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Mar 28, 2023 By Caleb Campbell

Richmond-based outfit Gnawing first began as a solo project for singer/songwriter John Russell before growing into a full band with the addition of Christian Monroe and Chris Matz. The newfound trio expanded the band’s sound to encompass shades of ‘60s cosmic country and ‘90s alt rock touchstones, layering striking lyricism over fuzzed-out riffs. The band debuted on the Refresh Records roster with their 2020 EP Shaky, followed in 2021 by their full-length record You Freak Me Out.

Now Gnawing is back with news of their latest record, Modern Survival Techniques, along with the album’s lead single, “Gimme Tinnitus.”

As the band describes, “The record is a pretty direct response to putting out a record in COVID and the ‘streaming age,’ dealing with a lot of frustrations with playing music these days. We wanted to go for a more stripped-back sound with this one and went back to basics, having Christian (drums) record it with our friend Tim Falen helping produce. We rented a cabin in the middle of nowhere and tracked it, just the four of us over 5 days. The songs are shorter and a lot more direct than most of the previous record, it really just sounds like the four of us having fun and playing music!”

“Gimme Tinnitus” slots easily into that lane, stripping the band’s sound to its fundamentals for a piece of straightforward and thoroughly enjoyable alt rock. The exceedingly tight, no-frills style lets the band’s chemistry shine, marrying the distortion-laden guitars with a propulsive rhythm section. Meanwhile, Russell laces the track with some exceedingly catchy melodies, building up to an explosive final chorus as he sings, “There’s something wrong / In your happy song / Everyone nods along / But the feeling’s gone.”

Check out the song below. Modern Survival Techniques is out May 19th via Refresh Records.