SPECTRES - Nostalgia

SPECTRES: Vancouver post-punk revivalists reach great new heights on Artoffact Records debut

Artoffact Records announces the March 13th release of Nostalgia, the new album by SPECTRES.

Founded in Vancouver in 2005 by vocalist Brian Gustavson, SPECTRES is commonly cited as one of the bands responsible for kicking off the renewed interest in the post-punk sound in Canada.

Inspired initially by the original UK anarcho-punk bands of the late '70s and early '80s, SPECTRES mixes the ethics of that scene with the stylings of post-punk and an incredible knack for writing catchy songs. Though rooted in sounds of confrontation and ire, SPECTRES has evolved to where they make absolutely glorious songs that will convert listeners on both ends of the punk/new wave spectrum. As a review on CVLT Nation put it, the band is "firmly rooted in punk, but it weaves dreamy melodies into the angst and frustration."

Guitarist Zach Batalden states: "The band was started as a way to creatively explore 1980’s British anarcho-punk, and while creatively we have drifted in new directions this core influence still holds a lot of inspiration for us. Bands like The Mob, Crisis, Crass and Zounds are all still very important for us. From there we took a deep interest in '80s post-punk and new wave, with bands like The Sound, The Chameleons, Theatre of Hate, and Modern English, central to the way our sound has developed. For the new album, Nostalgia, we were listening to a lot of Flying Nun bands like The Bats, The Verlaines, and The Clean as well."

On Nostalgia, Gustavson's gorgeous melodic vocals cruise over chiming guitars and tense beats. His lyrics explore the alienation of modern life and the search for hope in an increasingly terrifying world. "Deepening political partisanship, aging, and finding one's own way through alienating times are common themes on the Nostalgia LP," says Batalden.

Nostalgia was produced by ACTORS frontman Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound in Vancouver. It follows three independent albums (all reissued by Artoffact Records in 2019).  

SPECTRES has toured Canada, the US and Europe, and will embark on a West Coast US tour in March.

"Firmly rooted in punk, but it weaves dreamy melodies into the angst and frustration..."
–CVLT Nation

"Steadily, confidently, and compassionately, Vancouver's dark dreamers are bringing their vision for the future into sharper focus."
–I Die:You Die

Tracklist:
1) The Head and the Heart
2) Dreams
3) When Possessed Pray
4) Pictures from Occupied Europe
5) Years of Lead
6) Fate
7) Insurgence
8) The Call
9) Along the Waterfront

Lineup:
Brian Gustavson - vocals
Zach Batalden - guitar
Mitch Allen - drums
Adam Mitchell - guitar
Jason Renix - bass

Discography:
Last Days, 2009 (reissued by Artoffact Records in 2019)
Split w/ Arctic Flowers, 2010, Man In Decline Records
Nothing to Nowhere, 2012 (reissued by Artoffact Records in 2019)
Utopia, 2016 (reissued by Artoffact Records in 2019)
Provincial Wake 7", 2017, Sabotage Records
Nostalgia, 2020, Artoffact Records

Tour:
Mar 6 - Portland, OR @ Blackwater Bar
Mar 7 - Oakland, CA @ First Church of the Buzzard
Mar 8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Part Time Punks
Mar 10 - San Diego, CA @ The Whistle Stop
Mar 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Rec Room
Mar 12 - San Francisco, CA @ The Eagle
Mar 13 - Chico, CA @ Naked Lounge
Mar 14 - Portland, OR @ Lovecraft

"Northern Towns" music video, from the 2017 "Provincial Wake" 7":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uq5B8WzZLc

Band photo by Lindsay Wallace
Cover art by Ryan Kostel