“So Far Gone,” the latest track from Weird Nightmare, the electrifying new project from METZ guitarist and singer Alex Edkins is now available for your listening pleasure on all digital service providers. The single is an exuberant blast of fun-as-hell, melodic indie rock that mixes equal parts Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, and Edkins’ own METZ-ian snarl. This stand-alone track follows the double A-Side split, “I Think You Know” w/ “Bird With an Iron Head” with friends Ancient Shapes, and the self-titled debut full-length released earlier this year, which was aptly described by The Quietus as “…an irresistibly euphoric blast of feedback spattered garage-pop that is just what the doctor ordered to chase away any lingering post-lockdown blues.”
Weird Nightmare will play a few Canadian shows later this week with Ancient Shapes, as well as a batch of US dates w Archers of Loaf, both before and then after Edkins heads out on a special 10 Years Anniversary Tour on the US west coast w METZ in December. See below for a full list of dates.
Weird Nightmare Tour Dates w/ Ancient Shapes: Thu. Nov. 17 - Hamilton, ON - Casbah Fri. Nov. 18 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace Sat. Nov 19 - St Catharines, ON - Warehouse
Weird Nightmare Tour Dates w/ Archers of Loaf: Tue. Nov. 29 - Baltimore, MD -Ottobar Wed. Nov. 30 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts Thu. Dec. 01 - Cambridge, MA - SInclair Fri. Dec. 02 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw Wed. Jan. 11 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace Thu. Jan. 12 - Detroit, MI - El Club Fri. Jan 13 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge Sat. Jan 14 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall Sun. Jan 15 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
METZ 10 Years Anniversary Tour Dates: Wed. Dec. 07 - Phoenix AZ - Valley Bar # Thu. Dec. 08 - Los Angeles, CA- Teragram Ballroom # Fri. Dec. 09 - Oakland, CA - New Parish # Sun. Dec. 11 - Seattle, WA - Neumos # Mon. Dec. 12 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge # Thu. Dec. 15 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club * Fri. Dec 16 - Chicago, IL - Metro *
# w/ Kowloon Walled City * w/ Spiritual Cramp
What people have been saying about Weird Nightmare: “The debut Weird Nightmare album from METZ guitarist/vocalist Alex Edkins is a hook-filled set of blown-out power-pop with distorted guitars, punchy rhythms and bright pop melodies.” - KEXP
“The tension between chaos and order sparks gripping theater on songs like “Searching for You,” a descendant of “Anarchy in the UK,” the grunge-inclined “Lusitania” and the atypical, eight-minute ballad “Holding Out,” which suggests an angsty sleepwalker. Whatever the groove, Edkins sounds like a man on the verge of spontaneous combustion.” - The Big Takeover
“Weird Nightmare is all about hooks and melody. Still delivered with levels in the red, but these are ultracatchy powerpop songs first and foremost, and really good ones at that.” - Brooklyn Vegan
“‘Weird Nightmare’ is Alex Edkins giving us an access all areas pass to his creative process. It’s an invite no-one should decline.” - Northern Transmissions
“Weird Nightmare isn’t something that will have listeners running away or falling asleep. Edkins’s 10-song tracklist is a fun, energetic and zany concoction of sounds and textures that recall his main band while simultaneously taking things in fresh directions.” - Exclaim!
“If having fun and being free was what Edkins most wanted to come through on the recording of Weird Nightmare, he undoubtedly achieved it on his delightfully distorted and warped debut solo album.” - Exclaim!
“On the 10 tracks that comprise the project’s self-titled Sub Pop debut, Edkins revels in magnetic hooks and brighter, sunny melodies, exploring explicitly an aspect of his songwriting that had previously been mostly implicit.” - Treble
“…Weird Nightmare will bring a little noisy sunshine to your day.” - Narc
Today, Monday, September 12th sees the release of two, very awesome METZ tracks on all DSPs: “Come On Down,” the new track featuring Joe Talbot of IDLES, along with the previously unreleased “Heaven’s Gate,” originally available only in the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, released in 2020.
Of the “Come On Down” single and collaboration, METZ’s Alex Edkins offers this, “‘Come On Down’ was originally recorded during the Atlas Vending sessions but never fully finished. During the pandemic I really gravitated towards the idea of collaboration as a way to fill the void left by the loss of live music. I reached out to friends from far and wide in order to get that feeling of community that gigs provide. Joe Talbot (IDLES) is a longtime friend who METZ has shared the stage with many, many times, and this song was a very natural and fun way to catch up with him and do something positive with our time off the road.”
Joe Talbot had this to say, “METZ have been a band we’ve looked up to since they came into our lives and made things better. I will never forget the first time I saw them or any of the other times. Allowing me to sing with them is a gift and I hope you like it. I love it and I love them. Long live METZ.”
Watch the fiery, fully-feathered Bass Tone directed video for “Come On Down” now.
This fall, METZ will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their massively acclaimed self-titled Sub Pop debut with a series of North American shows where they will play the album in its entirety. “The 10 Years Anniversary Tour” will span two legs, the first starting October 13th in Toronto at The Opera House with stops in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Hamden, Philadelphia, Durham, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Denton, and the second beginning December 7th in Phoenix and taking them through Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, St. Paul, and Chicago. Preceding these shows is a performance on Saturday, October 1st at Livewire’s 30th Anniversary Show at The Mississippi Room at The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego. Please find a full list of dates below.
October 2022 Sat. Oct. 01 - San Diego, CA - Livewire 30th Anniversary Show @ The Mississippi Room at Lafayette Hotel ^
The 10 Year Anniversary Tour Thu. Oct. 13 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House Thu. Oct. 20 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit * Fri. Oct. 21 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage * Sat. Oct. 22 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw * Sun. Oct. 23 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom * Mon. Oct. 24 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts * Tue. Oct. 25 - Durham, NC - Motorco Music Hall* Wed. Oct. 26 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn * Thu. Oct. 27 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl * Fri. Oct. 29 - Denton, TX - No Coast Fest @ Rubber Gloves Wed. Dec. 07 - Phoenix, AZ- Valley Bar + Thu. Dec. 08 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom + Fri. Dec. 09 - Oakland, CA - The New Parish + Sun. Dec. 11 - Seattle, WA - Neumos + Mon. Dec. 12 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge * Thu. Dec. 15 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club * Fri. Dec. 16 - Chicago, IL - Metro *
The unholy union of Weird Nightmare and Ancient Shapes brings you the double A-Side experience of the year! “I Think You Know” w/ “Bird With an Iron Head” delivers two sides of sing-along power-punk you need to hear to believe.
The pairing, which will be available in physical form by way of a bright red-colored 7” single on Friday, October 21st, features Weird Nightmare’s “I Think You Know” on side A, and Ancient Shapes’ 3-part suite “Bird With an Iron Head” (+official video), ”Imaginary Agony”, and “I’m Against the Wind” on side AA. All four songs are also available digitally today on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
Weird Nightmare’s Alex Edkins says of the union, “Daniel has been one of my favorite writers/performers for many years now and his work with Ancient Shapes and the Outfit are a constant source of joy. I’m super excited to be sharing this record with him.”
Weird Nightmare released his electrifying, self-titled debut featuring the no nonsense rock n’ roll of “Searching For You,” and the anthemic “Lusitania,” earlier this summer on Sub Pop. The album showcases a new side of Edkins’ already-established songwriting (METZ), with a raw, sugary blast of distorted pop. It exhibits all of his main band’s bite with an unexpected, yet totally satisfying, sweetness. Imagine The Amps covering Big Star, or the gloriously hissy miniature epics of classic-era Guided by Voices combined with the bombast of Copper Blue-era Sugar—just tons of red-line distortion cut with the type of tunecraft that thrills the moment it hits your ears. “I Think You Know” comes from the same intense burst of songwriting that spawned the Weird Nightmare LP and delivers yet another ear-worm of high-energy hooky song craft.
Ancient Shapes was spawned in 2015 as a recording side project of the wondrously prolific and shape-shifting renaissance man, Daniel Romano. Due to the ravenous demand for live performances of these first recordings, Daniel brought on David Nardi, Vee Bell, Roddy Rosetti and Ian Romano to take the songs to the people. The live band has been called “the best band since computers” and also “incredibly good as hell.” The group has since traveled the world over and have released the Ancient Shapes, Silent Rave, and A Flower That Wouldn’t Bloom albums.
Weird Nightmare and Ancient Shapes will play a short run of Canadian shows together beginning November 17th in Hamilton, ON at Casbah and ending November 19th in St Catherines, ON at Warhorse.
Weird Nightmare will also be main support for Archers of Loaf’s east coast shows (select dates) beginning Tuesday, November 29th in Baltimore at Ottobar and ending Friday, December 2nd in Brooklyn at Warsaw. Please find a current list of Weird Nightmare shows below.
Weird Nightmare/Ancient Shapes Thu. Nov. 17 - Hamilton, ON - Casbah Fri. Nov. 18 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace Sat. Nov. 19 - St. Catherines, ON - Warehouse
Weird Nightmare supporting Archers of Loaf Tue. Nov. 29 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar Wed. Nov. 30 - Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts Thu. Dec. 01 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair Fri. Dec. 02 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
Weird Nightmare is now available on CD/LP/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. The LP’s limited Loser edition, which is packaged in a special embossed jacket with semi-transparent obi-strip along the spine, can be purchased from megamart.sub pop.com, select independent retailers in North America, and at Weird Nightmare live shows. In the UK, and in EU, the Loser edition is available on clear coke bottle vinyl (both while supplies last).
This fall, METZ will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their massively acclaimed self-titled Sub Pop debut with a series of North American shows where they will play the album in its entirety. “The 10 Years Anniversary Tour” will span two legs, the first starting October 13th in Toronto at The Opera House with stops in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Denton, and the second beginning December 7th in Phoenix and taking them through Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, St. Paul, and Chicago. Tickets for these shows go on sale Friday, July 22nd at 10 am (local).
Thu.Oct. 13 Toronto, ON - The Opera House Thu. Oct. 20 Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Pittsburgh Fri. Oct. 21 Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage Sat. Oct. 22 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw Mon. Oct. 24 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts Wed. Oct. 26 Birmingham, AL - Saturn Thu. Oct. 27 Atlanta, GA - The Earl Fri. Oct. 29 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves (No Coast Fest) Wed. Dec. 07 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar Thu. Dec. 08 Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom Fri. Dec. 09 Oakland, CA - The New Parish Sun. Dec. 11 Seattle, WA - Neumos Mon. Dec. 12 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge Thu. Dec. 15 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club Fri. Dec. 16 Chicago, IL - Metro
Upon the release of METZ’s self-titled debut in October 2012, the album was met with a flurry of praise from the likes of Pitchfork (“29 minutes of pure but artfully rendered chaos.” / “Best New Music)” and TheNew Yorker (“rude, severe, and excellent. They make rock music, all of it loud, most of it precise without feeling checked.”)
Later that month, METZ appeared at that year’s CMJ Festival in New York, earning even more raves for their cacophonous live show from New York Times (“a three-man band from Canada, steamrollered through the festival, blasting brawny punk and metal guitar riffs that generated the festival’s most enthusiastic buzz.”) and Stereogum (“What METZ managed this year deserves salute: The Sub Pop trio dialed into the spirit and muscular thrust of post-hardcore’s heyday so completely as to make a familiar sound feel fresh, sheerly by virtue of so perfectly recreating it. METZ’s sets were brutal and sharp, their movements about stage kinetic and crisp, their commitment to their moment so complete to be undeniable.”).
METZ remained on the road well into 2013 when they took SXSW by storm and then made stops at major European festivals such as Roskilde, Primavera, Oya, and OFF. Over the last decade METZ have come to be known for their high energy live shows and you can expect the anniversary dates to be as bombastic as ever.
Hey, guess what? Starting today, you can listen to the excellent self-titled debut from Weird Nightmare in its entirety. Weird Nightmare is, of course, the electrifying new project from METZ guitarist and singer Alex Edkins. This new album features the standout singles, “Lusitania,” “Searching for You”, “Wrecked (feat. Bully), and now “Darkroom”.” You can listen to the full album here.
Weird Nightmare has a clutch of North American shows, including a hometown album release show on May 21st in Toronto, ON at The Baby G. The band will also hit the road on a 7-date co-headlining tour with labelmates Kiwi Jr. Click here for a full list of shows.
What people have been saying about Weird Nightmare:
“…an enjoyable authentic collection of alt. pop emotions that are performed with passion and feeling rather than technical perfection. Weird Nightmare will bring a little noisy sunshine to your day.” - Narc
“‘Wrecked,’ Weird Nightmare’s third and latest single is a driving and ardent guitar pop anthem centered around big hooks, enormous power chords and sweetly, lived-in lyricism.” - [“Wrecked”] Joy of Violent Movement
“…the track comes packed with gritty guitars and dreamy melodies.” - [“Wrecked”] Indie 88
“As the guitars blister and the rhythms explode within this boisterous piece of ’90s-inflicted college-radio rock, the two emphatically tell their friends and loved ones that they won’t leave their sides again, not after what we’ve experienced the past two-plus years.” - [“Wrecked”] The Revue
“All chiming chords and smart harmonies, Wrecked is a boisterous ode to ’90s indie-rock and everything that followed.” - [“Wrecked”] Guitar World
On May 20th, Sub Pop will release the debut album from Weird Nightmare, the electrifying new project from METZ guitarist and singer Alex Edkins. Hot on the heels of the album’s debut track, “Searching For You,” and its anthemic follow-up single “Lusitania,” comes the driving, ardent “Wrecked.” Edkins says of the song, “Wrecked” is about missing someone. For me, it’s about missing my wife and son while on tour. Being away has become harder and harder to do. I think most people can relate to it. Feeling impossibly far away from the ones you love and coming to the realization that you won’t feel whole again until you return. I was really happy to collaborate with Alicia (Bognanno) on this song and I love what she adds to it. Alicia has a one in a million voice. A voice that you recognize immediately and she really lifts the song way up. Directed by Ryan Thompson, the video for “Wrecked” is a tail as old as time. When a pooch with no pack strays into the park, you know things are gonna get ruff…
As previously announced, Weird Nightmare has a clutch of North American shows, including a hometown album release show on May 21st in Toronto, ON at The Baby G. The band will also hit the road on a 7-date co-headlining tour with labelmates Kiwi Jr. Click here for a full list of shows.
Weird Nightmare S/T
1. Searching for You 2. Nibs 3. Lusitania 4. Wrecked 5. Sunday Driver 6. Darkroom 7. Dream 8. Zebra Dance 9. Oh No 10. Holding Out
