Gritty garage-punk trio BERRIES pack a punch with debut album âHow We Functionâ, out today via Xtra Mile Recordings.
Through tight, crunchy guitar lines and puncturing melodies, BERRIES deliver an album ostensibly about mental health struggles and how to overcome them. Nearly four years in the making, the band explain the themes that came to define their fierce new record, saying:
âThe album is about strength and growth and recognising the dark times and how you get over that. Weâve got over a lot of mental health struggles, but we wanted [the album] to have an empowering vibe to it as well. This is our journey to growth. Mental health is not a shadow over what youâre doing â this is really healthy and we can talk more about this stuff.âÂ
With praise for the punchy debut already piling in, Louder Than War awarded âHow We Functionâ four out of five stars and dubbed the record âa really well put together debut album that rocks hard and gets its message across succinctly, with a bristling beat and an intelligence that it takes some bands a few albums to achieveâ. Elsewhere the record has gained glowing reviews from the likes of The List and The Crack,with the latter saying: âtheir jagged tunes have those all-important hooks â certainly enough to keep that fevered mosh-pit a-jumping.âÂ
BERRIES – DEBUT ALBUM âHOW WE FUNCTIONâ – OUT TODAY
STREAM ON ALL SERVICESÂ HEREÂ
Including each of the bandâs earlier singles, from the infectious and angsty âHazeâ, to the catchy, convulsing melodies and noise-driven instrumentals on âWe Are Machinesâ and the craggy, layered noise-rock of âWall of Noiseâ, the album explores the bandâs musical and emotional DNA â revealing what it takes to not only overcome personal problems, but to set yourselves on a path to being truly independent in sound, ambition, heart and mind. âWe really couldnât have put more into it,â adds Holly, âwe are so proud of the end result.âÂ
Following a recent run of shows across Europe with The Subways, BERRIES are now looking to take their new album to a series of UK live fixtures r. Including a headline tour that kicked off in Nottingham on 19 October, thereâs also support dates with Jim Bob and Slothrust, plus a smattering of festival dates – including an appearance at 2000 Trees! Full dates and details below:
BERRIES – REMAINING UK DATES
November
23 – Oxford, O2 Academy 2 *
24 – Birmingham, O2 Academy 2 *
25 – Bournemouth, Old Fire Station *
26 – London, Islington Assembly Hall *
* w/ Jim Bob
+ w/ Slothrust
Photo Credit: Caetano Candal Sato