Brooklyn’s Gustaf share “Best Behavior”, the follow up to the NPR-approved “Book” and second offering from the debut album Audio Drag For Ego Slobs, out October 1st on Royal Mountain Records. A frenetic and suitably buzzing from one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), it comes ahead of an extensive period of touring throughout the US, UK and Europe that sees them sharing the stage with IDLES, Pillow Queens, and Osees.
Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains, “Best Behavior” was fun to record because it was one of the first songs we finished/crafted in the studio rather than onstage. It started out as a demo we had in the early days of the band but never ended up playing live. It sat forgotten until we began planning the record and came together pretty effortlessly in the studio.” She continues, “Unlike the bulk of the album that we developed over the course of many live shows, it was exciting to be making decisions and constructing the final song as it was happening. It also helped us get our footing and identify how we wanted to steer and produce the remaining recordings.“
“The song’s ethos is a bit of the old and the new attitude for Gustaf. Our narrator, the ‘ego slob’, is bargaining with itself, scrounging for self-compassion and self-assurance despite a pile of hurt feelings in its wake. In demanding spoils despite having done nothing to earn them, we see the initial cracks in a brutish facade — our antihero slowly realizing maybe the shell they built for themselves was not built for the world.“
Inspired by the rhythmic grooves of ESG, the dopey drawl of Jonathan Richman, and the manic energy of The Fall, Gustaf’s live set is quick on its feet, constantly in flux, and obsessively catered to the people in the room, resulting in a sound that is emotive, androgynous, and infectiously danceable.
Gustaf’s Audio Drag for Ego Slobs will be released on October 1st on Royal Mountain Records. It is available for preorder here.
Tracklist
1. Mine
2. Book
3. Best Behavior
4. Dream
5. Liquid Frown
6. The Motions
7. Cruel
8. Dog
9. Package
10. Happy
Tour Dates
10/1 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
10/2 – Knoxville, TN – Mill and Mine
10/3 – Cincinatti, OH – MOTR Pub
10/4 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
10/6 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
10/7 – Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre #
10/8 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre #
10/9 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall #
10/10 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall #
10/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues #
10/13 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore #
10/15 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
10/16 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
10/17 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
10/18 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
10/20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel #
10/21 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom #
10/22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Heaven Stage #
10/25 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s #
10/26 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater #
10/27 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
11/2 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge $
11/3 – Bristol, UK – Rough Trade Bristol $
11/4 – London, UK – The Dome $
11/6 – Brighton, UK – Mutations Festival @ The Green Door Store
11/8 – Leeds, UK – Hyde Park Book Club $
11/9 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) $
11/10 – Liverpool, UK – Arts Club Loft %%EDITORCONTENT%%nbsp;
11/11 – London, UK – The Windmill, Brixton
11/13 – Utrecht, NL – Le Guess Who Festival
11/14 – Kortrijk, BE – Sonic City Festival
11/14 – Brussels, BE – Witloof Bar
11/16 – Berlin, DE – Cassiopeia
11/17 – Haldern, DE – Haldern Pop Bar
11/18 – Paris, FR – Les Femmes S’en Melent @ Petit Bain
11/19 – Lille, FR – The Black Lab
11/20 – Luxembourg City, LU – Rotondes Klub
12/02 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar %
12/03 – Joshua Tree, CA – Pappy’s %
12/08 – Seattle, WA – Barboza (Headline)
12/09 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar (Headline)
12/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
12/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
# – supporting IDLES
$ – supporting Pillow Queens
% – co-headline w/ Kills Birds
* – supporting Osees