It’s been a long, strange journey for the indefinable Guerilla Toss, who’ve evolved over nearly a decade from no wave and brutal prog to the neo-psychedelic zolo established on their 2017 DFA-released breakthrough GT Ultra. However the journey almost ended a few years ago when bandleader Kassie Carlson had an opiate-related near death experience.
“When I got sick it felt like I was right there, on the edge of death and there was no time to test fate,” she says. “It took getting there to realize I would disintegrate and cease to exist unless I started making decisions that benefited my own personal recovery from depression.” From this experience, What Would the Odd Do? was born—the band’s second release since Carlson’s recovery, but the first to address the situation head-on.
Rather than shying away from the issue, the band is making it clear that addiction—particularly for women—is a subject that shouldn’t be buried in the lyrics sheet. “I hope to help other people who are struggling, and anything else that is a result of a corroded society that has left so many people in the dust—especially women,” Carlson disclaimed in the record’s press release. “Drugs are such a dude-associated thing, which has made it even harder for me to talk about.”
With lead single “Plants” already out in the world, the band is sharing the EP’s second single today, “Future Doesn’t Know,” a triumphant look forward with a more rock-oriented edge than its predecessor. Recalling the chiptune power pop of their peers Crying as much as the godfatherly wonk of Deerhoof, “Future” could only be found in the middle of a Guerilla Toss album. “’Future Doesn’t Know’ is a song about the personification of the future, and finding your own truth,” Carlson concludes. “So often we look to others for the meaning of life or what to do next, but really the only answer is within.”
What Would the Odd Do? is out October 18—gracefully rescheduled from its initial November 15 release date so fans could become acquainted with the new tracks before they tour—via NNA Tapes. Those tour dates are below, and you can pre-order a copy of the EP here.
Oct 19 – Hi-Dive – Denver, CO
Oct 22 – Diabolical Records – Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 23 – Neurolux Lounge – Boise, ID
Oct 24 – Polaris Hall – Portland, OR
Oct 25 – Fortune Sound Club – Vancouver, CAN
Oct 26 – The Vera Project – Seattle, WA
Oct 27 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
Oct 29 – Outer Space Arcata – Arcata, CA
Oct 30 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
Nov 01 – The Crepe Place – Santa Cruz, CA
Nov 02 – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA
Nov 03 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
Nov 05 – Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
Nov 06 – Wooden Tooth Records – Tucson, AZ
Nov 07 – Town Hall ABQ – Albuquerque, NM
Nov 09 – Levitation – Austin, TX
Nov 10 – Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio – Denton, TX
Nov 11 – Opolis – Norman, OK
