Astronoid return this Fall with their new album, Stargod, out Nov. 7 via 3DOT Recordings. A preview of the 10-song collection arrives today with the release of “Third Shot” and its accompanying performance video (https://youtu.be/5ZIbbGnz0Vw).
“We knew as soon as ‘Third Shot’ was written it would be the first single on the record,” Brett Boland shares. “It was the song that solidified the direction of the album. The song is about how much we love what we do, and the lives we have built around our love of music. Each band member has experienced losses while building our lives. The song embodies the beauty of embracing your dreams while simultaneously traversing the loss. We are grateful for all the beautiful moments in our lives and hope that this song can bring beauty into other lives as well.”
Those highs and lows define Stargod, an album that comes three years after the release of the Lowell, Mass-born trio’s critically-acclaimed album, Radiant Bloom. In the years since that release, Astronoid experienced both professional triumph and heartbreaking losses.
Astronoid was handpicked by blink-182’s Tom DeLonge to open for the band on a stadium run, the group enjoyed millions of streams, worldwide tours, and the success that follows a beloved album’s release. At the same time, the band members experienced profound losses with the passing of Casey Aylward’s mom who was the band members’ most ardent champion, and shortly after, Brett’s mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly as well.
“It was a tumultuous season. A lot of fans asked, ‘Where did Astronoid go?’ Well, we were dealing with life,” Brett says, before expressing his hopes for the new album. “Stargod is about our love for music. I can’t believe it’s taken us to where we are, and I wish the people who we’ve lost were here to see what we’ve done.”
Stargod can be pre-saved now: https://go.mhe.fm/astronoid_stargod.
Stargod tracklist:
1. Embark
2. Love Weapon
3. Stargod
4. Third Shot
5. Explosive
6. Dream Protocol ‘88
7. Beneath The Lights
8. Depressed Mode
9. Vicennium
10. Arrival
Astronoid is Brett Boland (vocals/guitar/synths/drums), Daniel Schwartz (bass/synths), and Casey Aylward (lead guitar). The Lowell, Mass. born trio have released three albums: Radiant Bloom (2022), Astronoid (2019), and Air (2016), all of which have consistently earned widespread acclaim for their otherworldly mix of soaring melodies, lush guitars, and clean vocals. NPR said the band’s music features “shoegaze-y blast beats, pretty pop-punk singalongs and post-rock ambiance,” while Pitchfork said their output is at the “awesome intersection of black metal pummel and shoegaze luster.”
