Биография

While the members of AVSE aren’t in a cult per se, you may not expect them to be in one of Brooklyn’s loudest bands taking inspiration from them. Where their debut LP, FIX YOUR HEARTS OR DIE, perfectly captured their foundational, noisy state, 2023's Freak Me Out takes that signature sound and explores its limits. “The goal was, let’s take every idea we have to their logical extremes,” says guitarist Patrick Porter. Additionally, Freak Me Out indulges AVSE's catchier side. “We wanted to allow for more pop-style melodies,” notes vocalist/bassist Kasey Heisler. Additionally, they incorporated new time signatures, song structures, and tempos, largely due to drummer Chayse Schutter's influence. Similar to their sound maturing, their lyrical content has also evolved. Unlike FYHOD, Freak Me Out has less direct cinematic lyrical themes. The cinephile influence is still there, but those influences translate to real-life scenarios. Songs like "Heaven's Gate" even pull inspiration from a docuseries about...cults? “At some point, I realized that local music scenes and cults had some fun parallels,” Porter notes. “They require faith, financial sacrifices, and public humiliation,” he jokes. More seriously, “Scenes are mini utopias that are community-based, where everyone believes in the greater cause of culturally shared music.” This community mindset permeates through Freak Me Out, with subtle nods to peers throughout. Freak Me Out releases summer '23 via Hidden Home & EWEL Records.