Los Angeles indie group Arms Akimbo (Chris Kalil – vox/guitar, Peter Schrupp – vox/guitar, MattSutton – drums and Colin Boppell – vox/bass) return with a new EP, “Seven Dollar Paycheck”. It’s a record that continues to expose the anxiety, trepidation but also wonderment in taking on an uncertain world whilst feeling barely armed for that reality. The theme of the EP is obvious:Juggling the desire to stay creative and young whilst also putting food on the table and assuring yourself that this is the right path. All the time aiming for dreams that seem maddeningly just out of reach.
Cruel Lovers is an unabashed ode to a garage-rock phase Schrupp went through, the EP’s closing flourish, Pitchfork taps into the vein of dramatic post-emo rock that groups such as Manchester Orchestra have long cultivated. Kalil wrote the song on a post-tourdrive home from Texas (and back to the crashing normalcy that comes at the end of a run). “Iwas thinking about the way that being a musician connects you with so many people while simultaneously being extremely isolating.” He explains that the song is “a letter to my band andmy loved ones back home. I wanted to tell the people in my life that even though it’s not the easiest path that we’re on, it’s the right path and we’re not going to give up.”With a tour of the South and West recently behind them and more planned for the coming months, Arms Akimbo release Seven Dollar Pay check April 19 th , with Cruel Lovers, Pay check andNirvana all streaming in the preceding weeks.
Formed at Loyola Marymount University in LA, the foursome bonded over bands such asPortugal.The Man, Local Natives and Hippo Campus. Releasing a debut EP, Vignettes ArmsAkimbo quickly found a fanbase that helped them sell out increasingly larger clubs in their home town.
Recent praise from Billboard, Culture Collide, Baeble Music and Flaunt have continued to spread the word of this rapidly rising group, but word of mouth is playing an equal part. Ask halfof their crowd and “someone told me I had to come see them…” is a common quote. Whatever it is, the band has hit a nerve: That never-ending nagging concern that this time in life is fleeting, that responsibility is knocking hard on the door and you only get one “today” – and need to make the most of it.
Links
https://soundcloud.com/arms_akimbo
https://twitter.com/armsakimboband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vuEKqaoIXJjZWOGxfXCzN
https://www.facebook.com/ArmsAkimboBand
https://www.instagram.com/armsakimboband
