SOFT KILL Complete Work On New Album “Savior”, U.S. Tour Begins Today
Portland Oregon’s SOFT KILL have set May 11th as the release date for their new LP “Savior” which will see the band bringing their unique blend of gloom, laced with pop charm and flawless song writing. “Savior” follows the band’s 2016 LP “Choke” which saw the band on a constant touring cycle in support of it through North America and Europe with demand for the band being on a constant upswing.
The writing for “Savior” was sparked while returning from tour, frontman Tobias Grave’s wife began to bleed out in the van, at eight months pregnant they were in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road far from a medical facility. The band raced through the night landing at the emergency room of UC Davis Trauma Center in Sacramento where surgery was performed to save both the mother and unborn child. Although the surgery went well, baby Dominick’s lung collapsed on his second day of life causing him to flat line. Grave was forced to standby and watch as the doctors and nurses struggled to keep his newborn child alive with blood transfusions, breathing and feeding tubes. As days turned into weeks, stranded far from home, standing vigil, he purchased a guitar, borrowed a bass from a friend and began to write songs that eventually would become the core of “Savior”. Grave wrote songs about losing his son, his battle with drug addiction, the many tragedies that came along with that life, and the empty space suspended between mourning and celebration, life and death.
With “Savior”, recorded/mixed in Kingsize Sudios in Los Angeles and produced by Benjamin Greenberg (Uniform, The Men, Algiers) SOFT KILL have matured into a powerhouse, effortlessly combining genres, always with Grave’s powerful, raw emotional storytelling where we see a person come to grips with their own reflection as seen in the eyes of their dying son. From the pop perfection of ‘Trying Not to Die’ to the swelling and crushing guitars on ‘Hard Candy’ to the unrelenting dirge of ‘Bunny Room’, “Savior” is a creative tour de force. Drawing from a diverse musical palette, “Savior” is influenced by early U2, Gun Club, The Replacements and a requiem to Tom Petty.
SOFT KILL lineup currently consists of Tobias Grave (vocals/guitar/synths), Conrad Vollmer (guitar), Owen Glendower (bass) and Adam Bulgasem (drums).
Cover photo credit: Jennifer LaTour
“Savior” track listing:
- Swaddle
- Trying Not To Die
- Bunny Room
- Savior
- Missing
- Changing Days
- Dancing On Glass
- Cry Now, Cry Later
- Do You Feel Nothing?
- Hard Candy
SOFT KILL begin their US tour today in Oakland with Choir Boy and Vowws (on later dates). Expect the band to play a number of tracks off of “Savior” on this run. Dates are as follows.
02/27 – OAKLAND, CA @ STARLINE
02/28 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ ZEBULON
03/01 – SAN DIEGO, CA @ SPACE
03/02 – PHOENIX, AZ @ VALLEY BAR
03/03 – TUCSON, AZ @ CLUB CONGRESS
03/05 – AUSTIN, TX @ BARRACUDA
03/06 – DALLAS, TX @ CLUB DADA
03/07 – NEW ORLEANS, LA @ GASA GASA
03/08 – TALLAHASSEE, FL @ CLUB DOWNUNDER
03/09 – GAINESVILLE, FL @ THE ATLANTIC
03/10 – ORLANDO, FL @ WILL’S PUB
03/11 – MIAMI, FL @ GRAMPS
03/13 – TAMPA, FL @ CROWBAR
03/14 – ATLANTA, GA @ THE EARL
03/15 – NASHVILLE, TN @ THE END
03/16 – ASHEVILLE, NC @ THE MOTHLIGHT
03/17 – DURHAM, NC @ THE PINHOOK
03/18 – RICHMOND, VA @ STRANGE MATTER
03/20 – WASHINGTON, DC @ DC9
03/21 – BALTIMORE, MD @ METRO GALLERY
03/22 – PHILADELPHIA, PA @ UNDERGROUND ARTS
03/23 – ALLSTON, MA @ GREAT SCOTT
03/24 – BROOKLYN, NY @ SAINT VITUS
03/23 – JERSEY CITY, NJ @ MONTY HALL
03/28 – PITTSBURGH, PA @ SPIRIT
03/29 – COLUMBUS, OH @ THE SUMMIT
03/30 – CLEVELAND, OH @ NOW THAT’S CLASS (w/Vowws)
03/31 – DETROIT, MI @ OUTER LIMITS (w/Vowws)
04/01 – CHICAGO, IL @ EMPTY BOTTLE (w/Vowws)
04/03 – OMAHA, NB @ REVERB LOUNGE (w/Vowws)
04/04 – DENVER, CO @ HI DIVE (w/Vowws)
04/05 – SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ METRO MUSIC HALL (w/Vowws)
04/06 – BOISE, ID @ NEUROLUX (w/Vowws)
04/07 – SEATTLE, WA @ BARBOZA (w/Vowws)
04/08 – PORTLAND, OR @ TONIC LOUNGE (w/Vowws)
04/10 – EUGENE, OR @ OLD NICKS (w/Vowws)*
04/11 – SACRAMENTO, CA @ BLUE LAMP (w/Vowws)*
*no Choir Boy
