{"id":44303,"date":"2026-02-19T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44303"},"modified":"2026-02-09T18:01:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T23:01:06","slug":"tombstones-in-their-eyes-return-with-you-never-have-to-love-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44303","title":{"rendered":"Tombstones In Their Eyes return with \u2018You Never Have to Love Me\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>LA psych-rock lifers&nbsp;<strong>Tombstones In Their Eyes<\/strong>&nbsp;are back in full, swirling force with&nbsp;<em>You Never Have to Love Me,<\/em> a dark jewel of a single lifted from their acclaimed LP&nbsp;\u2018<strong>Under Dark Skies<\/strong>\u2019&nbsp;\u2014 and it might be one of the most emotionally resonant moments in their decade-long catalog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Floating somewhere between collapse and clarity,&nbsp;<em>You Never Have to Love Me<\/em> leans into a heavy truth: sometimes survival starts with self-reckoning. Built on layered guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and a slow-burning sense of release, the track feels like a fog lifting \u2014 not all at once, but just enough to see what\u2019s real. Fans of&nbsp;<strong>Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jesus and Mary Chain, Pink Floyd, Kyuss, Electric Wizard, and Asteroid 4<\/strong>&nbsp;will feel right at home in its hazy, fuzz-soaked glow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The song arrives alongside a richly textured video created by&nbsp;<strong>Francesca Bonci<\/strong>, whose color-saturated visuals deepen the track\u2019s emotional weight. The video is also dedicated to guitarist&nbsp;<strong>Paul Boutin<\/strong>, a beloved member of the band who passed away in October 2025 after a battle with cancer. His presence remains deeply woven into the band\u2019s spirit and sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qqH9FPArnS4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cI was not doing well emotionally when I wrote it,\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;explains frontman&nbsp;<strong>John Treanor<\/strong>.&nbsp;<em>\u201cLooking back now, the song feels like it\u2019s about acknowledging my failures and trying to find grace. \u2018You never have to love me\u2019 is really about realizing I first need to love myself before I can attempt to make things right.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Musically, the track is a true collective effort. Featuring&nbsp;<strong>three guitarists, six vocal contributors, two bass players, drums, and keys<\/strong>, it\u2019s dense without being cluttered \u2014 a slow, immersive build that rewards repeat listens. Treanor singles out guitarist&nbsp;<strong>Phil Cobb\u2019s<\/strong>&nbsp;outro as a standout moment, and it\u2019s easy to hear why: it feels like the emotional exhale at the end of a long night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The single\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>B-side, <em>Everybody\u2019s Dead<\/em>,<\/strong>&nbsp;offers a different kind of psychedelic spell. Originally released quietly on the band\u2019s 2016&nbsp;\u2018Bad Clouds\u2019&nbsp;EP, the track thrives on instinct and subconscious expression. It captures a formative moment for the band \u2014 their first full recording at&nbsp;<strong>Kitten Robot Studios<\/strong>&nbsp;with legendary engineer&nbsp;<strong>Paul Roessler<\/strong>&nbsp;(The Screamers, Nina Hagen, 45 Grave) and drummer&nbsp;<strong>Stephen Striegel<\/strong>, marking the beginning of creative relationships that still define Tombstones In Their Eyes today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Under Dark Skies\u2019 as a whole is a massive, immersive listen \u2014 recorded and engineered by Roessler, co-produced by Treanor, and mastered by multi-platinum engineer&nbsp;<strong>Alex DeYoung<\/strong>&nbsp;(Michael Jackson, BTS, Macy Gray, The Linda Lindas). Critics have been quick to take notice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>FLOOD Magazine<\/strong>&nbsp;calls it&nbsp;<em>\u201ca satisfying heaviness that\u2019s particularly alluring.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>XS Noize<\/strong>&nbsp;praises the band as&nbsp;<em>\u201cone of the coolest to emerge on the American psychedelic rock scene in the past decade.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Big Takeover<\/strong>&nbsp;labels the sound&nbsp;<em>\u201cmesmerizingly brooding and fuzzed-out \u2019n\u2019 fiery.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What began ten years ago as demo swaps between childhood friends&nbsp;<strong>John Treanor<\/strong>&nbsp;(LA) and&nbsp;<strong>James Cooper<\/strong>&nbsp;(NYC) has evolved into a full-scale psych-rock force. Today\u2019s lineup includes&nbsp;<strong>Treanor (vocals\/guitar), Stephen Striegel (drums), Courtney Davies (vocals), Phil Cobb (guitar), Nic Nifoussi (bass), and Clea Cullen (vocals)<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 with Paul Boutin forever part of the band\u2019s DNA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You Never Have to Love Me<\/em>\u00a0is out now on all major streaming platforms, with\u00a0\u2018Under Dark Skies\u2019\u00a0available digitally and on vinyl via\u00a0<strong>Little Cloud Records<\/strong>\u00a0(North America) and\u00a0<strong>Shore Dive Records<\/strong>\u00a0(UK\/EU). Sink in, turn it up, and let the darkness do its thing \u2014 sometimes that\u2019s where the clarity lives. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>LA psych-rock lifers&nbsp;Tombstones In Their Eyes&nbsp;are back in full, swirling force with&nbsp;You Never Have to Love Me, a dark jewel of a single lifted from <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44303\" title=\"Tombstones In Their Eyes return with \u2018You Never Have to Love Me\u2019\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[22,23,28,30,1907,5812],"tags":[3849,6483,13112,13111],"class_list":["post-44303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","category-shoegaze","tag-psych","tag-tombstones-in-their-eyes","tag-under-dark-skies","tag-you-never-have-to-love-me"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7032.jpeg?fit=800%2C562&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bwz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":32548,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=32548","url_meta":{"origin":44303,"position":0},"title":"LA&#8217;s Tombstones In Their Eyes share new single &#8216;Open Skies&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Los Angeles' indie psych rock outfit\u00a0Tombstones in Their Eyes have shared their new two-track single\u00a0Open Skies, which is a preview of their new album\u00a0'Maybe Someday'. The b-side is an alternative version of\u00a0Dreams, the final track off the new LP. Listen to the single via Soundcloud below. Tombstones create walls of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tombstones in Their Eyes press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/152169.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/152169.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/152169.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/152169.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33106,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=33106","url_meta":{"origin":44303,"position":1},"title":"Tombstones In Their Eyes share \u2018Maybe Someday\u2019 + &#8216;Another Day&#8217; videos","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"December 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Los Angeles\u2019 indie psych rock outfit\u00a0Tombstones in Their Eyes have shared two new videos, for tracks lifted from their new\u00a0album 'Maybe Someday'. The first is a trippy video for the title track, created by frontman\u00a0John Treanor. Check out the video clip via YouTube below. https:\/\/youtu.be\/tpqaEafoM20 \"Maybe Someday is a magic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tombstones In Their Eyes press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/875560C6-AAB1-4610-9710-9EB41C2C8717-e1577450553679.jpeg?fit=797%2C452&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/875560C6-AAB1-4610-9710-9EB41C2C8717-e1577450553679.jpeg?fit=797%2C452&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/875560C6-AAB1-4610-9710-9EB41C2C8717-e1577450553679.jpeg?fit=797%2C452&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/875560C6-AAB1-4610-9710-9EB41C2C8717-e1577450553679.jpeg?fit=797%2C452&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26413,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=26413","url_meta":{"origin":44303,"position":2},"title":"Los Angeles&#8217; Tombstones In Their Eyes release &#8216;Fear&#8217; EP","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"August 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Los Angeles' space-psych tripsters Tombstones in Their Eyes\u00a0have released their\u00a0'Fear' EP\u00a0via Send Me Your Head Records. The band have also released the first single from the album\u00a0Always There\u00a0with accompanying video. You can check it out via YouTube below. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VUEIlwrhZds With this five-track release, the four-piece manage to embrace a wide\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tombstones In Their Eyes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Tombstones_In_Their_Eyes_4_-_photo_credit_Karin_Johansson.jpg.png?fit=409%2C424&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43413,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=43413","url_meta":{"origin":44303,"position":3},"title":"Tombstones In Their Eyes dive deep with new single \u2018I Am Cold\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"July 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Los Angeles psych-rockers\u00a0Tombstones In Their Eyes\u00a0have dropped a new anthem, and it\u2019s a doozy. I Am Cold is a brooding, slow-burning slice of fuzzed-out vulnerability\u2014born from a dark night of the soul and pushed into the world as a cathartic howl. It\u2019s the band\u2019s latest single and the final track\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tombstones In Their Eyes press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5160.jpeg?fit=800%2C572&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5160.jpeg?fit=800%2C572&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5160.jpeg?fit=800%2C572&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5160.jpeg?fit=800%2C572&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41246,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=41246","url_meta":{"origin":44303,"position":4},"title":"Tombstones In Their Eyes lights up the psychedelic sky with new single \u2018Mirror\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"February 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Los Angeles psych-rock outfit Tombstones In Their Eyes kicks off 2025 with the hypnotic new single Mirror, a fuzz-drenched, kaleidoscopic journey pulled straight from their latest album, \u2018Asylum Harbour\u2019. Accompanied by a visually stunning music video from Italian multimedia artist Francesca Bonci, the track shimmers with dreamlike intensity, fusing raw\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tombstones In Their Eyes press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_3830.jpeg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_3830.jpeg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_3830.jpeg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_3830.jpeg?fit=800%2C569&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27373,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=27373","url_meta":{"origin":44303,"position":5},"title":"Tombstones In Their Eyes release new double A-side single &#8216;Shutting Down \/ Take Me Home&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Los Angeles' rock outfit\u00a0Tombstones in Their Eyes\u00a0have announced they will be releasing a new double A-side single including tracks Shutting Down\u00a0and\u00a0Take Me Home. Tombstones create walls of sound that are simultaneously sonorous and hazy. These are cavernous, stoner lullabies that descend into post-rock soundscapes and are wrapped in dark shoegazing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tombstones in Their Eyes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Tombstones_In_Their_Eyes_7_-_photo_credit_Cathryn_Farnsworth.jpg?fit=425%2C243&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44303"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44306,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44303\/revisions\/44306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}