Marriages

Marriages announce US Tour dates with Deafheaven

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:38 -0700

Marriages will be heading out with Deafheaven as support on their US Tour in June. They will be playing some new material from their forthcoming full length album they are recording later this year for Sargent House. Joining them as drummer for this run will be Chris Common from These Arms Are Snakes.

SEE ALL MARRIAGES SHOW DETAILS HERE

BORIS & DEAFHEAVEN & MARRIAGES
May 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex

DEAFHEAVEN & MARRIAGES
Jun 19, 2013 - Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room
Jun 21, 2013 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Jun 22, 2013 - Austin, TX @ Red 7
Jun 23, 2013 - Houston, TX @ Mango’s
Jun 25, 2013 - Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
Jun 26, 2013 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Jun 26, 2013 - North Birmingham, AL @ The Forge
Jun 27, 2013 - Charlotte, NC @ The Milestone Club
Jun 29, 2013 - Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade
Jun 30, 2013 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
Jul 1, 2013 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary
Jul 2, 2013 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus Bar
Jul 3, 2013 - Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear’s Place
Jul 5, 2013 - Cleveland Heights, OH@ Grog Shop
Jul 6, 2013 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Jul 7, 2013 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick Lounge
Jul 8, 2013 - Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
Jul 9, 2013 - Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theater
Jul 10, 2013 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Jul 11, 2013 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Jul 13, 2013 - Portland, OR @ Bunker Bar
Jul 15, 2013 - San Francisco, CA @ The Bottom of the Hill

Marriages begin work on full length album and announce a few shows with Boris

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:06:45 -0800

Marriages are now at work writing for their full length album. They will be playing a few shows in the meantime with Boris and in LA also with Deafheaven for a triple bill of Sargent House bands.

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

Boris & Marriages
04/23 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
04/24 Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
05/23 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex also w/ Deafheaven

Below is a Live video of “Part The Dark Again” -
Check out 3 more live videos from Montreal HERE

Another Live video of Ride In My Place from the SPREAD sessions in Montreal

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:30:15 -0800

Ride in My Place - from the album Kitsune by Marriages

SPREAD: Live video of new song and interview with Marriages in Montreal

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:06:01 -0800

ERR (Emma Ruth Rundle)
GB (Greg Burns)

SPREAD: I would like to know who Marriages is, and if there was one message that you can convey to your fans here in Montreal, what would that message be? What’s the main message behind your music?

GB: Marriages, as you know, came out of Emma and I playing in Red Sparowes. We had developed a relationship playing together, wanted to explore some new things and just try something a little bit different. It really came from that. We now have added a drummer, Andrew Clinco, who’s now a permanent member. Initially we had Dave, from Red Sparowes, play on our record, but we were kind of playing with different people. So, it’s been sort of this evolution for about a little over a year. Very much, just sort of…I don’t know, we haven’t tried to control it too much. We tried to let it just be organic and just try to stay prolific and whatever happens, happens. As far as our message, I don’t know, What do you think the message is (to Emma)?

ERR: I don’t know, I guess we just want to play music.

SPREAD: Music is your message, in other words.

ERR: Yeah, I hope people are able to enjoy it.

SPREAD: So music for music fans. I mean that’s what it’s all about anyways.

GB: Yeah, there’s nothing really too explicit, it’s just simple.

SPREAD: I really like the last acoustic song that you guys released. It was cool, because, usually, you don’t hear a lot of acoustic from you guys. There are a lot of effects in your music. For the album Kitsune, how much time went into writing and recording and all that stuff?

ERR: Well, it happened really quickly, actually. We had been invited to play some shows for a friend’s band in Los Angeles. I don’t know how much detail we want to go into, but…

GB: Yeah, well, Russian Circles were coming through and they had reached out to us about playing.

ERR: And so, we were able to take the opportunity to start a new project because of that. And so we wrote Kitsune, basically, as it’s recorded in order.

SPREAD: That’s crazy.

ERR: So we started writing from the first note to the last note over a couple of months.

GB: Yeah, we had finished writing within two months.

SPREAD: Wow.

GB: And then we were out of the studio by 4 months. So, it was really fast.

SPREAD: That’s good to know. It comes from a feeling. You guys kind of just have this connection when you’re together and it just sort of happens.

ERR: That’s exactly what happened.

SPREAD: That’s cool. =) I know that I launched SPREAD mostly because of underrated artists in the city. Do you know of any underrated artists today that you think aren’t getting enough attention in the industry?

ERR: I feel, for me…well I don’t know how underrated they are, but I wish more people knew about them. One of my favorite bands from Seattle is called “Helms Alee”. I love them. I wish that everyone in the world knew about them.

SPREAD: Well, more people will know now! For sure!

GB: There’s one other band that I’ve been listening to a lot, I don’t know how underrated they are, I think they’re getting bigger, but there’s a band called “The Soft Moon” and I mean they’ve been my favorite band for a little while now. They’re just amazing. That’s another one that comes to my mind.

SPREAD: How is it working on the Sargent House label with guys like “Zach Hill”, are you sometimes feeling the pressure of like, overcomplicating things or going off on these tangents of changing time signatures and such. Do you guys feel any pressure of that type at all?

ERR: No, not really. We don’t feel like we need to compare what we’re doing to other people.

SPREAD: Right…

ERR: I think it feels good to be in the company of great musicians.

SPREAD: Yeah, Yeah, for sure!

ERR: Yeah, I think everyone on that label sort of has their own place and it’s a good thing that not all the artists are doing the same thing.

SPREAD: Oh, for sure. I’m just speaking from a place, that, if I was on that label I would probably freak out and my music would take a different direction from the natural progression, if you will.

GB: Yeah, I mean the label itself is very supportive. There’s no musical direction that comes from the label. It’s just, either the label likes the bands that they’re putting out or they decide not to put them out. But, they wouldn’t try to steer them them one way or another.

SPREAD: It must feel great to have that kind of support behind you, 100%.

GB: Yeah, absolutely. It feels great to be a family and a collection of bands that we both really respect as people and as musicians.

SPREAD: It’s like family.

GB: Yeah, absolutely.

SPREAD: Man, that’s cool.

GB: Yeah, it is.

SPREAD: Ok we already touched base on how you came about your album and everything, so your writing process is really like what you explained. It’s kind of just your connection together and that turns into something that turns into something else.

ERR: Pretty much, yeah. It’s really organic.

SPREAD: Very natural….

GB: Yeah.

SPREAD: What are your pedals of choice?

GB: The pedals I use, I use a Fulltone Bass Drive…might make a difference to people who care. And we both use line 6 M9 pedals, that’s a pedal that has all of their modelers on one. And I use…well…I stole a Boss Oc-2 pedal from our friend Troy and I guess I should give it back to him at some point.

ERR: Troy Ziegler

GB: Troy Zeigler, yeah. I’m sure he’s wanting it back. What else? Well…those are kind of my main ones, really, besides just a tuner. There are other things I’ve played with a bunch but those are the ones I’m using now.

SPREAD: Okay, Cool!

ERR: I use a fulltone full drive for my main distortion. I also use a few different pedals made by Mark Rincavage. His company is called Snakes Pedals and he makes them for me.

SPREAD: Wow.

ERR: They are so unique and so cool, so I feel very lucky to have those. I guess the main pedal that’s my sound is a combination of an Electroharmonics memory man with hazzorat, it’s like the blue thing, a blue pedal. I wish I had a 1,000 of them, because they keep breaking…

SPREAD: Oh, yeah?

ERR: There’s nothing else that sounds like it

SPREAD: Do you guys go through a lot of equipment when you’re touring?

GB: This tour, yeah, we have actually. I mean, hopefully not, but just traveling with equipment it gets beat up.

ERR: It’s hard.

SPREAD: It gets banged up. Bringing it in…..Bringing it out…..

ERR: It really does. I’m still really a big fan of Boss pedals. They’re just really durable.

SPREAD: Yeah, I go with them.

ERR: They’re great, they’re classic, and I love them.

SPREAD: With the internet there’s a surge of all these new aspiring artists out there. Do you guys have a view concerning negative critiques and trying to set that bar for musicians?

GB: *Greg Chuckles* I’m just laughing because there was a hilarious comment on a….but I wouldn’t bring it up. Negative Critique from the Internet, well….you know, it used to really bother me. When we started Red Sparowes, it was the first band for me where I got a lot of press. And so, I would read it and it would just bum me out, but it’s easy in life to focus on the negative things. Even in Red Sparowes, I realized, there was a lot more positive feedback than there was negative. And maybe I’ll start a band someday where I’ll get a lot more negative feedback. But, I think I had to, through the advice of friends, learn to just believe and attach myself to my own faith in my music. Because I could do the best thing in the world, and someone will hate it and say they hate it on the Internet. What I try to do is go through and instead of going in and looking at the comments or bad reviews I focus on live videos or recording from a show and just give myself my own sort of feedback or get it from the people that I value.

SPREAD:The reason I ask is because right now the local mainstream media are pushing a lot of artists that just aren’t there musically and their stuff is getting pushed like crazy locally. So that’s why Spread was started in a a way, it was to focus on what matters and focus on people who are really putting themselves into their projects. So, that’s why I asking, sometimes I feel like there should be negative critiques for some people. The people who actually do have the musical accomplishments behind them they end up being the ones being put under the microscope. Which I think is kind of wrong.

ERR: I feel that with the critique thing – I just try not to look at any of it, at all.

SPREAD: Any press…

ERR: I don’t really want to look at it. Because, I feel like what we’re doing,we are making music. Well, that’s what we are going to do one way or another and I’d rather not feel…I’m just really sensitive…I’d rather not feel one way or another. I do appreciate people that make an effort to say nice things to us and about us. Especially at these shows, it’s been so nice. There’s been a lot of kind people saying very nice things and I do appreciate it. But, I don’t look for it. I especially don’t really want to look into it too much. It affects me.

SPREAD. Yeah, for sure it does. It’s so personal, right? It’s your music and it’s something so close to your heart and to have people come in and pass judgement on it without really understanding it completely, is hard.

GB: There’s a whole documentary on that. The documentary is about comedians, and it follows a number of comedians and how they deal with negative feedback and also because they get it live a lot more than I think musicians do. I forget the name of it. It’s interesting. It affects everybody. I’m sure Obama looks at something, or whoever, and then say like “oh shit, I’m trying to do a good job”.

SPREAD: Does anyone appreciate me? For sure, it must be hard. Like me, I’m a hermit. I don’t think I could do it. You know, I’m in my bubble and when I create things it’s kind of for myself. And then, when you put it out there and then people start passing judgement, it must be tough.

ERR: Which is why I choose to not really look at it.

SPREAD: Do you still get nervous before a performance?

GB: I do sometimes. Not as much anymore. I think I realized that it wasn’t so much nervousness as it was adrenaline and excitement.

Spread: You mean, how I feel right now?

GB: It’s kind of the same thing as nervousness, and I don’t know, it just depends on the situation or the context. But I think, especially with Marriages, there’s something that happened. Red Sparowes, I used to get really nervous but in Marriages, I don’t know why, its kind of gone away a little bit. I guess I’ve just gotten that good. Are you going to mention there that that was sarcasm. No, but really, It’s weird how it comes and goes.

Do you have any advise to offer to young Montreal bands who have yet to perform.

ERR: Well, I’m not sure…I get nervous all the time.

GB: You mean about starting a band?

SPREAD: Well, about performing. You know, a band has put in all this work and now they’re taking the stage for the first time.

ERR: I would say, be honest with what it is that you’re doing. Don’t try to….don’t try. Just do what it is you’re doing. If what you’re doing is sitting on the floor and facing the wall. That’s what you do and that’s your performance. Just be honest in what it is that you’re doing.

SPREAD: So don’t try to change yourself to kind of, ease the nerves. To be something.

ERR: Yeah, I think people feel pressure to put on a show or something like that and my advice would be: don’t put that pressure on yourself, just do your best to execute what it is that your art is or your music is.

SPREAD: It’s really humble and from the heart, I can tell. You seem to be a very down to earth kind of real person.

ERR: Thank you.

SPREAD: I guess I just want to end it with, where do you think the future of music is going? What do you think is coming up in the next couple of years? Or, is there anything you feel will take over?

ERR: Genre wise?

SPREAD: Genre-wise, or mix of genres…I guess….

ERR: Well, what I anticipate because of how the internet works and how, I don’t even know it has anything to do with the internet, but it seems like genres are dissolving more and more. Or maybe, the subgenres are becoming more ?. People have access to the music they like and they’re not fed so much “what’s happening”? Whereas, in past decades there was a predominant genre that everyone, you know,turn on the radio and there’s no alternative to it. There’s no internet to go watch YouTube of something.

SPREAD: Or research….

ERR: Yeah. We’re super nerdy and extremely diligent about seeking those things out and now it’s easier to do. I think that things that are a little less mainstream will become more prolific.

SPREAD: Right, like pockets of interested people, I guess, all over.

ERR: Yeah, doing different things.

SPREAD: And, it’s kind of cool in a way because it’s like everyone will have their own kind of cult following that’s not predetermined. It’s not like back in the day, where you would go to the record store and the guy would be like, okay this is the album of the week you have to buy.

ERR: Right, exactly.

SPREAD: Everything is available online now…so…

ERR: Which is good for music listeners, more freedom of choice.

SPREAD: Right, exactly.

GB: I think a little differently, I think the next big genre is going to be Desert Kraut Rock. And, I think it’s going to be amazing.

SPREAD: Ummm…I’m not familiar with Desert Kraut Rock…

*Everyone Laughs*

GB: Nobody is, I made it up. But, I’m starting a Desert Kraut Rock band, and we are going to be huge.

SPREAD: Thank you so much for seeing me.

GB: We really appreciate it.

Be Sure to check back for more footage of the Marriages Montreal Show…Spread it.

*All photos and videos courtesy of Ginga Takeshima

See Full Photo coverage here

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:11:17 -0800

See Full Photo coverage here

HIPLANTA: Live Review of Marriages & Bosnian Rainbows show Atlanta 2/15/13

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:55:40 -0800

Last Friday we found our way (eventually…no thanks to Atlanta mass transit) to the Bosnian Rainbows show at Terminal West (which has been drawing quite a number of solid bookings as of late, might I say). I was pretty hyped going in, albeit because I partly didn’t know what to expect. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has really on released two singles with his new band thus far, and Friday night was the first show on their US tour, so I especially intrigued for this show, and I’m glad that both my new German acquaintances (whom I met somewhere similarly lost in West Atlanta) made it just in time to see Marriages come onto the stage.

I had seen Marriages open up for Chelsea Wolfe and Russian Circles, and enjoyed them, but their set definitely grabbed my attention. Their sound is far more booming in person than on their recorded material; the sound of a live venue accentuates their driving bass and elaborate use of echoes. Incorporating a sludgy low end with glimmering picking patterns, now the main project of Red Sparowes’ Greg Burns and Emma Ruth Rundle (which also featured a heavy hitting as of yet unnamed drummer) has a weight that is hard for bands twice their size to match. At times Emma seemed to be channeling Tori Amos, and other times she and the band would sit back and let the music drive the audience where they wanted them. Their set had to be almost 50 minutes, and it was clear to see that it was an actually built set list, not just a bunch of songs picked at random. They were good the last time I saw them, they were great on Friday (and they stopped mid-set to help break a fight up, so bonus points for quelling douche-baggery).

See full show review by by Sean Mcgill

PHILTHY MAG: Marriages Interview "Knife Fights, Peace-Making, Interpretive Dance, and Shoe Licking"

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:50:00 -0800

Marriages began about a year and a half ago, with Emma Ruth Rundle, Greg Burns, and Dave Clifford of post-rock outfit Red Sparowes. Their debut EP, Kitsune, produced by Toshi Kasai, was released last May on Sargent House. While the band has seemed to most regularly find themselves sharing stages with acts of some metal sub-genre or another, they’ve drawn comparisons to artists spanning the gamut from no-and-ethereal wave to prog rock… It’s quite hard to place it in a genre (always a good thing), but it’s certainly quite epic and quite moody. Their sound isn’t exactly a million miles from Red Sparowes, but the addition of vocals (which are non-existent in Red Sparowes) does seem to open up a new mode of expression for Marriages and they seem to be enjoying this new indulgence. Although Dave Clifford is no longer drumming, Marriages have recently welcomed-aboard full-time drummer and bandmate, Andrew Clinco. They are looking to record new music in the near future, but they are currently on the road with supergroup Bosnian Rainbows (including Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of At the Drive-In and the Mars Volta, Deantoni Parks of The Mars Volta, and Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes) for what I am deeming the best-line-up-ed, most credibly-cool, and just plain fucking badass tour of 2013. And that tour will find itself at the First Unitarian Church this Monday, February 18th. I recently got a chance to chat with Marriages’ Emma Ruth Rundle about what we can expect of the show and what we can expect of Marriages in 2013. - SEE INTERVIEW BELOW / SEE ALL TOUR DATES HERE

Izzy Cihak: The two of you are also members of Red Sparowes, an instrumental outfit. How would you compare Marriages to Red Sparowes? Has the addition of vocals changed your approach to writing and performing significantly, or added additional inspiration?

Emma Ruth Rungle: For Greg and I, Marriages is huge departure from Red Sparowes. The similarities lie in our overall textural approach to music. Adding vocals, at first, was sort of an afterthought, when it came to writing, although we knew at the outset vocals would be an important part of Marriages. Since the EP we have consciously focused writing around vocals more than we had in the beginning.

IC: Marriages have been compared to the diverse likes of Cocteau Twins, Zola Jesus, and Swans. What would you consider to be the band’s biggest influences… whether musical, or non-musical?

ERR: Hmmm… This is never an easy question to answer. Greg and I really just play together and that is Marriages. We are not writing with any style in mind. We appreciate the comparisons and are flattered. Cocteau Twins have always been one of my favorite bands.

IC: Like Red Sparowes, your label-mates and tour-mates, Bosnian Rainbows, are a “supergroup” of sorts. What are your thoughts on the band, whether musically or friendly? Were you fans of their previous projects?

ERR: Were we fans of their previous bands? Yes. We have both completely fallen in love with Bosnian Rainbows. Their live performance is unparalleled and we are enjoying being on tour with such a unique and friendly band.

IC: Do you have a favorite type of performance setting? Your local Philly show is in a famous church basement and probably the most “punk” venue in the city.

ERR: Greg likes to play in theaters, churches, and ambient settings. I agree… Spaces that have openness. I also like playing on the floor, as opposed to a stage.

IC: What are your plans and hopes for 2013, beyond this tour?

ERR: More touring. We are playing a few shows with Boris in April. We wouldlove to get to Europe this year and at least make our way up the WestCoast. We recently started playing with the extremely talented drummer,Andrew Clinco, and are working on our new record with him.

IC: What can be expected of the Marriages/Bosnian Rainbows live experience? It would seem to be an exciting pairing.

ERR: So far: knife fights, peace-making, interpretive dance, and some shoe licking.

Marriages Tour with Bosnian Rainbows starts Feb 15th and April Shows added with Boris

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:23:00 -0800

Marriages tour with Bosnian Rainbows starts Feb 15th in Atlanta and just announced Marriages will also join Sargent House label mates Boris for two shows on the West Coast in April.

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

Bosnian Rainbows & Marriages Tour 2013
Feb 15, 2013 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Feb 16, 2013 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall
Feb 17, 2013 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Feb 18, 2013 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Feb 19, 2013 - New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
Feb 20, 2013 - Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Feb 22, 2013 - Montréal, QC @ Cabaret du Mile-end
Feb 23, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club (Early Show)
Feb 24, 2013 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
Feb 25, 2013 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Feb 26, 2013 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Feb 27, 2013 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Feb 28, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe

Boris & Marriages
04/23 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
04/24 Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom

The Shadows Of My Name Live Acoustic Track now Available

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:36:06 -0800

Many people have asked for us to post the audio from this video as a download. It was recorded live and acoustically for the Sargent House Glassroom session and is now available on Marriages’ bandcamp - any money donated will go towards gas money for tour and is very appreciated!

The Shadows Of My Name (Live Acoustic) by Marriages

Marriages Live Video "Part The Dark Again"

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:59:10 -0800

Recorded live on December 22, 2012 at The Observatory

Marriages will be touring with Bosnian Rainbows in February 2013!

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:56:30 -0800

Marriages is delighted to announce that they will be playing direct support on all shows below to the incredible new band Bosnian Rainbows who are: Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes), Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Deantoni Parks (The Mars Volta) and Nicci Kasper.

Bosnian Rainbows & Marriages Tour 2013
Feb 15, 2013 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Feb 16, 2013 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall
Feb 17, 2013 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Feb 18, 2013 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Feb 19, 2013 - New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
Feb 20, 2013 - Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Feb 22, 2013 - Montréal, QC @ Cabaret du Mile-end
Feb 23, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club (Early Show)
Feb 24, 2013 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
Feb 25, 2013 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Feb 26, 2013 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Feb 27, 2013 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Feb 28, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

Alarm Magazine: Divorcing convention - Marriages makes post-rock bliss on Kitsune

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:56:12 -0800

Kitsune by Marriages

Emma Ruth Rundle has a belated Christmas gift for you. While most of us braved awkward reunions with relatives last winter, the guitarist/singer and her new band Marriages were cooped up in a studio, challenging the very notion of what it means to be “post-rock.”

Rundle, who also leads The Nocturnes, is joined here by Greg Burns and Dave Clifford — all names that you might recognize from instrumental powerhouse Red Sparowes, a band that pushes the boundaries of the loud-soft dynamic with an innovative use of pedal steel and subtle vocal textures.

And with Marriages, Rundle vows to uphold the sanctity of that evolution. This debut still makes use of post-rock conventions — elongated melodies, reverberating guitars, and deliberate drumming — but they’re led by Rundle’s intoxicating vocals and unconventional playing style.

“I don’t use a pick,” she notes. “I play a bastardized version of finger style — I have long nails on my right hand, and I alternate bass notes with my thumb while playing melodic lines with my other fingers.”

This hybrid style helps Marriages defy the foundational post-rock commandment of “thou shalt precede thy low note with one high note,” and the result is odd yet beautiful. If pressed, one might compare the sound to PJ Harvey teaming up with Tool in 1995 to cover Mazzy Star.

Rundle’s vocals — breathy and, at times, ghostly — benefit from a bit of traditional post-rock atmospherics. But they’re also joined by a subtle, deep effect, allowing her to harmonize with a nearly inaudible lower octave. Veteran producer Toshi Kasai (Big Business) plays an important role in this production, getting the best sounds for the guitar and bass as well. One song, however, specifically was built around one of Rundle’s custom pedals.

“When I get to use it, it sounds fucking insane,” she says. “It’ll tear people’s heads off.”

Yet despite this powerful, assertive sound, Rundle expresses trepidation at how Red Sparowes fans will receive the album, and she has some nerves about fronting the band. Thankfully, her anxiety evaporates from her familiar bandmates, particularly during live performances. “I look over and there’s Dave,” she says. “That’s really comforting.”

And soon enough, Rundle’s confidence will come from fans who hear what Marriages has to offer. Because more than anything, she knows that post-rock — like any genre — needs to take chances to stick around.

“I think people want to expand what’s going on,” Rundle says. “It has to go somewhere in order for it to survive. I think it has to evolve.”

This content appears in the iPad-exclusive ALARM 39. Download it for free and subscribe to our new print edition.

MARRIAGES TOUR DATES HERE

Marriages Live Video "Pelt / White Shape"

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800

Marriages live video of “Pelt / White Shape” from the sold out show at The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA on 12-22-2012 with The Murder City Devils.

SEE ALL MARRIAGES TOUR DATES

Full Set Live Video - New York City August 18, 2012

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:42:00 -0700

Marriages live set video shot at Highline Ballroom, NYC - August 18, 2012
with Dave Turncrantz of Russian Circles on drums.

Q&A with Emma Ruth Rundle of Marriages

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:58:00 -0700

Hello Emma Ruth! I’m so stoked to be doing this interview with you and finding out more about your latest band Marriages. From what I understand, this is the second band that you Dave Clifford and Greg Burns have been in together, the first one being post-rock outfit Red Sparowes. Emma Ruth, you also recently formed the band The Nocturnes with Dave. What is the impetus behind these (re)incarnations and are all the bands active at this point?

Thanks for taking an interest. Just so you know, The Nocturnes have been a band since 2007 and it was only on the last release, Aokigahara, that Dave did lend his talents. The Nocturnes is still active and has a rotating cast of players. The idea behind starting Marriages was really just to explore some things outside what would have been appropriate for the other bands (Red Sparowes, The Nocturnes).

Could you briefly break down the stylistic differences between the 3 bands for prospective listeners?

To be brief and put things simply, I would say that Red Sparowes exists on the planet “post-rock/instrumental,” The Nocturnes hovers somewhere in the new-folkgaze/sadcore world while Marriages is a bit more difficult to pin down. I would say that Marriages is taking a tour of a few different genres and that we are not really ready or sure where to land.

Your debut album, Kitsune, recently came out on Sargent House. What has its reception been like?

So far, so good.

From what I’ve read, Marriages took shape in late 2011 and you recorded Kitsune in December of that year. Have you always worked that quickly together when in Red Sparowes or is this a whole new process for you? What compelled you to put the album together asap?

We did make quick work of this release. The album was written almost as one long song in late 2011 during a short time when Red Sparowes was taking a break. Greg and I were motivated to put some work together after having been asked to play some local shows with Russian Circles. What is now Kitsune was our set for those shows. Writing in this way, one thing after another, proves to be an expedient method!

What is it like recording with Toshi Kasai? You’ve already worked with him as Red Sparowes and I’m wondering what he brought to the table for Marriages.

Toshi- the man likes bananas and we both enjoy a good 7/11 sandwich. He kicks ass at guitar and can really play some finger style blues; he’s not just a producer or engineer, but a great musician. It’s a pleasure to spend time with him in any setting.

Have you been doing gigs already before the album’s release? I think you played SXSW in March and might have toured right after that with Deafheaven and Whirr. What was the live experience like? Do you feel it differed from your other bands?

We played a few shows before recording the record and a few afterwards, but before its release. We did play the Sargent House showcase at SXSW and were lucky enough to play shows on our way from LA to Austin with Deafheaven and Whirr. Playing with Marriages is a pleasure for me because there is room to move within the song. There are only three of us so that allows for some divergence.

One reason I’m into both Marriages and The Nocturnes is because of your captivating, hazy vocals. In instrumental band Red Sparowes you play guitar, but in Marriages you play guitar and sing. Do you feel comfortable stepping into the role of vocalist?

Thank you. Yes, I feel comfortable singing, in a way. I was singing in bands before Red Sparowes but was happy to have a break and let guitar be the vehicle for melodies.

Actually, you, and I think even Dave, sing in The Nocturnes, and create lovely, haunting harmonies. Why did you decide not to replicate that type of vocal style for Marriages?

The Nocturnes is a very different band. I don’t think all those harmonies would work too well in Marriages, but we have been using a vocal effect pedal that does generate some more unusual sounds.

On the song “Body of Shade”, with its built-up drum-battering from Dave, I do detect a shadow of male spoken vocals in the mix. Is that David or Greg contributing?

What you are hearing is the vocal pedal I mentioned before. It creates a formant shifted harmony in real time which ends up sounding a bit like a man singing under me.

I’m hearing some Sigur Ros-like elements in the tumultuous to soaring guitar lines and hints of Slowdive and Malory in some of the suspended-in-air guitar grind and your despondent vocal tone. What bands have influenced your sound? How much of an influence is the shoegazer style on your sound?

I think we all grew up listening to and playing different kinds of music so it’s hard to say what our direct influences are. I think this is reflected by the album and the various places it takes you musically. When it come to guitar though, I would feel comfortable saying that Shoegaze definitely spearheaded the tones and use of effects I employ.

I love how your restless soundscapes move from a stormy roil to a dissipated calmness, especially on standout tracks “Ten Tiny Fingers” and album-ender “Part the Shade Again”. What types of guitars do you use to get both the burnished fiery side and the liquidy, cascading vibe?

One guitar, a Gibson SG – just the most basic one you can buy – standard pick ups and everything. Greg plays a Music Man. Dave plays an SG on one song too.

Marriages – Kitsune

Your album cover image seems a bit risqué. Where does it come from and how does it fit with the meaning of the album title Kitsune and/or song concepts?

Kitsune, in Japanese folklore, is a fox spirit or to be possessed by the spirit of a fox. I collect Ono masks. In the center and most clear portion of the cover art you can see of a woman becoming the Kitsune and returning to a woman on either side. The image captures the movement and process of this if you follow it from top to bottom. So Greg and I got together and created what you see as the album artwork.

Official Site: http://www.marriagesband.com/

Brooklyn Vegan: Chicago Show Photo Recap

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:41:00 -0700

On Thursday night (8/23) Russian Circles brought their Sargent House tour de force with Chelsea Wolfe and Marriages through Chicago for a performance at Lincoln Hall.

The venue was packed by the time openers and Red Sparowes-related project Marriages polished off a pair of songs. They sounded great and performed cuts from their debut EP, Kitsune, which hit stores in May via the label. If you haven’t taken a listen to the album yet, check it out via their bandcamp.

SEE ALL the pictures from the 8/23 Lincoln Hall show HERE photos by Zach Pollack

Marriages Live at The Earl in Atlanta, GA on August 14, 2012 see...

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 11:50:00 -0700

Marriages Live at The Earl in Atlanta, GA on August 14, 2012 see all photos by Mike White

Ghettoblaster Magazine Feature: Marriages

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:06:00 -0700

Marriages is featured in the new issue of Ghettoblaster Magazine Issue # 32 with Aesop Rock on the Cover - we love this publication - Support them by ordering the issue or even better SUBSCRIBE and you will get a great magazine with Music/Art/ Film and more! to see this full feature piece and so many other great bands!

Don’t Miss Marriages on Tour with Russian Circles and Chelsea Wolfe all of August with special guest Drummer Dave Turncrantz of Russian Circles playing with them!
ALL DATES HERE

Ech(((o)))es & Dust Album Review: Marriages' Kitsune

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:56:00 -0700

When this album came through by a new band containing members of Red Sparowes (Greg Burns & Emma Ruth Rundle) I knew there was a fair chance I was going to like it, after all with that kind of pedigree it’s hard to imagine what they could have done for me not to like it, but ‘Kitsune’ by Marriages far exceeds mere ‘like’ and enters straight in at the higher end of ‘love’.

What Burns and Rundle have done is produce an album that is instantly recognizable to fans of Red Sparowes, the bass and guitar intro to opener ‘Ride In My Place’ is 100% pure Sparowes, but then take it somewhere other than the dark, heavy and bleak landscapes that are largely the domain inhabited by Red Sparowes and instead take it somewhere warmer, somewhere more emotive, somewhere a tad less apocalyptic; it crosses the kind of blissed out desert grooves of Sleepy Sun with the ethereal nonsuchplace of Sigur Ros but is also really unlike either, if that makes any kind of sense?

It’s hard to pick out standout moments because the album hangs together as one glorious whole, each track seamlessly seguing in to the next. It’s a soundtrack to an epic roadtrip through the badlands of imagination; however special mention needs to go to the power of ‘White Shape’, without doubt the most Sparowesy track here, perfectly presaging the transcendental climax of closer ‘Part The Dark Again’, both combining to make a hell of a way to finish the record. But really the whole album is a highlight; a golden, fuzzed out cloud of effulgent emotions.

If there’s one complaint it’s that the record isn’t long enough, the six tracks weigh in at a slightly lightweight twenty five minutes and revives the age old EP / Album debate, but frankly that’s a small niggle when the quality is this high and as they say in show business, it’s best to leave the crowd begging for more and ‘Kitsune’ certainly does that. More please, soon please.

Released June 25th on Sargent House (seriously, have they ever released a bad record? – Ed).

Alarm Magazine Feature Pedal Steel Music Lesson: Greg Burns of Marriages & Red Sparowes

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:33:36 -0700

You can download on IPAD for FREE the full Issue of ALARM MAGAZINE HERE

And this August 2012 don’t miss Marriages on Tour with Russian Circles and Chelsea Wolfe

MARRIAGES TOUR DATES HERE