Forth Wanderers – Ava Trilling, Ben Guterl, Zach Lorelli, Noah Yu Schifrin, and Duke Greene – are sharing the animated visualizer for “Bluff,” a new song from The Longer This Goes On, available worldwide through Sub Pop on Friday, July 18th, 2025.
“Bluff” opens with the cool tones of the keyboard and auxiliary percussion, Trilling’s voice guiding the song through to its melancholic core. Under the watchful eye of producer Dan Howard, the song captures the band at their most present and unburdened, creating their sound in real time for the very first time. The visualizer is animated and directed by Guterl.
Last month, Forth Wanderers shared The Longer This Goes On release details with the Bandcamp-only “To Know Me/To Love Me,” and followed it up a few days later by the dizzying official video for “7 Months.”
The Longer This Goes On was produced by Dan Howard at Chateau Grand Studios and Future Sounds in New York, and mixed and mastered by Al Carlson at Gary’s Electric in New York. The Longer This Goes On is the group’s first recorded output since the release of Forth Wanderers, their beloved 2018 Sub Pop debut.
The Longer This Goes On is available to preorder now on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, MM2 in the UK + EU, and your local record store, will receive the limited Loser Edition on Milky Clear (NA) or White (UK/EU) vinyl (all vinyl color editions whilst stock lasts!).
What People Have Said About Forth Wanderers:
“It’s a pretty, heartfelt indie rock jam with a huge, off-kilter guitar riff, and Ava Trilling sounds great on it.” [“To Know Me/To Love Me”] STEREOGUM
“Grungy, slow-burning” [“To Know Me/To Love Me”] BROOKLYN VEGAN
“Both new tracks are excellent” [“To Know Me/To Love Me” + “7 Months”] EXCLAIM
“Upbeat and playful, a rattling, jazzy snare pattering in the background as Trilling’s vocals and Guterl’s guitar licks glide over it.” [“7 Months”] STEREOGUM
Tracklisting: 1. To Know Me/To Love Me 2. Call You Back 3. Honey 4. 7 Months 5. Spit 6. Springboard 7. Make Me 8. Barnard 9. Bluff 10. Don’t Go Looking
Forth Wanderers – Ava Trilling, Ben Guterl, Zach Lorelli, Noah Yu Schifrin, and Duke Greene – will release The Longer This Goes On, their third album, worldwide through Sub Pop on Friday, July 18th, 2025. The album, which includes the standouts “To Know Me/To Love Me,” “Bluff,” ‘Barnard,” and today’s offering, “7 Months,” was produced by Dan Howard at Chateau Grand Studios and Future Sounds in New York, and mixed and mastered by Al Carlson at Gary’s Electric in New York. The Longer This Goes On is the group’s first recorded output since the release of Forth Wanderers, their beloved 2018 Sub Pop debut.
Watch the dizzying official video “7 Months” directed by band member Schifrin and his sister Elisabeth Schifrin.
The Longer This Goes On is available to preorder now on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, MM2 in the UK + EU, and your local record store, will receive the limited Loser Edition on Milky Clear (NA) or White (UK/EU) vinyl (all vinyl color editions whilst stock lasts!).
About Forth Wanderers The Longer This Goes On: There’s one thing Forth Wanderers want to make clear as they prepare to release their third album The Longer This Goes On: “We’re not back,” guitarist Ben Guterl says emphatically. It’s perhaps an unexpected sentiment to pair with the band’s first album since they parted ways seven years ago, but the band insists it’s just an honest answer—they came together to record the ten intricately constructed gems that make up this new record, and they’re still figuring out what being in Forth Wanderers means to them, over ten years after the project’s conception. Listening to these songs, each a glittering celebration of vocalist Ava Trilling’s urgent and intuitive lyrics and the band’s natural musical chemistry, though, it’s hard to feel like there’s much of anything left unsaid. Filled with spit-shined melodies, chiming vocal harmonies, and slinky, slanted rhythms, the album is more expansive than just a return to form. Here, the band aren’t afraid to take the scenic route to a hook, layering instrumental flourishes to fill in the empty spaces, creating room for Trilling’s haunting range, or repeating a riff or a lyric until it becomes a Zen koan. On The Longer This Goes On, Forth Wanderers sound more self-aware and self-assured than ever before. Just don’t call it a comeback.
The road to The Longer This Goes On began in a Brooklyn coffee shop during the summer of 2021. There, Guterl and Trilling met for the first time since Forth Wanderers’ dissolution in 2018. “We talked for four or five hours about everything under the sun,” Trilling explained. “At the tail end of our conversation, Ben asked if I wanted to try making music again.” The question took her by surprise, but Trilling agreed. The three years they’d been apart had deflated some of the pressures the band felt when they were touring their previous music: “It felt like there wasn’t as much riding on the band,” Guterl added. “We all felt free to mess around and have fun.” Guterl remembers the reassurance he felt when he reconnected to play music with bassist Noah Schifrin, guitarist Duke Greene, and drummer Zach Lorelli: “It felt the best it had between us since we had started the band. It felt like we were just in high school again.”
From the bottom up, the band reimagined the way they were used to working. “Prior to this, the band built songs from demos Ben would send us,” Schifrin explained. “This is the first time where a lot of the music was formed organically.” “All five of us really contributed to the writing process in ways that we hadn’t before in the past,” Guterl added.
There’s evidence of this collaborative environment throughout the album: Take the simmering slowburn “Honey,” which opens with just a reverberating guitar and Trilling’s honeyed vocals, weaving a languid, lazy melody, before a drum fill introduces a gallop. By its end, the song sounds something closer to a blissed-out disco, a honky tonk in heaven. On “Springboard,” the guitar’s melody seems to sizzle, melt, and burst as Trilling’s lyrics twist the voyeuristic gaze on her imagined observer: “Do you like to watch me dance?” But for every slow, sauntering groove, there’s the ebullient pop rush of “Barnard,” which opens with the fervent march of a drum and never looks back, stacking guitar riffs like the fireworks as the song careens towards its explosive conclusion. “Bluff,” by contrast, opens with the cool tones of the keyboard and auxiliary percussion, Trilling’s voice guiding the song through to its melancholic core. These moments, under the watchful eye of producer Dan Howard, capture the band at their most present and unburdened, creating their sound in real time for the very first time.
The distance since the band’s initial split also allowed for some much needed time for growth and reflection. “To be able to apologize for things and address things, to acknowledge how hard it must have been to be a young woman in a band of dudes—we were working through a lot, and it was hard,” Schifrin added. They were, at various points, still only teenagers when their music started gaining traction with musicians like Lorde, and the distance between that adolescent fame and their adult lives has allowed for reflection. “Seven years later, we’re coming together as… not different people, but adults. There’s not the pressure to be labeled a certain way or stay in your comfort zone,” Trilling said. “We had more fun with style and testing what we could get away with, whether it’s bluesy, country, slower, or darker; whatever sounded good.”
Indeed, the fiery spirit of country and blues is present across the record—from the swaggering bassline of “Make Me” to the spun-out melodies of “Spit”—a fitting mode for Trilling’s lyrics, which are at turns wry, painfully honest, and always burning with an undeniable forthrightness. “Don’t pull me up / I’d rather we lie down. Move my tongue / so I can make a sound,” she sings on “To Know Me/ To Love Me,” sounding equal parts overwhelmed and over it, as if overcommitting oneself is just the price of entry for a life worth living. On “7 Months,” she sings of sleepless nights and weeks spent lying in bed, only to hope that the nameless “you” in the song will stick by her side. These kinds of confessionals—broad enough to make anyone lost in the mess of an uncertain romantic limbo feel understood, yet so precisely written that it must have clearly come from lived experience—are exactly what made Forth Wanderers songs both so universally relatable and specifically felt. On The Longer This Goes On, they’ve deepened that ability to pull at potent threads of romantic ennui with minimalist lyrics and lush instrumentation.
Forth Wanderers aren’t sure what’s next—they’re not sure if they’ll continue to record new music or if they’ll ever perform these songs live. These recordings, then, are ten fleeting yet invaluable impressions of the time spent as a band; rekindling of friendships between high school buddies whose dreams catapulted them into the spotlight before they were old enough to drive; songs that capture the uncertainty of the future as much as their music cements their own self-confidence in the present. On The Longer This Goes On, Forth Wanderers are making music on their own terms.
What People Have Said About Forth Wanderers: “Forth Wanderers Made An Indie Rock Record For The Ages” [Forth Wanderers] STEREOGUM
“… Guterl’s spry and smoky guitar lines and Trilling’s blunt, diaristic lyrics gave the band an urbane sensibility, one that feels not just older in age, but in sound.” [Forth Wanderers] Pitchfork
“Forth Wanderers are built on warm and weathered guitar hooks complementing vocalist Ava Trilling’s dreamy and apprehensive voice, which is drenched in suburban ennui and hazy sweetness.” [Forth Wanderers] EXCLAIM!
“‘Taste,’ in particular, came from diametrically opposed places in their young love lives. … Still, the distance — emotional and physical — doesn’t undercut the dizzying intimacy of the song.” NPR MUSIC
“A driving slice of indie-rock that’s propelled by clashing drums and vocalist Ava Trilling’s powerful, sometimes swooning vocals.” [“Not for Me”] DIY
“As wholesome and heartening as we’ve come to expect, led, as always, by Ava Trilling’s tremendous lead voice which leaps between glowing energy and something altogether more melancholic, but always pushed to sumptuous heights by the muscular backing of the band, which continues to be a bold and pertinent facet of the band’s stature. A woozy, wonderful return”. [Not for Me] Gold Flake Paint
“A feral dose of guitar noise that somehow holds itself together over that four minute span.” [“Not for Me”] CLASH
Forth Wanderers The Longer This Goes On
Tracklisting: 1. To Know Me/To Love Me 2. Call You Back 3. Honey 4. 7 Months 5. Spit 6. Springboard 7. Make Me 8. Barnard 9. Bluff 10. Don’t Go Looking
Forth Wanderers have delivered a pensive new visual for the song “Taste,” from their acclaimed Sub Pop debut, and directed by Everett Ravens.”
In a song review of “Taste” earlier this year, NPR Musichad this to say, “Forth Wanderers thrives in distance. Singer Ava Trilling writes the lyrics in New York, guitarist Ben Guterl builds the backbone of music in Ohio. “Taste,” in particular, came from diametrically opposed places in their young love lives…the distance - emotional and physical - doesn’t undercut the dizzying intimacy of the song.”
Forth Wanderers album has earned “Best Albums of 2018 (So Far)” notices from the likes of Stereogumand FLOOD Magazine. And recently, Ava Trilling was included in Playboy’s “Music’s Women of Summer” feature [read here].
Forth Wanderers’ previously announced U.S. summer tour in support of their album begins this Wednesday, June 27th in Richmond, VA at Strange Matter and ends July 18th in Cleveland at Mahall’s Lockeroom. Along the way the band will play with Illuminati Hotties (July 5th-14th). Following the tour, the band will appear at Shadow of the City in Ashury Park, NJ at Stone Pony on August 28th, and at Philadelphia’s Made in America Festival September 1st and 2nd, 2018.
Jun. 27 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter Jun. 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Jun. 29 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Jun. 30 - New Orleans, LA - Pour Boys Jul. 02 - Dallas, TX - Regal Room Jul. 03 - Austin, TX - Barricuda Jul. 05 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge* Jul. 06 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues* Jul. 07 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo* Jul. 08 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop* Jul. 10 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir* Jul. 11 - Seattle, WA - The Vera Project* Jul. 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court* Jul. 14 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake* Jul. 17 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen Jul. 18 - Cleveland, OH - Mahall’s Lockeroom Aug. 28 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Sep. 01-02 - Philadelphia, PA - Made In America Festival
Forth Wandererswas produced and recorded by Cameron Konner in Philadelphia over 5 days in the summer of 2017. The album is available now on CD/LP/CS/DL through Sub Pop [link here].
What people have said about Forth Wanderers: “The band inhabits a space that can feel bigger than the sprawling tree-lined streets and byzantine freeways of their local inspiration. Instead, the place Trilling and her bandmates create is more personal, messier, and chaotic. They give musical cues to the growing pains of young adulthood that are relatable but never trite—their songs, like any you might’ve been obsessed with in high school, feel like a mirror held up to the all-consuming triumphs and heartbreaks of your own youth.” [album review] - Pitchfork
“An indie rock record for the ages” [feature] - Stereogum
“Blissful” [feature] - Noisey
“This lot are shooting for the premiership of American indie.” [album review] - DIY
“These might be some of the most well-crafted rock songs you’ll hear all year long.” [album review] - NME
“The joyfully raucous Forth Wanderers bears testament to just how well the distance formula is working.” [album review] - CLASH
“Forth Wanderers is nonetheless a bittersweet and refreshingly candid second record from a band that’s seemingly found its voice.” [album review] - The Line Of Best Fit
“Throughout it’s bursting with the uncontainable energy of glorious garage rock.” [album review] - Loud and Quiet
“Vocalist Ava Trilling’s songs are wistful but rarely self-pitying, and ‘Forth Wanderers’ sparkles with a pensive, but optimistic energy.” [album review] - Dork
“By playing to their strengths – creating tousled, jangly indie rock around argumentative lyrics that beg for resolution – Forth Wanderers aptly illustrate when a band is truly in sync.” [album review] - Gold Flake Paint
“The band inhabits a space that can feel bigger than the sprawling tree-lined streets and byzantine freeways of their local inspiration. Instead, the place Trilling and her bandmates create is more personal, messier, and chaotic. They give musical cues to the growing pains of young adulthood that are relatable but never trite—their songs, like any you might’ve been obsessed with in high school, feel like a mirror held up to the all-consuming triumphs and heartbreaks of your own youth.” [album review] - Pitchfork
Forth Wanderers’ official video for “Not For Me” - a standout from their just released, self-titled Sub Pop debut - stars the band and was directed by Loroto Productions (Frankie Cosmos, Speedy Ortiz, Mass Gothic).”
The band have also scheduled U.S. summer tour dates in support of the album, available now worldwide on Sub Pop. The trek begins June 27th in Richmond, VA at Strange Matter and ends July 18th in Cleveland at Mahall’s Lockeroom.
Jun. 27 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter Jun. 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Backroom Jun. 29 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Jun. 30 - New Orleans, LA - TBC Jul. 02 - Dallas, TX - Regal Room Jul. 03 - Austin, TX - Barracuda Jul. 05 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge Jul. 06 - San Diego, CA - TBC Jul. 07 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo Jul. 08 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop Jul. 10 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Jul. 11 - Seattle, WA - Ver Project Jul. 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court Jul. 14 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake Jul. 17 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen Jul. 18 - Cleveland, OH - Mahall’s Lockeroom
Forth Wanderers was produced and recorded by Cameron Konner in Philadelphia over 5 days in the summer of 2017.
“An indie rock record for the ages” -Stereogum “Blissful” - Noisey **** - DIY
Forth Wanderers, featuring the standouts “Nevermine,” “Not for Me,” and “Ages Ago” was produced and recorded by Cameron Konner in Philadelphia over 5 days in the summer of 2017. The album will be available on CD/LP/CS/DL through Sub Pop here. LP pre-orders through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on opaque orange vinyl.
On Forth Wanderers’ “Ages Ago,” vocalist Ava Trilling paints the image of a constantly-shifting enigmatic lover. “I wasn’t sure who they were, they changed constantly (hence the metaphor describing the “grey coat” and cutting their hair just to “stay afloat”),” she says. “I wasn’t going to wait any longer to find out.” The “Ages Ago” visual was animated by guitarist Ben Guterl. Listen here, then listen on repeat in the hallowed halls of Spotify or Apple Music.
Earlier this week, NPR Music’s “All Songs Considered” included Forth Wanderers track, “Taste,” in their weekly mix, and offered this: “Forth Wanderers thrives in distance. Singer Ava Trilling writes the lyrics in New York, guitarist Ben Guterl builds the backbone of music in Ohio. “Taste,” in particular, came from diametrically opposed places in their young love lives. Guterl worked through the song’s production to impress his now-girlfriend. Trilling writes, however, that she “was in a difficult place with my relationship at the time.” Still, the distance — emotional and physical — doesn’t undercut the dizzying intimacy of the song [hear here].”
Forth Wanderers’ previously announced Northeastern U.S. tour runs May 3rd-5th, 2018. Additional live dates to be announced soon.
May 03 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel May 04 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church May 05 - Brooklyn, NY - Market Hotel
Forth Wanderers, featuring the standouts “Nevermine”, “Not for Me”, and “Ages Ago”, was produced and recorded by Cameron Konner in Philadelphia over 5 days in the summer of 2017. The album will be available on CD/LP/CS/DL through Sub Pop right here. LP pre-orders through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the limited Loser edition on opaque orange vinyl.
[Photo Credit: Julia Leiby]
Following the band’s acclaimed 2015 EP Slop, Forth Wanderers amplifies the heartfelt sentiments of the band’s earlier works into massive anthems. Ben Guterl and Duke Greene’s guitars have never sounded so sharp, Noah Schifrin and Zach Lorelli’s terse rhythm section is restless, and vocalist-lyricist Ava Trilling seems more self-assured than ever. “We have embraced our roles in the collaboration process,” says Guterl. “Everyone’s gotten better at their instruments and we trust each other more because we know how the machine works.” This spirit soars through Forth Wanderers, resulting in exuberant, profound songs driven by tightly bound melodies and a loving attention to detail (read more here).
