, Massey University (AA show)
Sun. Oct. 31, 2021 – Nelson, NZ @ Nelson Arts Festival
Thu. Nov. 4 – Sydney, NSW @ Factory Theatre
Fri. Nov. 5 – Brisbane, QLD @ The Zoo
Sat. Nov. 6 – Melbourne, VIC @ The Night Cat
Sat. Dec. 4 – Auckland, NZ @ The Outerfields

Thu. Jan. 20, 2022 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat
Fri. Jan. 21, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sat. Jan. 22, 2022 – New York, NY @ Rough Trade (in-store signing)
Sat. Jan. 22, 2022 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sun. Jan. 23, 2022 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
Tue. Jan. 25, 2022 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
Wed. Jan. 26, 2022 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
Fri. Jan. 28, 2022 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
Wed. Feb. 2, 2022 – Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth
Fri. Feb. 4, 2022 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Sat. Feb. 5, 2022 – Seattle, WA @ NeumosSun. Feb. 6, 2022 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Tue. Feb. 8, 2022 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Thu. Feb. 10, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater
Sat. Feb. 12, 2022 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Tue. Feb. 15, 2022 – Austin, TX @ Parish
Wed. Feb. 16, 2022 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Fri. Feb. 18, 2022 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hall)
Sat. Feb. 19, 2022 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Southampton, UK @ The Loft
Mon. Mar. 28, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Glasgow, UK @ St Luke’s
Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Birmingham, UK @ The Castle and Falcon
Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish TownTue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde II
Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephémère
Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Le Marché Gare
Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Dudingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie
Tue. Apr. 12, 2022 – Milan, IT @ Biko
Wed. Apr. 13, 2022 – Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
Fri. Apr. 15, 2022 – Vienna, AT @ B72
Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’
Mon. Apr. 18, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ LidoTue. Apr. 19, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Ideal Bar
Wed. Apr. 20, 2022 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. Apr. 21, 2022 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
Fri. Apr. 22, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Sat. Apr. 23, 2022 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Sun. Apr. 24, 2022 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Kulturfabrik

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Beths release new single and announce Bandcamp livestream show for November 14th.

Earlier this summer, The Beths released their “lush, melodic” (New York Times) second album, Jump Rope Gazers, on Carpark Records. The new album has earned them nominations at the Aotearoa Music Awards for Best Group, Best Alternative Act, and Album of the Year. Previously in 2019, The Beths won Best Group and Best Alternative Act in addition to performing at the awards show.

Today, The Beths share the new video for “Mars, The God Of War.” Backed by buzzing guitar and crisp percussion, Elizabeth Stokes personifies the planet: “Mars, the god of war, is watching over me // So passively // From the twinkling scenery // Mars, the god of war // Pretending so serene // He’s keeping his hands clean.” As described by Stokes, the track is about communication and miscommunication through technological mediums, specifically while conveying anger. The accompanying video, directed by Callum Devlin and Annabel Kean of Sports Team, features The Beths comically attempting to pull off a heist. “The video has a really silly energy that everyone really embraced,” says Stokes. “With NZ being COVID-free, there’s a real palpable joy and euphoria in being able to get together and make something. We feel very lucky and Sports Team smashed it out of the park once again.“

Devlin and Kean add: “As well as being genius musicians, in our minds The Beths are defined by being a committed, intelligent and extremely efficient team, and have turned the collaborative inner workings of an indie rock band into an art in itself. We wanted to explore that side of the band in the ultimate team-up genre; a high stakes twist laden heist movie. Obviously. Also, we seem to find the idea of The Beths entering into a life of crime frankly hilarious. We love working with The Beths. No band is more committed to exhausting every possible gag out of a situation. We initially plotted out the entire film, but decided to abandon it in favour of making as gag-dense a video as possible, if that makes sense.”

Watch “Mars, The God Of War” Video

The Beths will livestream a performance from Auckland Town Hall on Nov. 14th at 5PM Eastern Timevia Bandcamp. “Soon, here in Auckland, New Zealand, we get to take the stage of our home’s beautiful Town Hall, and we would love you to join us. We’re trying to make something to come together for, online, around the world. We’ve been saying it over and over, we are so lucky to be able to play live shows right now. So we’re going to try to share that. We’ll be there for a warm-up hang out, and we’ll be in the chat throughout the performance too. Come and hang xo.” Tickets are available here.

Watch/Listen/Share:
“Mars, The God Of War” Video
“Jump Rope Gazers” Video
“Out of Sight” Video
“I’m Not Getting Excited” Video
“Dying to Believe” Video
“Live From House” live streams
Purchase Jump Rope Gazers

The Beths Tour Dates (tickets):
Fri. Nov. 6 – Auckland, NZ @ Town Hall
Sat. Nov. 7 – Gisborne, NZ @ Gisborne Beer Festival
Sat. Nov. 28 – Wellington, NZ @ Beers at the Basin
Sat. Dec. 19 – Hawkes Bay, NZ @ Black Barn Winery
Sun. Dec. 27 – Taupo, NZ @ Le Currents
Fri. Jan. 8 – Kerikeri, NZ @ Bay of Islands Festival
Tue. March 30 – Southampton, UK @ The Loft
Wed. March 31 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. April 1 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
Fri. April 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Saint Luke’s
Sat. April 3 – Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Club
Mon. April 5 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Tue. April 6 – Birmingham, UK @ Castle and Falcon
Wed. April 7 – London, UK @ O2 Kentish Town
Thu. April 8 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Fri. April 9 – Paris, FR @ Point Éphémère
Sat. April 10 – Lyon, FR @ Marché Gare – Hors les mursSun. April 11 – Milan, IT @ BIKO
Tue. April. 13 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Wed. April 14 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie
Thu. April 15 – Munich, DE @ Kranhalle
Fri. April 16 – Vienna, AT @ B72
Sat. April 17 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’ Ballroom
Sun. April 18 – Belin, DE @ Lido
Tue. April 20 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Ideal Bar
Wed. April 21 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. April 22 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater
Fri. April 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord
Sun. April 25 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Fri. Aug. 6 – Sun. Aug. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands

Keep your mind open.

[Jump into the subscription box while you’re here.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers

Most, if not all, of The Beths‘ new album, Jump Rope Gazers, was written while the New Zealand band (Tristan Deck – drums, Jonathan Pearce – guitar, Benjamin Sinclair – bass, Elizabeth Stokes – guitar and lead vocals) was touring North America and Europe. They were thrilled to be making a dream come true, but still missing everyone back home and across the world as they made new friends.

Opening track, “I’m Not Getting Excited,” has Stokes singing about the thrill of those dreams and the tenuous grasp she has on them (“I’m not getting excited, ’cause my fight and my flight are divided, and so I don’t enthuse, keep my grip on joy loose.”). Pearce’s guitar solo on it is a ripper, and the following track, “Dying to Believe,” has Stokes breathing easy after cutting the cord on a bad relationship (“There was a weight that you were weighing down on me. Six months ago I could hardly breathe, and now I’m lighter, finally.”). The beat on it is great. It will get you moving with a joy that sneaks up on you.

The title track has Stokes missing a love separated from her by time and distance (“I’ve never been the dramatic type, but if I don’t see your face tonight, I…well, I guess I’ll be fine.”). It’s a lovely track with bright guitar chords to keep it from being too melancholy. The power pop groove of “Acrid” is a great contrast to the song’s title. “Do You Want Me Now” has some of the boldest lyrics about missing someone while on tour – “Long distance is the wrong distance. There has never been a gulf quite as great as the one we wished into existence.” Damn. That is real.

Deck’s drum work on “Out of Sight” is excellent, knocking out wicked snare licks and rim taps so fast that he sounds like a typewriter (Remember those?) being operated by the Flash. “Don’t Go Away” is a song directed at a friend of the band who “flew north, left us in the south” and has the band unleashing heavy Weezer-like riffs made for blasting out of your dorm room windows.

“Mars, the God of War” is a great song of rage disguised in a power pop tune. Don’t believe me? Then you’ll probably believe Stokes’ lyrics of “I wish I could wish you well, instead I’m hitting my head and hitting backspace on ‘Can’t you just go to hell.’ Boom. “You Are a Beam of Light” is a beautiful acoustic track about seeking bright light and feelings in dark times. The closer, “Just Shy of Sure,” has Stokes tip-toeing back into the pool of love, but asking her lover to be patient. She’s been gone for a long while and has almost forgotten how to engage in the “real” world.

It’s another lovely record from The Beths. Stokes is a keen lyricist who gets better with each record.

Keep your mind open.

[I’d get excited if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

The Beths’ new single literally and figuratively is “Out of Sight.”

The Beths share “Out of Sight,” a new single from their highly-anticipated sophomore album, Jump Rope Gazers, out July 10th on Carpark Records. The band performed the single on their “Live From House 3” live stream last night. It follows previously released singles “I’m Not Getting Excited” and “Dying to Believe.”

“Out of Sight” is tender and shoegazing. It reckons with the distance that drives people apart and how those who love each other inevitably fail each other. The best way to repair that failure, in The Beths’ view, is with abundant and unconditional love, no matter how far it has to travel.

Elizabeth Stokes says, “The band playing on ‘Out Of Sight’ is more fragile than we usually allow ourselves to be. We are trying to listen more deeply and be more open ended, it was confronting to do and sometimes even frustrating. But it came out great, Ben’s bass playing especially is beautifully melodic and gives the song a unique texture.”

The accompanying video directed by Ezra Simons was filmed on Super 8 film and shows the band birdwatching amongst the brush. Archival footage of birds native to New Zealand are woven throughout. Simons says, “The goal was to create a nostalgic and timeless roadtrip video where the band goes off in search of native birds, but instead finds each other.”

Watch “Out of Sight” Video

The Beths are Elizabeth Stokes (vocals/guitar), Jonathan Pearce (guitar), Benjamin Sinclair (bass), and Tristan Deck (drums). Jump Rope Gazers is the follow-up to Future Me Hates Me, “one of the most impressive indie-rock debuts of the year” (Pitchfork). The album received glowing praise and appeared on many year-end lists including Rolling Stone, NPR, Stereogum, and more.

Jump Rope Gazers tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt with effervescent power pop choruses and rousing backup vocals, zeroing in on the communality and catharsis that can come from sharing stressful situations with some of your best friends. Touring far from home, The Beths committed to taking care of each other while simultaneously trying to take care of friends living thousands of miles away. That care and attention shines through on Jump Rope Gazers, where the quartet sounds more locked in than ever. Jump Rope Gazers stares down all the hard parts of living in communion with other people, even at a distance, while celebrating the ferocious joy that makes it all worth it.
Watch “Out of Sight” Video

Watch “I’m Not Getting Excited” VideoWatch “Dying to Believe” Video

“Live From House” live streams

Pre-Order Jump Rope Gazers

The Beths Tour Dates (tickets):
Sat. July 11 – Auckland, NZ @ Power Station
Sun. Nov 8 – Perth, WA @ HBF Park*
Wed. Nov. 11 – Melbourne, VIC @ Marvel Stadium*
Sat. Nov. 14 – Sydney, NSW @ Bankwest Stadium*
Tue. Nov. 17 – Brisbane, QLD @ QSAC Stadium*
Fri. Nov. 20 – Dunedin, NZ @ Forsyth Barr Stadium*
Sun. Nov. 22 – Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium*
Tue. March 30 – Southampton, UK @ The Loft
Wed. March 31 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. April 1 – Manchester, UK @ Club AcademyFri. April 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Saint Luke’s
Sat. April 3 – Dublin, IE @ The Workman’s Club
Mon. April 5 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
Tue. April 6 – Birmingham, UK @ Castle and Falcon
Wed. April 7 – London, UK @ O2 Kentish Town
Thu. April 8 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Fri. April 9 – Paris, FR @ Point Éphémère
Sat. April 10 – Lyon, FR @ Marché Gare – Hors les murs
Sun. April 11 – Milan, IT @ BIKO
Tue. April. 13 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn
Wed. April 14 – Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie
Thu. April 15 – Munich, DE @ Kranhalle
Fri. April 16 – Vienna, AT @ B72
Sat. April 17 – Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’ BallroomSun. April 18 – Belin, DE @ Lido
Tue. April 20 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Ideal Bar
Wed. April 21 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
Thu. April 22 – Cologne, DE @ Artheater
Fri. April 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord
Sun. April 25 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique

*w/ Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy

Keep your mind open.

[It would be out of sight if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

You actually should be excited about The Beths’ new single – “I’m Not Getting Excited.”

The Beths share a fervent new single/video, “I’m Not Getting Excited,” from their second album, Jump Rope Gazers, out July 10th on Carpark Records. Following the rambunctious lead single, “Dying to Believe,” “I’m Not Getting Excited” is an urgent track about imposter syndrome. The track opens with driving guitar and a jockeying melody before bursting with a crashing rhythm section. The band performed the single on their “Live From House 2” live stream earlier this morning.

“People always ask ‘are you excited!?’ and it’s a fair question, because exciting things do happen to us sometimes,” says Elizabeth Stokes. “Support slots, overseas tours, music releases. Stuff we’ve dreamed about for years. So the correct answer is always ‘yes.’ But the truth is that deep down there’s a tiny Liz saying, ‘don’t get excited.’ She is certain that anything good that could happen will most likely not happen, because of a freak accident. Or because somebody finally realises that we aren’t worthy, shouts ‘phony!’ and takes everything away. I wrote ‘I’m Not Getting Excited’ last year, well before everything really did get taken away. From everyone. It feels like the song has a new context, but we don’t know what it is yet. And now we all share a blurry, uncertain future.”

The official video was filmed during the first month of lockdown in New Zealand. It’s a spooky more-is-more collage of animated night terrors. The directors Sports Team “turned our laundry into a film studio and spent our inside time mastering the art of stop-motion animation. We animated old towels, all the cardboard in the house and The Beths themselves… frame by bloody frame. There’s a lot of scary imagery in the song that we wanted to play on. There’s a madness too, in the contradiction between what the song is about and its frenetic energy. It has defined the lockdown for us—being locked indoors but furiously busy.”

Watch “I’m Not Getting Excited” Video:
https://youtu.be/lvYrJxNwW5I

Pre-Order Jump Rope Gazers:
https://smarturl.it/thebeths_jrg

The Beths Tour Dates:
Sun. Nov 8 – Perth, WA @ HBF Park*
Wed. Nov. 11 – Melbourne, VIC @ Marvel Stadium*
Sat. Nov. 14 – Sydney, NSW @ Bankwest Stadium*
Tue. Nov. 17 – Brisbane, QLD @ QSAC Stadium*
Fri. Nov. 20 – Dunedin, NZ @ Forsyth Barr Stadium*
Sun. Nov. 22 – Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium*

*w/ Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll be excited if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR!]

The Beths release “Dying to Believe” ahead of new album coming in July.

“[The Beths are] brilliant at bright guitar frenzy, instantly memorable melodies and tune-mad group sing-alongs with the joy of Sixties bubblegum rock; there’s a love of pop formula here… but they never lose the sense of discovery at heart of rock and roll.” — Rolling Stone

The Beths announce their new album, Jump Rope Gazers, out July 10th via Carpark Records, and share its lead single/video, “Dying to Believe.” Jump Rope Gazers is the follow-up to Future Me Hates Me, “one of the most impressive indie-rock debuts of the year” (Pitchfork). The album received glowing praise and appeared on many year-end lists including Rolling Stone, NPR, Stereogum, and more. Jump Rope Gazers tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt with effervescent power pop choruses and rousing backup vocals, zeroing in on the communality and catharsis that can come from sharing stressful situations with some of your best friends.

After touring non-stop for a year and a half, playing to crowds of devoted fans and opening for acts like Pixies and Death Cab for Cutie, The Beths regrouped to write and record Jump Rope Gazers. The band – composed of Elizabeth Stokes (vocals/guitar), Jonathan Pearce (guitar), Benjamin Sinclair (bass), and Tristan Deck (drums) – settled down at Pearce’s Auckland studio, where he recorded and produced the album.

Stokes’s writing on Jump Rope Gazers grapples with the uneasy proposition of leaving everything and everyone you know behind on another continent, chasing your dreams while struggling to stay close with loved ones back home. Rambunctious lead single “Dying to Believe” reckons with the distance that life necessarily drives between people over time: “I’m sorry for the way that I can’t hold conversations // They’re such a fragile thing to try to support the weight of,” Stokes sings. The accompanying visual is an eccentric four-step “How to be the Beths” instructional video featuring the band.

Touring far from home, The Beths committed to taking care of each other while simultaneously trying to take care of friends living thousands of miles away. That care and attention shines through on Jump Rope Gazers, where the quartet sounds more locked in than ever. Jump Rope Gazers stares down all the hard parts of living in communion with other people, even at a distance, while celebrating the ferocious joy that makes it all worth it.

Acoustic versions of “Dying to Believe” and Future Me Hates Me favorites “Great No One” and “Little Death” as well as a Q&A with The Beths can be viewed from their recent livestream here.

Watch “Dying to Believe” Video:
https://youtu.be/CkzI93Aqztk

Pre-Order Jump Rope Gazers:
https://smarturl.it/thebeths_jrg

Jump Rope Gazers Tracklist:
1. I’m Not Getting Excited
2. Dying to Believe
3. Jump Rope Gazers
4. Acrid
5. Do You Want Me Now
6. Out of Sight
7. Don’t Go Away
8. Mars, the God of War
9. You Are a Beam of Light
10. Just Shy of Sure

The Beths Tour Dates:
Sun. Nov 8 – Perth, WA @ HBF Park*
Wed. Nov. 11 – Melbourne, VIC @ Marvel Stadium*
Sat. Nov. 14 – Sydney, NSW @ Bankwest Stadium*
Tue. Nov. 17 – Brisbane, QLD @ QSAC Stadium*
Fri. Nov. 20 – Dunedin, NZ @ Forsyth Barr Stadium*
Sun. Nov. 22 – Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium*

*w/ Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy

Keep your mind open.

[I’m dying to believe you’ll subscribe.]

[Thanks to Pitch Perfect PR!]

The Beths announce North American summer tour.

“That sense of kinetic energy cancels out whatever retro inclinations they have: like the best rock & roll, they gain power from living in the moment.” – Rolling Stone, “30 Best Artists We Saw in Austin”

“On Future Me Hates Me, singer Elizabeth Stokes presides over a string of pop-rock songs too clever, too charming and too endlessly disarming to miss.” – NPR Music, The Austin 100

“Beyond the catchy songs the Beths packed into their 2018 debut album, there was a standout feature: the intricate vocal harmonies that gave each of the melodies a richness several cuts above the typical indie-rock recording. Live, the band demonstrated that those harmonies are the real deal…” – Chicago Tribune, “12 best up-and-coming bands”

The Beths have announced a summer North American tour in support of their breakthrough release Future Me Hates Me, out now via Carpark Records. Tickets are on sale. The band recently brought their harmonious and energetic live show stateside, playing sold out venues in New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Toronto, and more. Additionally, the band returned to SXSW to much fanfare, being named a standout act by Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Chicago Tribune, Austin American Statesman, and others. Ahead of their next North American run, the Beths will tour Europe, where many of the dates have already sold out or have been upgraded to bigger venues due to demand. Then, they’ll bookend the summer festival season with appearances at Primavera Sound, Pickathon, and Pukkelpop, as well as several Australian shows. The band will also be releasing its debut EP, Warm Blood, on vinyl for the first time via Carpark Records. The official release date is April 26th with some copies being available to purchase on tour soon.

The Beths Tour Dates: Tue. May 7 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds Wed. May 8 – Oxford, UK @ The Bullingdon (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Thu. May 9 – Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Sun. May 12 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds Festival Mon. May 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT) Tue. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ G2 (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Wed. May 15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Thur. May. 16 – London, UK @ The Dome, Tufnell Park (SOLD OUT) Fri. May 17 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece (SOLD OUT) Sat. May 18 – Wrexham, UK @ Ty Pawb Arts Hub (Focus Wales) Sun. May 19 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall Tue. May 21 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic Wed. May 22 – Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen Thu. May 23 – Lyon, FR @ Sonic Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Tue. May 28 – Dornbirn, AT @ Spielboden Wed. May 29 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 Thu. May 30 – Groningen, NL @ VERA Fri. May 31 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn Sat. June 1 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Sun. June 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Thu. June 27 – Spring Green, WI @ The Shitty Barn (TICKETS) Fri June 28 – Sun. June 30 – Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Arts Festival (TICKETS) Tue. July 2 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme (TICKETS) Wed. July 3 – Detroit, MI @ El Club (TICKETS) Fri. July 5 – Toronto, ON @ The Horseshoe Tavern (TICKETS) Sat. July 6 – Ottawa, ON @ Bluesfest (TICKETS) Sun. July 7 – Buffalo, NY @ The 9th Ward at Babeville (TICKETS) Mon. July 8 – Akron, OH @ Musica (TICKETS) Tue. July 9 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Café (TICKETS) Thu. July 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi (TICKETS) Fri. July 12 – St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room (TICKETS) Sun. July 14 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar (TICKETS) Wed. July 17 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall (TICKETS) Tue. July 23 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar (TICKETS) Wed. July 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar (TICKETS) Thu. July 25 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Music Club (TICKETS) Fri. July 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent (TICKETS) Sun. July 28 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s (TICKETS) Tue. July 30 – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub (TICKETS) Wed. July 31 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret (TICKETS) Thu. Aug. 1 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey (TICKETS) Fri. Aug. 2 – Sat. Aug. 3 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon (TICKETS) Thu. Aug. 15 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo Fri. Aug. 16 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival Sun. Aug. 18 – Haasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Wed. Aug. 28 – London, UK @ Heaven Fri. Oct. 4 – Collingwood, AU @ The Gasometer Hotel (SOLD OUT) Sat. Oct. 5 – Leichhardt, AU @ Crowbar Sydney Thu. Oct. 10 – Brisbane, AU @ The Brightside Brisbane Fri. Oct. 11 – Adelaide, AU @ Jive Sat. Oct. 12 – Perth, AU @ Badlands Bar

Purchase Future Me Hates Me: Carpark Shop – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_carpark

Streaming Services – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_dsps

The Beths online: https://thebeths.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebethsnz https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/thebethsnz https://twitter.com/lizstokedstokes https://www.instagram.com/lizstokedstokes/

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

The Beths release new single, “Uptown Girl,” and lauch massive tour.

The Beths are back in North America for their largest headline tour in support of 2018’s breakout album, Future Me Hates Me (available now via Carpark Records). The band has already sold out shows in Toronto, New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Today, they share the video for “Uptown Girl” compiled on their last North American tour in the fall. After this current run which includes a stop at SXSW, The Beths will continue onto Australia and Europe where they’ve started selling out shows and upgrading to bigger venues. Then, they’ll bookend the summer festival season at Primavera Sound, Pickathon and Pukkelpop. The band will also be releasing its debut EP, Warm Blood, on vinyl for the first time via Carpark Records. The official release date is April 26th with some copies being available to purchase on tour soon. Pre-order here.

Watch “Uptown Girl” Video – https://youtu.be/BmCZ-NxESOc

The Beths Tour Dates:

Sun. Mar. 10 – Tampa, FL @ Festival Gasparilla
Mon. Mar. 11-Fri. Mar. 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Sat. Mar. 16 – Dallas, TX @ Not So Fun Wknd (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Sun. Mar. 17 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar (w/ Bad Bad Hats)
Thu. Mar. 21 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum
Fri. Mar. 22 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum
Sun. Mar. 24 – Hobart, AUS @ Republic Bar & Café
Thu. Mar. 28 – Fortitude Valley, AUS @ The Foundry
Fri. Mar. 29 – Fortitude Valley @ The Tivoli
Sat. Mar. 30 – Newtown, AUS @ Enmore Theatre
Sun. Mar. 31 – Leichhardt, AUS @ Crowbar
Thu. Apr. 4 – Collingwood, AUS @ The Gasometer Hotel
Fri. Apr. 5 – Adelaide, AUS @ Thebarton Theatre
Sat. Apr. 6 – Adelaide, AUS @ Jive
Thu. Apr. 11 – Perth, AUS @ Badlands Bar
Sat. Apr. 13 – Perth, AUS @ Astor Theatre
Tue. May 7 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
Wed. May 8 – Oxford, UK @ The Wheatsheaf
Thu. May 9-Sat. May 11 @ Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
Sun. May 12 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds Festival
Mon. May 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT)
Tue. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ G2 (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND)
Wed. May 15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND)
Thur. May. 16 – London, UK @ The Dome, Tufnell Park (SOLD OUT)
Fri. May 17 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND)
Sat. May 18 – Wrexham, UK @ Ty Pawb Arts Hub (Focus Wales)
Sun. May 19 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall
Tue. May 21 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Wed. May 22 – Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen
Thu. May 23 – Lyon, FR @ Sonic
Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas
Tue. May 28 – Dornbirn, AT @ Spielboden
Wed. May 29 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
Thu. May 30 – Groningen, NL @ VERA
Fri. May 31 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
Sat. June 1 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Sun. June 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Sat. Aug. 3 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon
Thu. Aug. 15 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo
Sun. Aug. 18 – Haasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
Wed. Aug. 28 – London, UK @ Heaven

Purchase Future Me Hates Me:
Carpark Shop – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_carpark
Streaming Services – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_dsps

The Beths online:
https://thebeths.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thebethsnz
https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/thebethsnz
https://twitter.com/lizstokedstokes
https://www.instagram.com/lizstokedstokes/

Keep your mind open.

[Why not subscribe while you’re here?]

The Beths’ first U.S. tour is now underway.

The Beths Announce Fall U.S. Dates
& Kick Off World Tour.Watch The New Video For “Little Death”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzlZWvTU2I

[“Little Death” video still]

“The debut from Auckland indie rockers is just really impressive—hook-filled songs filled with energy and attitude, written with depth and played masterfully.” – Pitchfork

“A wonderful little record that never lets up, piling on unassumingly buzzy fun until you start realizing you might be in the presence of a true power-pop monument.” – Rolling Stone

“The New Zealand band has two gears: The first is a more classically pop-oriented retro sound, like a ’60s girl group doing the shimmy-shimmy-cocoa-pop but with guitars and a shoegaze influence. The second is a caffeinated ’90s alterna-rock head rush, with Superchunk-level riffs and Velocity Girl vocals courtesy of singer-guitarist Elizabeth Stokes.” – The A.V. Club

“Few bands make angst sound as joyous as the Beths do on their debut LP. As its title suggests, the album is full of songs of both regret and self-doubt, but the group deliver them with some of the strongest power-pop this side of Weezer’s Blue Album.” – Bandcamp Daily

The Beths kick off their world tour this week in support of their acclaimed debut album, Future Me Hates Me (out now on Carpark). Beginning in Australia and New Zealand, The Beths will continue onto the U.S. at the end of September and play many cities for the first time ever. They will then head to Europe through mid-November to round out the year.To mark the beginning of their world tour, The Beths share the new video for “Little Death” via NPR Music. “We made this video while we were on tour,” says Elizabeth Stokes. “[The director] Norwood hit us up saying ‘I made videos for Superchunk in the 90s, let me make a Super 8 video for you guys when you’re in LA.’ So we spent a day larking about and scratching on film and then he edited it up. It’s difficult to tell, but if you look closely you can see there is some green screen footage and special effects added afterwards.”

Watch “Little Death” Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzlZWvTU2I

Watch “You Wouldn’t Like Me” Video:
https://youtu.be/CV3Bjx-vPTg

Watch “Great No One” Lyric Video:
https://youtu.be/qQYhM48H5zs

Watch “Happy Unhappy” Video:
https://youtu.be/ct8AwQwlbNA

Watch “Future Me Hates Me” Video:
https://youtu.be/iVImwSb4EYU

The Beths Tour Dates:
Wed. Sep. 12 – Auckland, NZ @ Neck of the Woods
Thu. Sep. 13 – Auckland, NZ @ Neck of the Woods
Fri. Sep. 14 – Wellington, NZ @ Meow
Thu. Sep. 20 – Dunedin, NZ @ Captain Cook Hotel
Fri. Sep. 21 – Christchurch, NZ @ Blue Smoke
Sat. Sep. 22 – Queenstown, NZ @ Sherwood
Fri. Sep. 28 – Los Angeles @ The Roxy
Sat. Sep. 29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Mon. Oct. 1 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
Tue. Oct. 2 – Seattle, WA @ Timbre
Fri. Oct. 5 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Sat. Oct. 6 – Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar
Sun. Oct. 7 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
Mon. Oct. 8 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Tue. Oct. 9 – Buffalo, NY @ 9th Ward at Babeville
Wed. Oct. 10 – Boston, MA @ Atwood’s Tavern
Fri. Oct. 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville (SOLD OUT)
Sat. Oct. 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits
Sun. Oct. 14 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
Tue. Oct. 16 – Nashville, TN @ Fond Object Records
Wed. Oct. 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Fri. Oct. 19 – San Antonio, TX @ 502 Bar *
Sat. Oct. 20 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ *
Sun. Oct. 21 – Fort Worth, TX @ MASS (Main At South Side) *
Thu. Oct. 25 – Prague, CZ @ Klub 007
Fri. Oct. 26 – Krakow, PO @ Klub RE
Sat. Oct. 27 – Berlin, DE @ Arkaoda
Sun. Oct. 28 – Cologne, DE @ Hangende Garten von Ehrenfeld
Tue. Oct. 30 – Paard, NL @ The Hague
Wed. Oct. 31 – Paris, FR @ Le 1999
Thu. Nov. 1 – Angers, FR @ Jokers Pub
Fri. Nov. 2 – Bordeaux, FR @ El Chicho
Sat. Nov. 3 – Rennes, FR @ 1988 Club
Mon. Nov. 5 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
Tue. Nov. 6 – Manchester, UK @ Mancunia Studio (SOLD OUT)
Wed. Nov. 7 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
Thu. Nov. 8 – Leicester, UK @ Duffy’s Bar
Fri. Nov. 9 – Bournemouth, UK @ The Anvil
Sat. Nov. 10 – Brighton, UK @ East Street Tap
Sun. Nov. 11 – London, UK @ Sebright Arms (SOLD OUT)
Mon. Nov. 12 – Brussels, BE @ Chaff

* w/ Flint Eastwood

[Future Me Hates Me artwork]

Purchase Future Me Hates Me:
Carpark Shop – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_carpark
Streaming Services – http://smarturl.it/fmhm_dsps

The Beths online:
https://www.facebook.com/thebethsnz
https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/thebethsnz
https://twitter.com/lizstokedstokes
https://www.instagram.com/lizstokedstokes/

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t miss other tour news. Subscribe and keep up to date.]

The Beths – Future Me Hates Me

Coming in with possibly the wittiest album title of the year (Future Me Hates Me), New Zealand’s the Beths show up with some much-needed pop-punk and joie de vivre right now.

The fun fuzz that opens “Get No One” is somehow topped by the delightful rhythm guitar that follows it. You’re tapping your feet right away and wanting to blast the album’s opener out of your car as soon as possible. The title track is as fun as you’d hoped it would be as lead singer Elizabeth Stokes tells us about how she’s setting herself up for “future heartbreak, future headaches,” but she’s still going through with a relationship. “Uptown Girl” isn’t a cover of the Billy Joel song (although I’m sure they’d have fun with that), but it is a raucous salute to partying all night and the aftermath that often brings.

“You Wouldn’t Like Me” has Stokes warning a potential lover about the hazards of dating her. “You wouldn’t like me if you saw what was inside me,” she sings, but the peppy nature of the song leads us to believe that was she thinks are faults are in reality charms. “Not Running” has an urgent energy to it (despite the title) with Jonathan Pearce‘s guitars constantly moving forward and not looking back.

“Little Death” is a rocker about orgasms. “Happy Unhappy” has Stokes both lamenting and loving the start of a new relationship and how its going to break her out of her comfortable rut. “River Run: Lvl 1” might refer to a video game I’ve never played, but the theme of a lovers’ game seems to run through the whole tune. The groovy grooves, rock anthem drums (by Ivan Luketina-Johnston) and vocal harmonies of “Whatever” make it one of the catchiest tracks of 2018 (and I love the subtly heavy bass by Benjamin Sinclair on it). The album ends with “Less Than Thou,” another love song in which Stokes gets in her own way when it comes to love, but powers through it with shining guitars and happy beats.

Future Hates Me is one of the peppiest and most clever albums of the year. It’s a perfect summer rock record, or a perfect record for breaking your winter blues if you’re in New Zealand this time of year.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t hate yourself for missing music news and reviews. Subscribe.]