photos by CJ Grogan
“New Jersey noise rockers ATOM DRIVER are having fun and getting loud about it on their latest EP, Occupants….” – Decibel Magazine
Decibel Magazine’s website is the restricted zone designated to premiere the “Say Anything You Want” video by New Brunswick, New Jersey-based noise/indie rock crew ATOM DRIVER. The video is the latest preview of the band’s new three-song EP, Occupants, which the band will self-release on August 9th.
While they continue to mangle riffs into what will become their debut LP, ATOM DRIVER bashed out three new songs which will now fester their way into the public domain as the Occupants EP. Equal parts love letter to pioneering ‘70s pop matriarchs and mandatory pen pal assignment from noise to pop to prog, Occupants sees the quartet secure their intentions hinted at on Is Anything Alright. It’s noisy while catchy, sarcastic, upbeat yet bummed out. It’s the sound of the most fun you can have while remaining fashionably disgruntled.
As with its predecessor, Occupants was recorded, engineered, and mixed at Exeter Recordings in Freehold, New Jersey by Joe Dell’Aquila, mastered by Bill Henderson at Azimuth Mastering, and completed with artwork and videos by drummer Mike Polilli.
With the premiere, Crispy offers, “The second song from ATOM DRIVER’s Occupants, ‘Say Anything You Want’ is a garage rock wishlist – can we pretend to be in Motorhead? Or the Drells? Just a little longer? When we go to the supermarket can everyone tell we’re not the Stooges? We don’t want to go to bed, and we don’t wanna get the car inspected. We know your Schott leather jacket doesn’t fit anymore, just please don’t ask us to behave until Monday.”
Decibel writes with the video’s premiere, “New Jersey noise rockers ATOM DRIVER are having fun and getting loud about it on their latest EP, Occupants…. Things are noisy and fast, driven by a steady guitar riff and Crispy’s yell-sung vocals. Guitarist Mark Segal locks in with ATOM DRIVER’s rhythm section, creating a wall of sound that doesn’t really let up for the track’s run time. There’s also heavy garage rock influence…”
Watch ATOM DRIVER’s “Say Anything You Want” video first at Decibel Magazine RIGHT HERE.
Occupants will be independently released digitally on Friday, August 9th. Preorder the EP at Bandcamp HERE and watch the previously issued video for the title track HERE.
Watch for sporadic live updates from ATOM DRIVER over the months ahead while they continue writing the new album.
ATOM DRIVER formed in the 2016 when guitarist/Vocalist Mark Segal (ex-Boss Jim Gettys), bassist Justin Ingstrup (ex-Good Clean Fun), and drummer Mike Polilli (Buzzkill) set their sights on blending classic and current noise rock, indie rock, and post-hardcore influences with a love of punk and metal. The trio made their debut with the 2017 EP Slackjaw, produced by Steve Evetts (Hatebreed, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Snapcase, Sepultura) and released on local label Powerbunny 4×4. Two more self-released EPs followed: In The West later that same year, and Here They Come, The Hornets in 2019.
After reassessing their musical vision in 2020, ATOM DRIVER recruited Chris “Crispy” Corvino (Deadguy, Second Arrows) to handle vocal duties. As soon as masks could come off, the group recorded six new songs with Joseph Dell’Aquila at Exeter Recordings. What emerged as the Is Anything Alright EP was more frantic with a more pissed-off vocal style layered over some quite accessible noisy indie rock with nods to bands like The Monorchid, Hot Snakes, Motörhead, Tomahawk, McClusky, and God Bullies. The EP was mastered by Bill Henderson at Azimuth Mastering and saw release in February of 2022 on Nefarious Industries.
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