Los Angeles-based psychedelic rock outfit Tombstones In Their Eyes presents their latest single ‘By My Side’, along with new video by new media artist and DJ Ann Sequinworld, one of the highlight tracks on their new ‘Asylum Harbour’ album, released via Kitten Robot Records.

Today, Tombstones In Their Eyes is made up of long-time members John Treanor (vocals & guitar), Stephen Striegel (drums), Courtney Davies (vocals) , Phil Cobb (guitar) and Paul Boutin (guitar), along with new band members Joel Wasko (bass) and Clea Cullen (vocals).

What began a decade ago as two childhood friends (Treanor in LA and James Cooper in NYC) swapping demos quickly grew into a full-fledged band with a healthy stream of expansive music, laced with fuzzed out psychedelic majesty. Writing and performing is Treanor’s way to deal with anxiety and depression, to speak about a subject without being the centre of the conversation, and to express oneself in a subliminal way. TITE’s music gazes into the universe as much as inward toward the soul. 

“‘By My Side’ is a song about self-destructive love. The song was written and the demo made in December of 2016, making it the oldest song on the record, with almost all the other songs written in 2023. It has been one my favorite demos for many years, but for some reason we never go around to recording it,” says John Treanor.

“I think I had an idea that it would be hard to recreate, but that turned out to be silly. The song was recorded with Paul Roessler at Kitten Robot Studio in Los Angeles, where we always record. The lyrics really strike me as they remind me a lot of my younger indestructible self.”

Named after a maritime phrase for a safe place to wait out a storm, ‘‘Asylum Harbour’ is about resurfacing in a new phase of healing following the pandemic. Produced and engineered by Paul Roessler (45 Grave, Twisted Roots, The Screamers, Nina Hagen), known for his work with Josie Cotton, Hayley and the Crushers and Gitane Demone, this record was co-produced by John Treanor and recorded at Kitten Robot Studios.

The band also recently shared a fantastic Aurelian video for ‘Gimme Some Pain’ and prismatic clip for ‘Mirror’, both created by Italian multi-arts visionary Francesca Bonci, known for her work with Federale (The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Collin Hegna), British bard Philip Parfitt, The Dandy Warhols’ Peter G. Holmström a.k.a. Pete International Airport and Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell.

L‘Asylum Harbour’ follows the band’s ‘Sea of Sorrow’ album, this new record seeing Treanor pull past the pain, numbness and chaos imbued in that previous offering.  Earlier, the band released ‘Sweet as Pie’, ‘I’m Not Like That’, ‘In Your Eyes’ and the supercharged ‘I Like to Feel Good’.

‘Asylum Harbour’ is out now, available on CD and on snazzy red vinyl, as well as digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Tickets for the March 12 show are now available online. 

Keep up with Tombstones In Their Eyes
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music | Press contact

Keep up with Kitten Robot Records
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BlueSky | Threads| Soundcloud | LinkedIn | Email

Exclusive track premiere of ‘Sweet As Pie’ by Tombstones In Their Eyes, taken from their upcoming album, ‘Asylum Harbour,’ slated for release this fall via Kitten Robot Records.

“The sunny sounding harmonies disguise the struggle in the song,” confesses John Treanor of Los Angeles psychedelic shoegazers Tombstones In Their Eyes about their hazy new single ‘Sweet As Pie’ from the upcoming album ‘Asylum Harbour,’ out this Fall via Kitten Robot. What’s the struggle? “It’s about pulling yourself out of darkness into light,” he says.

As with many psyche-rock tunes, the fuzz-drenched guitars often mask a deeper darkness. “The song’s lyrics, “Coming from the darkness / I see your light / Coming from the darkness / I know I can fly,” reflect hope and yearning,” Treanor explains. “It’s about struggling to find your place in the world.”

‘Sweet As Pie’ is steeped in minor chords and a driving beat, with Treanor’s vocals piercing through the shoegaze haze. Produced by Kitten Robot’s Paul Roessler, it features Phil Cobb, Paul Boutin, Stephen Striegel, Courtney Davies, and Nic Nifoussi, with Roessler adding vocals and keys.

“‘Sweet As Pie’ is an older track, written and recorded in 2021/2022, showcasing Courtney’s beautiful voice,” Treanor notes. “Its seeming lightness delayed its release.”

‘Asylum Harbour,’ named for a maritime safe haven, symbolizes resurfacing from the darkness of 2022-2023 and the pandemic. Treanor says the album reflects a journey out of a dark place, focusing on voices and harmonies over layers of fuzz. “The record marks, to my mind, a further evolution of the band with the voice(s) becoming a main feature rather than being used as another instrument.”

Photo by Karin Johansson

Tombstones In Their Eyes, a decade strong, blend psychedelia and shoegaze with fuzzed-out guitars and dreamy vocals. “Asylum Harbour feels cohesive in sound and theme,” Treanor concludes. “It’s about the beauty of pain and being stripped to one’s core.”

Headline photo: Deb Frazin

(Reybee) “This song is one of the quietest songs we have done, but I can see more of that coming,” says vocalist/guitarist John Treanor of Los Angeles-based psychedelic shoegazers Tombstones In Their Eyes (TITE) about their iridescent new single “I’m Not Like That” (released today June 4th via Kitten Robot).

Layered with shimmery, corduroy textures and punctuated with a swampy slide guitar, the track glimmers in textural brilliance while he appeals to understanding and acceptance. “The lyrics came in my normal stream-of-consciousness method,” he adds. “Whatever came out was from somewhere inside my psyche. It is kind of a plea for help as well as an expression of gratitude for love received.”

Tapping into a post-midnight comedown vibe, the song’s somnolent pace reflects its origin. “‘I’m Not Like That’ was written late at night in early 2023,” he explains. “I recorded the demo in my home studio. I was trying to be quiet so that I wouldn’t wake my wife, so I didn’t use a pick on the rhythm guitar and I sang in a whisper. I had an idea to build on the simple structure with some pedal steel guitar, so I contacted a gentleman named David Murphy, who provided a beautiful track for the song. I also worked with one of our guitar players, Phil Cobb, who added some additional guitars to the track and slide guitar. It came out great when it was all mixed together.”

The first single from their upcoming album Asylum Harbour, which will be released later this year, “I’m Not Like That” finds primary songwriter Treanor emerging from a murky state of mind. “Asylum Harbour is a maritime phrase for a safe place to wait out a storm, and the album is really me coming out of a dark place and the songs, for the most part, reflect that journey,” he explains. “Almost all of it was written and recorded in 2023 with the exception of two songs that were written years ago.”

From the “A Higher Place” EP on Kitten Robot Records https://kittenrobot.com/shop/

Video by John Treanor

Recorded, Produced and Mixed by Paul Roessler at Kitten Robot Studio

Musicians: John Treanor, Stephen Striegel, Courtney Davies, Nic Nifoussi, James Cooper, Paul Roessler

Lyrics: A Higher Place I’m in a high a higher place I’m in a high a higher place There is no air There is no air There is no air There is no air I’m in a high a higher place I’m in a place a higher place

BRIDGE I’m in a high I’m in a high I’m in a high a higher place I’m in a high I’m in a high I’m in a high a higher place There is no waste There is no waste There is no waste There is no waste

Exclusive video premiere of ‘Heart’ by fuzzed out shoegazers Tombstones In Their Eyes, taken from their upcoming album, ‘Sea of Sorrow,’ out via Kitten Robot Records.

The band is back after their recently released fuzzed out, melodic EP ‘A Higher Place’. The latest single ‘Heart’ is a nice preview of what will be heard on their upcoming album, ‘Sea of Sorrow,’ out via Kitten Robot Records (exact date will follow). Be prepared for another slice of shoegaze-desert rock.

When and where did the band originally form?

John Treanor: It involves some crazy luck/chance. I had a friend named James Cooper when I was a kid, we probably met around 13. We met because both our mothers are from Finland and knew each other from the San Diego Finnish “scene.” Anyway, James and I became fast friends and, as punk rock was finally reaching our town, started to write some songs together. His big sister, Jessica, gave us our first punk haircuts. We wrote a couple of songs, at least one of which was used in a later band that James was in. Then, as kids do, we kinda drifted apart with different crowds in the punk scene. I kept in touch with his sister, and sometime around 2013, was having coffee with her and asked about James. You’re not always sure you want to meet up with old friends, but what she told me gave me the feeling we could talk again. It was crazy when we finally talked. It was like no time had passed (actually 30 years had passed, haha). We had both lived the punk rock / rock and roll lifestyle and eventually both hit bottom and cleaned up our lives. So, by the time we met, we were both healthy and good guys. And we still loved music. Neither of us had bands at the time. I had quit my last band about 5 years previously and taken a break from the grind. But we decided to try writing some songs together, even though he lived in NYC and I in Los Angeles. We traded projects in Dropbox, using Garageband to record, and came up with some fun stuff. Finally, we had enough songs to where I thought it would be cool to get some local friends to help me record them in a real studio. I had a friend, Sam Sherwood, who played drums, and another friend, Josh Drew, who played bass. We went into a local studio and recorded about 10 songs. Then, when it came time to mix, I asked around and heard about this guy, Paul Roessler, who I had met briefly before. I went over to his studio and it seemed like a perfect fit. We spent some time mixing and re-recording parts of the songs (I think I even did an acoustic song there). The first record, ‘Sleep Forever,’ was uneven, I think now, as if we had not found our sound, but there was some cool stuff there. So, that’s the origin story, and James, Paul and I are still working together. Amazing that a meeting after 30 years would result in such a cool and long-lasting project.

Very cool. Other than those guys, has the line-up changed much over the years/what is the current line-up?

Our original drummer, Sam, quit after our first show. So, for the 2nd recording, the EP ‘Bad Clouds,’ I hired a drummer named Stephen Striegel. He, Josh and I recorded and mixed that record at Paul’s studio, Kitten Robot Studios. It came out much better than the first album, as if we were finding our feet. And we further developed our relationship with Paul. Since then, we’ve tried one drummer, who didn’t last long, on our 2nd EP, ‘FEAR,’ so we brought Stephen Striegel back in to finish the EP. By then, we also had picked up a bass player named Mike Mason, and Josh Drew had switched to guitar. After the ‘FEAR’ EP, Stephen said he wanted to officially join the band, so that was great. We did another two EPs and a record with that lineup, the ‘Shutting Down’ EP, the ‘Nothing Here’ EP and finally, our second album, ‘Maybe Someday’. After that album, Mike Mason, our bass player, moved out of town and Josh switched back to bass for a while. During the time after that we released ‘Collection’ (a compilation of all the early stuff) and recorded the ‘Looking For a Light’ album.

There was some shuffling around after that. Josh left to be with his new family and do his own music and we brought in Paul Boutin on guitar, Nic Nifoussi on bass, Phil Cobb on guitar and Courtney Davies on backing/harmony vocals. This is mostly to fill out the live show so that we can have that 3-guitar-attack along with the 3 vocalists (Nic also does backing vocals). We did the EP ‘A Higher Place’ after that, but not everyone got on the record.

The current lineup is:
John Treanor – songs, guitar, vocals, keys
Phil Cobb – lead guitar
Stephen Striegel – drums
Nic Nifoussi – bass/backing vox
Courtney Davies – backing vox
Paul Boutin – guitar
James Cooper – midi/drum programming, synths, musical guidance

When you write music, is it a collaborative process with the other band members or is it more your vision of the band that comes through?

Short answer: my vision, but I’m trying to change that with some of the new members and encourage collaboration. Our songwriting process generally goes like this: I’ll sit down and open Logic. Choose a drum beat to play along to. Write a rhythm guitar part. Sing along to that part in a stream of consciousness fashion and see what comes out. If it’s a good song and the lyrics are good, sometimes I’ll keep them as is, or with minor tweaks. Then I’ll add melodies, solos, bass, sometimes keys. I’ll let James in NYC know it’s there and often I’ll wake up to the song with a great drumbeat and some synths added. Other times I’ll wake up to a stripped and chopped version that’s cooler than what I initially wrote. You never know.
So, the songwriting process is really more my vision, with James helping me decide which songs are worth following.

I like that “stream of consciousness” approach. Like James Joyce or Jack Kerouac. You have put out an impressive discography so far and you have two more albums coming up soon. What can you tell us about these new ones?

We’ve got so many songs to work with that it got confusing and stressful for a bit. That’s why we released the ‘A Higher Place’ EP, it acted as sort of a pressure release valve. At least we got some songs out there and could go back to working on the album. For this album, ‘Sea of Sorrow,’ which is now mastered, has the art done and is in the pressing plant and CD factory, that will be more relief. I had so many songs to choose from that I just went with my heart, putting on the songs that made me feel good at that moment. It covers a lot of ground, from the opener ‘Trapped,’ a fuzzed out mantra, to ‘Hope,’ a dreamy but gritty tale of darkness and light. It’ll be 10 songs on the vinyl, 12 on the CD. One of the CD-only songs, ‘Bride,’ was written primarily by James and is different from anything else we’ve done. So, now we’re back with 20 songs to work with, but a little less pressure. Paul and I will go in the studio and tweak them, make them better, fuzzier, noisier, prettier, whatever they need. And Courtney is coming in to sing some more harmonies, even though she’s already on about half of the songs already.

“Life is a storm and we’re just trying to stay afloat”

I love that you have this nautical theme going on in all your album artwork. What is the story behind this? Do you touch on this in lyrics as well?

The “ships in storm” theme started with our first album. I was going through a pretty rough depression during the early few years of the band that I felt like that imagery fit our vibe. Life is a storm and we’re just trying to stay afloat/alive. Simple. I try to keep it just that. Only the ships in the storm, without expanding into real nautical themes. No anchors or ropes all over the sleeve, et cetera. Just the cover carries the theme. And I have written a song called ‘Ship on the Sea,’ but that was really not related to the “theme” in the covers.

Tell me a little bit about “The Bitter Seas Radio Show” and how people can find it and give it a listen…

Bret Miller of Eardrum Buzz Radio asked me to co-host a show with him some time back and I was hooked. I love sharing what I consider to be great music with people. So I asked him if I could have a slot and that’s now every other Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm Pacific. The address is https://www.eardrumbuzz.net

We’re hoping to be able to move to another platform that will allow listeners to listen in different ways, on different devices, etc. I’d love to get it to where I could stream it over my Sonos system. And it would be nice to broaden the reach, as well. Bret started a Patreon page where folks can contribute towards that goal.

I play all kinds of stuff, at least in the rock genre, from Love to Unsane. Plenty of psych, some doom and metal, punk, straight dirty rock and roll, shoegaze, et cetera.

Any bands that we might not be aware of that you would like to recommend?

The Kundalini Genie, Rev Rev Rev, Magic Castles, Jesus On Heroine (no longer around, but a brilliant first record), The Underground Youth, We Are Wood, Chatham Rise (really underrated), Dead Ghosts, The Cult Of Dom Keller, 9 volt-velvet (great guys), Black Market Karma. And I have to throw in Songs: Ohia ‘The Magnolia Electric Co.,’ even though Jason passed away a few years back. Beautiful stuff. There’s tons of great stuff out there now and obviously in the past, which makes the radio show so fun.

I see that you have been playing more live gigs lately now that the world is returning to “normal.” How has that been for you guys? Any upcoming shows?

Yes, we played a few shows and then pulled back to finish the record. But we are starting rehearsals shortly and plan on taking it nice and slow. I want to get really good and powerful before we venture out on stage again, as our last shows were pretty stressful and chaotic. We’ll probably get out there in late January or early February. With three guitars, it’s going to be a blast in more ways than one!

Aside from the upcoming releases, any future plans/ideas for TiTE?

I will keep doing this as long as the songs keep coming. I’m one of those who sees the songs as a gift from the universe and I’ve been really fortunate for the past 7-8 years.

John Treanor understands the importance of collaboration when it comes to sparking and releasing creativity. Tombstones in Their Eyes was the brainchild of the rekindling of a childhood friendship stemming from the SoCal Punk scene. Using his talents and correspondence with his buddy James Cooper, Treanor completed his 2015 album Sleep Forever and 2016 EP Bad Clouds.  

Drawing from musical influences such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Elliott Smith and The Melvins, seven years later, Tombstones in Their Eyes are back with the third installment of their gloomy alt-rock goodness, Looking For a Light, featuring the single “Quarantine Blues.”

John was kind enough to answer our questions for The PROBE with absolute grace, which you can read below. 

You can listen to their 8-song album Looking For a Light while you do!

1) If a roach crashed into your rehearsal space, would you run or would you kill it? 

Neither, I would escort it out using the cup and paper trick!

2) Does anyone in the band like to play practical jokes? If so, what’s one of the all-time best ones? 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, no practical jokers in the band at the moment.  We’ll see if that changes on the road!

3) What’s the last gift you received?  

Leaving out gifts to myself, it would be a nice travel toiletries bag from Pendleton that my wife Karin gave me recently, with a cool southwestern design.

4) If you could pick one thing about yourself that you’d like your fans to know, what would it be?  

I am very shy and introverted, but enjoy being with a nice, small group of friends.

5) What music are you listening to lately?

Our own demos for the upcoming album, Jesus on Heroine, The Dandy Warhols, Dehd, Mark Lanegan, the list goes on!

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TOMBSTONES IN THEIR EYES:

INSTAGRAM |  FACEBOOK |  TWITTER |  SOUNDCLOUD | YOUTUBE

ROYAL MOUNTAIN RECORDS | KRO RECORDS

OCTOBER 22, 2021 (Los Angeles, CA)  — Following the release of their critically-hailed, neo-psychdelic post-punk album Looking For A Light earlier this year, Kitten Robot recording artists TOMBSTONES IN THEIR EYES (TITE) have now released a striking video for the track “I Can Hurt All The Time.”

Shot in black and white, the cinematic video serves as a metaphor for the song’s themes of depression and anxiety, featuring an unknown man covered in cracked body paint clawing at himself underwater in pain. Interspersed with footage of various dying flowers and a desolate, foggy forest fire, the footage projects the isolation and feeling of hopelessness that accompanies bouts of mental illness.

“The lyrics for ‘I Can Hurt All The Time’ were written, like almost all of my lyrics, in a stream of consciousness, singing and keeping whatever words come out the first time,” says vocalist/guitarist John Treanor. “In this case, only one line was tweaked to better suit the song. So, this is what came out of my subconscious that night. And, having suffered from depression, it outlines a feeling that I have experienced: depressed, exhausted from not feeling ‘good’ and yearning for a good day.”

“The music video was done by a gentleman name Jakub, who lives in Poland, and goes by the moniker Chariot of Black Moth,” continues John. “He chooses the imagery based on the content of the song and in this case, at least, nailed it perfectly.”

Attracting fans of desert rock, shoegaze, goth, and neo-garage without aligning themselves directly with any these camps, TITE have been creating a fuzzed-out, psychedelic swirl for the past few years. Now with Looking For A Light, TITE have shifting their sound ever-so-slightly while elevating it up a few notches. It is an album swathed in thick fuzz that allows its melodies to shine bright.  

John concludes, “Like our other songs that deal with depression, the desire is that other folks out there who suffer similarly can relate with the feelings, know that they are not alone and that there is hope.”

Tombstones In Their Eyes is John Treanor (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Stephen Striegel (drums, percussion), Josh Drew (bass, guitar), Paul Boutin (guitar, bass) and James Cooper (synths, midi-drum programming).  Looking For A Light was produced by Paul Roessler and is out now viaKitten Robot Records / Somewherecold Records.

“Quarantine Blues,” the first single from Tombstones In Their Eyes for Kitten Robot, is out today. Give it a blast on your fave platform, links in the first comment. Video for this song and full LP are just over the horizon.