Track by Track is a recurring feature series giving artists the platform to break down every song on their newest release. In this latest edition, Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups open up about the band’s new album, Physical Thrills.
Silversun Pickups have released their seventh studio album, Physical Thrills, today (August 19th). Helmed by legendary producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Garbage), the new LP sees the veteran quartet finding new avenues to push the envelope within their well-established sound.
The record feels universally current, bringing forth feelings of isolation. The unrelenting, driving beat of “Hereafter (Way After)” walks the line between the intense yet delicate state of the world, depicting the paradoxical bittersweetness that comes with significant change.
“It’s about the push-pull of all the things you are going through, and that you have so much time to think about,” lead vocalist Brian Aubert tells Consequence. “The world and the stuff that’s good about it, the stuff that’s dark about it.”
Still, in the presence of universally felt themes, Physical Thrills is also largely intimate. “Quicksand” takes a magnifying glass to his relationship with Aubert’s late father.
“I’m still dealing with it, and I’m not sure what the outcome of it all is. But no matter what, he is no longer around, he’s gone and passed away,” says Aubert. “This is a song I’ve had for a while, and I knew this was the time and record that I really, really wanted it on, and I knew it would end it and I knew it would be really sparse.”
Physical Thrills captures precious vignettes in time and fully embraces every ebb and flow that each moment brings. Listen to the album and read about the inspiration behind each track on the record below.
Silversun Pickups are currently on the road in support of Physical Thrills; grab your tickets now via Ticketmaster.