Soldiers Of Fortune began as an anti-band and since their creation have grown into one of the most recognized indie superbands around, combining members of powerhouses like Oneida, Chavez, and Interpol. Their second LP ‘Early Risers’ will be released via Mexican Summer on November 6 and is available for pre-order now (see the links below). The band’s latest single Campus Swagger featuring Stephen Malkmus from Pavement has been released today and you can take a listen on YouTube below. It’s also as an instant download, along with the Cass McCombs fronted previous single Old Roman Wall, with a pre-order of the album on iTunes or Amazon.
In the beginning, SOF’s only goal was to play a rare show every now and then that they could assault, terrorize, and shred, relying only on instinct, intuition and the chemistry of the band of brothers (bros if you will) in the moment of battle (show) – it was either sink or swim, or death before glory. However, after meeting with Keith Abrahamsson and learning what his label Mexican Summer was all about SOF conceded and signed a deal. Months later, in August, they were in an unfinished Gary’s Electric studio on the hottest three days of 2010, and somehow walked out of the studio with a 12” called Ball Strenth.
Now here they are, another five years, very few shows, or LPs sold, later: in 2013 they got bamboozled by Keith into a second recording session, but this time they were offered “undisclosed” amounts of studio time alongside the usual “carte blanche”. After three weeks and aborting everything, they took a six-month hiatus to get over their collective sophomore curse, fell back in the studio, and recorded a dozen embryonic ‘song ideas’, rather than jams, over an afternoon. They then called up friends who knew how to sing and finished up the damn thing in like three days.
The result is an LP they like to call ‘Early Risers’, and beyond the core troupe consisting of Brad Truax (Interpol), Kid Millions (Man Forever, Oneida), Barry London (Oneida), Matt Sweeney (Chavez), Jesper Eklow (Meandering Tedium, sorry, Endless Boogie), Mike Bones, and the elusive Papa Crazee (Oneida). They brought in various vocalists including Clark “Yeremias” Bronson, Stephen Malkmus, Cass McCombs, Dan Melchoir, Ethan Miller and Matt McAuley. This is the sound of utter confusion and unfocused tender hatred in song form. They have no idea if they even like it, but they definitely have no shame so here you are, crack Early Risers wide open and make up your own mind.
Soldiers Of Fortune will be celebrating the release of the album at Max Fish in New York City on Wednesday November 4. SOF will perform two sets, 8:30PM and 10:00PM, both of which will be free.
Track list:
01. Nails
02. Cinnamon Man
03. Campus Swagger (feat. Stephen Malkmus)
04. Old Roman Wall (feat. Cass McCombs)
05. Dog Tooth Down (feat. Ethan Miller)
06. Pure Shame (feat. Dan Melchior)
07. Santa Monica
08. Fatigues
09. Kall Mi Kaos (feat. Matt McAuley)
10. Which (feat. Clark “Yeremias” Bronson)
Pre-order links:
iTunes
Amazon
Mexican Summer
