Since reconfiguring their lineup and relaunching back in 2012, Blackbutton have been on of our favorite bands in Boston, riding a delicate balance between melodic alt-rock and sheer sonic aggression. Now the grunge trio has decided to call it a day, but not before setting out on a late-summer tour and leaving us with a third and final album, The Absence Of The Other.
After six shows around New England and New York, Blackbutton wrap up with a send-off gig at Great Scott on August 29 with Rye Pines, The Knock Ups, and Skinny Pigeons.
“After 3-plus years, we knew that our time together would be coming to a close in the near future,” the band tells Vanyaland in a collective statement. “About a year ago, we decided that we wanted to capture and document all of our hard work and creativity with one final record, The Absence Of The Other. While we have enjoyed our time together as a band, our personal lives have taken us in different directions. Dave has decided to move to Chicago, and Justin to Portland, Maine. We are proud of all the songs on our final record and hope to catch friends and fans at one of our final shows in the coming weeks.”
The Absence Of The Other was engineered by Converse Rubber Tracks producer and Berklee Alum, Aaron Bastinelli. He also who engineered Blackbutton’s recent single “AM Clouds PM Sun.”
About the theme of the new LP, frontman Jordan Tavenner says: “The speaker changes in each song, but they all share the commonality of experiencing their own conflicts with the ‘other.’ They explore varying perspectives of how each character deals with their own conflict differently; some stories become angry, some vengeful, some are lamenting, and some passive.”
Check Blackbutton’s full run of final dates, and catch a preview of the new sounds with their teaser clip down below.
Blackbutton Live Dates:
Aug 19 – Brattleboro, VT at Metropolis
Aug 20 – Portland, ME at Oxbow Blending & Bottling, with Jargon Party
Aug 22 – Albany, NY at Parish Public House, with Pitchfork Militia, Noise Between Stations
Aug 23 – Worcester, MA at The Lucky Dog Music Hall, with 95 Hyde, Levity
Aug 27 – New York City, NY at Throne Watches,
Aug 28 – Providence, RI at Fatt Squirrel, with Cookie & The Monsters, Marijuana Boyscouts, and the Andy Lambert Band. Presented by New England Artists’ Association and Midday Presents.
Aug 29 – Boston, MA at Great Scott, with Rye Pines, The Knock Ups, Skinny Pigeons. Presented by Do617