11 August 2021 - 0 Comments

Auckland noise rock trio Sulfate have released their climactic second single, There You Are! from their upcoming album Godzone — out via Flying Nun Records on September 10th.

There You Are! was not a delicately thought-out composition — it is fundamentally the sound of a band in a room. The band, consisting of Peter Ruddell (Wax Chattels), Hariet Ellis (Na Noise, Dick Move) and David Harris (Princess Chelsea), entered the recording session with the objective of capturing a kind of nervous claustrophobia through dissonance and waves of distortion, altering the arrangement as they went to best capture that sensation. To Ruddell, “The finished recording captured that feeling of being jostled about by strangers in a dark room, while simultaneously being blinded by the flashing lights of a stage. You’re a bit scared, but it’s a good kind of scared.”

LISTEN TO THERE YOU ARE! HERE

The trio have also today announced their Godzone Album Release Tour, making their way around “God’s Own Country” in the second half of September. From the inception of the band the ethos has always been to create intensity through restraint, and they have developed a live reputation for “startling, sonorous… crushing yet considered” performances (AmbientLightBlog). Sonically, things develop slowly, creating an atmosphere and mood that “invades the subconscious” (Graham Reid) before the crushing noise sets in. It is highly recommended that you BYO earplugs.

Support acts for all shows are to be announced in the coming weeks — and tickets are available now from the always incredible undertheradar.co.nz

Sulfate began as the solo project of Peter Ruddell, known for his work with the noise-rock group Wax Chattels — who were nominated twice for the Taite Music Prize, as well as for Best Alternative Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards. The solo endeavour of Sulfate quickly morphed into a two-piece band, with David Harris’ metronomic drumming proving integral to the sound of the group.

Sulfate released their debut self-titled album in 2019 via Prison Tapes, setting out with the intention of making a truly DIY record. From writing, recording and mixing through to the “evocatively raw-edged woodcut visuals'' (Undertheradar), each element was painstakingly laboured over by Ruddell — with reviews stating that it “marks a significant first step for Sulfate and definitely demands wider attention beyond the project’s DIY roots”. With their debut, the band reached #1 on multiple student radio stations, and completed two tours of New Zealand and a tour of Australia.

It is with this foundation set that Sulfate created Godzone, an album written during the chaos of 2020, and recorded early 2021 at Ruddell’s home studio in Balmoral, Auckland. Hariet Ellis, who featured as a guest on ‘Bush’ on the debut record, has joined as a full-time band member, adding grinding, distorted bass guitar to the mix and with vocals featuring more prominently.

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