Drawn by the Vitality of Human Connection, Courier Club Brings Us Together With Their New Single, “Foreign Ground”
MORPHING INDIE ROCK AND POST-PUNK — Courier Club’s latest single, “Foreign Ground,” showcases their distinct and intoxicating sound. “Foreign Ground” hooks listeners with its pounding drums, sweeping synth backdrops, winding guitars, and pulsing bass — together, the energy is electric. Courier Club wrote and recorded the track last summer, as the urgency of the pandemic drove the band to create music that was both uplifting and unifying. The pandemic also allowed Courier Club to fully dive into the creative process, freeing them from any inhibitions that would have plagued their masterful production.
The Philadelphia-based band was brought together during the summer of 2018, producing music that incentivizes you to nod your head and hit the dance floor. They began performing in a series of house parties, where they gained their initial recognition. Their following then quickly evolved and expanded after releasing four singles throughout 2018 and 2019. Notably, Courier Club created Block by Blockwest, a Minecraft music festival with performances from over 40 artists. The festival took place during the pandemic and attracted tens of thousands of virtual fans, reaching the entertainment headlines and mainstream news.
The production of “Foreign Ground” was a fresh and memorable experience for Courier Club. Originally, the single started with a verse guitar riff that was written as part of an ambient interlude. “Once the bass and drums were added, we started to feel more excited about this idea than any of the other tracks we were working on and we ended up pivoting the entire session to focus on what is now ‘Foreign Ground.’ Something about the groove created an irresistible urge to stomp along like a cockatoo-haired post punker,” Courier Club shares. Courier Club grasped onto this energy, testing new additions to the “Foreign Ground” with the “stomp test.” It was important to Courier Club to make this feeling transparent throughout the track as they did not want to stray away from the excitement that captivated them.
Courier Club also shares with us an insight on the lyrics that they are most proud of in “Foreign Grounds.” “The majority of the lyrics came together on the spot in a flurry particularly, ‘I don't wanna make a mess tomorrow.’ I don't think it's some massive poetic achievement, but I would say I enjoy its simplicity in summing up our general feeling around that time.” During the pandemic, the stakes were higher and the world had more unknowns to grapple with, however; Courier Club’s lyrics represent how they are trying to make sense of the strange reality through honesty and authenticity. Even during the uneasy times, Courier Club persevered and pursued their musical ambitions in the most responsible way they could. While the lyrics are not scattered with easter eggs, as preferred by Courier Club, they reflect a genuine depiction of the times.
Sonically, Courier Club has such a versatile sound. They’ve integrated “horns, synths, sequencers, strings, samples of cars over an overpass, and even computer startup sounds.” Courier Club is always trying out new vehicles of sound as they are openly experimental, evolving their music. As of recently, Courier Club’s music is inspired by mid-70s post-punk bands such as The Birthday Party, Joy Division, and Gang of Four. Courier Club’s music is reflective of who they are as a band and where they play in. As Courier Club started out playing shows in college basements and bars with a grumpy sound guy, their music initially had more of a garage sound to it. However, their music has evolved since then as their sound reaches a wider space and audience. What’s most important to Courier Club, is that “the sounds will morph to properly address [the space they play in].
The music video for “Foreign Ground” brings to life Courier Club’s visions as they all partake in the creation and execution of the video equally. Courier Club believes that their songs deserve a space to live in, therefore; they take on a deeper meaning to the concept of “world building.” Most of Courier Club’s videos take place in locations that resonate to them or their everyday life. However, their music videos take on a new layer of meaning because they stylize the location “as if [it] were an iconic setting in some film you’ve seen.” Courier Club shares their artistic decisions behind their music video for “Foreign Ground,” which takes place in their practice space, however; they “outfitted [it] with pulpy scifi flair. The sculpture we’re playing in front of is supposed to be a material representation of our influences infusing to create something new. Like the chunky supercomputer creativity machine, where the screens reflect the users current subconscious influences so they can clearly and visually interface them to create a new piece of art.”
Growing up, Courier Club had a diverse taste in music, however; they can all “agree that video game soundtracks were an important vessel to shaping our [sound].” Courier Club aims to replicate the interest that brought them together as a band, seeking to draw and unify their listeners, as well. Courier Club also pursues themes that relate to the human experience in their music. In their upcoming singles, the themes are similar to “Forgien Ground” and reflective of the pandemic. For instance, Courier Club shares some of the common themes: “double edged optimism, fear of the unknown, self-reflection due to a year of muted expression, human error, digging, and more so navigating love and companionship from the ones around you.” Courier Club explores the depth and complexity of life, presenting us with new layers of meaning and questions to grapple with.
In reflection of the “Block by Blockwest” Minecraft music festival and the past year as a whole, Courier Club has discovered a new revelation: the value of creating genuine human connections. Courier Club has also taken on a whole new understanding of what it means to be a band. Just like creating a virtual event or having a call with an old friend, Courier Club believes that a band is a vessel to bring people together. Courier Club shares that they’re “committing more deeply to creating connections in order to generate a tad of empathy in all of the chaos. Maybe we’re digging a bit too much into it, but maybe you have to.” Courier Club isn’t digging too deep, they’re exactly what we need: a sound that excites us, with values that unite us.
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RT @i_D: Ian Kenneth Bird photographs young punks on Polaroid: https://t.co/MKT0tMUqO9 https://t.co/a0tTl12ML5
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