Battleme: Will Preview New Album @ Timbrrr! Fest
Timbrrr! Fest Series: Battleme
Battleme, the side project by Lions lead singer Matt Drenik was originally meant to represent the music he created outside of his band, which began to take the form of tempered, acoustic folk. The Battleme moniker separates the variety of his solo work from the riff-heavy demeanor of Lions, which he described as “more in the hard rock vein than in the metal vein”. Drenik gained a wider audience when his songs started to appear on television shows like “Sons of Anarchy” and “Chuck”, making it clear that his side project had grown beyond his expectations. After finishing his debut EP, he was signed to Trashy Moped Recordings in Austin, Texas, the label behind Ghostland Observatory.
Drenik is credited with writing and recording most of his own music, putting him in the rare position of being able to fully execute each song and his interest for experimenting with sound is immediately apparent through the fact that no two songs sound the same. Since his debut EP, Battleme has become ingrained with a variety of genres; lo-fi garage rock and pysch-rock, but always with a pop sensibility.
Last year, Battleme signed a deal with El Camino Records and released an EP with Doug Boehm, a Grammy-winning producer who’s worked with Guided by Voices and Girls. Battleme’s next album is slated for a January 2014 release, which means Drenik will likely perform some new material at Timbrrr.
Nada Mucho: Have you been to Leavenworth? If so, what impressions did it leave with you?
Battleme’s Matt Drenik: Never been.
NM: Since the festival happens in early 2014, what are some of your New Year’s resolutions?
MD: Stop touring like Guided by Voices! And stop watching bad television.
NM: Timbrrr! advertises hot toddies. What’s your favorite recipe?
MD: I definitely air on the side of bourbon (good), honey, bit of cinnamon, and hint of sugar.
NM: Leavenworth in January calls for warm clothing. What is your essential gear for the winter?
MD: Long johns. It’s all about the long johns.
NM: Which Battleme song would you recommend listening to on a brisk winter day?
MD: “Future Runs Magnetic.”
Timbrrr Fest! takes place January 10-11 in Leavenworth, Washington.
More in this series:
- Cataldo
- Temple Echoes
- Kevin Long
- Wild Ones
- Barna Howard
- Lotte Kestner
- Joseph Giant
- The Moondoggies
- Telekinesis
- Full Lineup Announced
- You Me and Apollo
- Radiation City
- Hannalee
- Hey Marseilles
- The Lonely Forest
- Timbrrr Fest Preview