INTRODUCING: Bitter Branches
Philadelphia’s BITTER BRANCHES really bring something instinctively appealing to the punk and hardcore scene. With members heralding from DEADGUY, WALLEYE, CALVARY and PAINT IT BLACK to name just a few of their other respective projects, BITTER BRANCHES have a strong sense of individual style and bring something huge to this super-group set up. We caught up with vocalist Tim Singer, drummer Jeff Tirabassi and guitarist Matt Ryan about their second album Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals.
The record is teeming with resistance against the multitudes of evil that are conspiring throughout the world right now. From the raw, no holds-barred music to the lyrics, it’s an album brimming with defiance. “For sure,” Tim agrees. “Lyrically, I just try to tap into whatever swirls around my head on a given day. There’s a lot to react to right now. We seem to be waging war on all fronts against all underdogs and the temperature just continues to rise. Greed is king. Lies are commodities. The book 1984 feels like a history book now. So I wouldn’t know how to do anything else but dig through all of that to try to make a little sense of the world. If you’re not angry on some level, then you’re a sociopath or just greedy or just a dick. I’m reaching out to folks who have actual empathy and care about other humans – and animals.
“Yeah, I would add that we all share similar viewpoints on many things that tend to provide the catalyst to create,” Jeff remarks. “So it naturally manifests cathartically and from an emotional disposition.”
Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals is a no gimmicks, honest expression of the bands opinions and views, their passion for music and for the statements they’re making. “We’ve always had a similar approach to writing, but we aimed for less-is-more this time,” Matt divulges. “It starts with some basic riffs, those rough ideas go through the band blender, and then I usually pull things together and offer a final arrangement. This time, I think we were more confident. That reflects the band playing out more, getting a better sense of what works, and finding the chemistry is between us. We had never played a show when we recorded the first EP. We wrote Your Neighbors during the pandemic while holed up in a practice space at a metal shop – more or less in that disoriented mindstate of the pandemic.”
“Adding Dan Yemin [bass] to the mix gave us a new lens I’d say,” Tim adds. “I think the songwriting just sort of expanded while also feeling more definitive about what makes a BB song. I think one of the musicians could explain this better.
BITTER BRANCHES allow for groove and space within their music, something hardcore and punk sometimes doesn’t cater to super well. “In terms of vocals, I was definitely trying to find power in the empty spaces in terms of dynamics or just contrast with my somewhat ‘berserk’ vocals,” Tim agrees. Matt adds, “yeah, we tried to hone ideas down and leave more space this time for things to develop. Most songs started out with a lot more riffs and parts. We spent most of our time cutting until we had something that we thought was solid, had flow, and provided a good base for Tim to do his thing.”
“Jeff’s drumming is great on the record. I think we all love music that is very rhythm-centric. That’s the common thread through so many of our inspirations, whether it’s SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, GODFLESH or JERU THE DAMAJA Some songs started out as drum ideas from Jeff, and I would then write riffs to his recording – Rat Poison and High Street are examples of that.”
Jeff continues, “it was also very helpful that Dan, Matt and I all dig on those bands. But, to a greater extent, many of the paths I took on this record were hip-hop based whether by accident because we talk a lot of hip-hop or by design. Probably a bit of both.”
Albums like Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals are some of the first lines of protest we can access, and it’s important to find that when the world gets dark. “I definitely seek out music and art that provokes thought and supports the downtrodden – the gay community, women, minorities, animals, etc.” Tim concurs, “a song is made that much better if it shines a light on something or just expresses a shared frustration. I also think it’s important for ethics and compassion to be part of your 24/7 persona. I don’t think you should wait for punk shows to express your political views.”
Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals is out now via Equal Vision Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS128 here.
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