Ahead of this Friday the 13th’s release of their 10th album, ‘Devourer‘, via Run For Cover Records and Civilians, Cursive has shared their new single Bloodbather. The dynamic and defiant track–which features a soaring interlude that slowly builds to a cacophonous end–is out now alongside a blood-spattered, winking video starring Shannon Purser (Stranger Things, Riverdale, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser) and Aurora Perrineau (Westworld, Kaos), and directed by Chelsea Stardust (Satanic Panic, All That We Destroy).
“‘Bloodbather’ is the internal dialogue I assume most of us have, the squabbles of conscience to be a more upstanding person when you’d much prefer to wallow in your vices,” explains singer/guitarist Tim Kasher. “Chelsea Stardust made an outstanding video for the song starring Aurora Perrineau and Shannon Purser in a prom-gone-wrong that quickly devolves into a fight club.” The video is part of the band’s series of horror-themed clips created around the album by genre directors, and follows lead single Up and Away, by Brea Grant (12 Hour Shift, Torn Hearts); Botch Job, from Travis Stevens (A Wounded Fawn, Jakob’s Wife, Girl On The Third Floor); and Imposturing, directed by Kasher. ‘Devourer’ is available for preorder.
In the years since their 1995 formation, Cursive developed into one of the most important groups to emerge from the late-’90s/early ‘00s moment when the lines between indie rock and post-hardcore began blurring into something altogether new. Albums like ‘Domestica‘ (2000) and ‘The Ugly Organ‘ (2003) became essential touchstones whose echoes can still be heard in new bands today. The pull of nostalgia can be strong over time, but Cursive’s work has often felt like a rejection of those comfort zones; the band has continually pushed themselves, with Kasher’s artistic restlessness steering them ahead. In fact, for Kasher, whose pointed observations always begin with looking inward first, it was an interrogation of this voracious creativity that planted the seeds of ‘Devourer’.
“I am obsessive about consuming the arts,” he explains. “Music, film, literature. I’ve come to recognize that I devour all of these art forms then, in turn, create my own versions of these things and spew them out onto the world. It’s positive; you’re part of an ecosystem. But I quickly recognized that the term, ‘Devourer,’ may also embody something gnarly, sinister.” ‘Devourer’ delves into that darker space. The characters populating the album have bottomless capacities for consumption, whether it’s resources, material goods, art, or even each other. Then they are consumed by larger forces, whether it’s humanity, Earth, dreams, time, or life itself.
Fans have come to expect such heady topics from Cursive, but ‘Devourer’ sets a new standard. The glibness of the First World toward the problems of others. The eternal struggle to stay on the straight and narrow. The eager acolytes exploited by their leaders. How anxiety can compound with age. How self-expression can warp into self-indulgence. The album being filled to the brim thematically and musically is unsurprising considering Kasher wrote an astounding 69 compositions after songwriting began in the fall of 2020. About 20 made it to the practice space, with a curated 13 ending up on the final album. Wrangling it all at Omaha’s ARC Studios was Marc Jacob Hudson (Against Me!, Thursday, Fireworks), who co-produced ‘Devourer’ with the band. The album sounds urgent and fresh, the work of a band still experimenting, still hungering to find new creative heights.
Cursive is the core trio of Kasher, bassist Matt Maginn, and guitarist/vocalist Ted Stevens, alongside: keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Newbery; cellist Megan Siebe; and recording/touring drummer Pat Oakes and founding drummer Clint Schnase (who trade drumming duties across ‘Devourer’, but join forces on Rookie).
Bloodbather is out now and streaming everywhere. ‘Devourer’ will be available Friday September 13 via Run For Cover Records & Civilians, pre-orders live now.
