Acclaimed Aotearoa heavy-psych duo Earth Tongue release their highly anticipated sophomore album Great Haunting – out now, Friday 14 June via In The Red Records.
“We are proud to announce the sophomore album by New Zealand’s Earth Tongue, an incredible heavy rock two piece that is guaranteed to melt faces.” – In The Red Records
Great Haunting sees the duo Gussie Larkin (vocals, guitar) and Ezra Simons (vocals, drums) reach for new heights and horrors, possessed by relentless riffs and demonic distortion. The album represents an evolution from Earth Tongue’s first album Floating Being (2019), and offers a sonic world that is both unmistakably Earth Tongue yet distinctly different from their previous release as the band enter their faster, more energetic era. Across the nine tracks of Great Haunting, themes of 60s and 70s horror movies prevail, but it’s the brutal wall of sound with layers of guitar fuzz, soaring harmonies, oscillating vintage synths and drum fills that will remain long after the credits roll.
Great Haunting was performed live and recorded over multiple sessions at Jonathan Pearce’s (The Beths) Karangahape Road studio in Auckland, New Zealand. Many songs were rewritten during recording, with a few dropped entirely as the band paid careful attention to ensure that the album took listeners on a clear journey, with each song feeling like it was part of the whole.
The bond shared between Larkin and Simons brings an added dimension to their creative process both in the studio and on stage. “Being in a relationship brings an extra element of trust to the band” says Larkin, “There is a kind of telepathy that goes on between us when we are playing live, especially with tricky starts and stops. When we record we sing together, on opposite sides of the room. It helps us lock in and makes it a way more fun to record – especially when we got to scream “DEAAAAAATH!!!” to each other during the recording of the song ‘Nightmare’.”
The band are currently halfway through a 50-date tour of Europe, supporting American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Ty Segall, as well as performing at a number of major alternative music festivals across the continent. Their show count for this year is already high, having supported stoner rock royalty Acid King throughout Europe in May, and three arena shows in New Zealand supporting Queens of the Stone Age.
Stream/Download/Order Great Haunting
Earth Tongue unveils the album focus single and music video for ‘Nightmare.’
Directed by Levi Strauss Cranston and filmed alongside the video for recent single ‘Out of this Hell’, The ‘Nightmare’ video follows Larkin as she spirals further into isolation sickness, tormented by a faceless figure in a black cloak.
WATCH: EARTH TONGUE – ‘Nightmare’
Made with the support of New Zealand On Air
“This is an unusual track for us,” says Simons of the song, “It’s an upbeat, high-energy track with a hectic and aggressive feel… it’s about someone avoiding their conscious life by escaping into their nightmares, and it was one of the very last songs to be added to the album”
GREAT HAUNTING TRACKLISTING:
01. Out Of This Hell
02. Bodies Dissolve Tonight!
03. Nightmare
04. The Mirror
05. Grave Pressure
06. Miraculous Death
07. Sit Next to Satan
08. Reaper Returns
09. The Reluctant Host
Early Praise For Great Haunting
“…raw noise, driven by explosive guitar riffs that create a haunting, all-encompassing sonic escapade.” – Rolling Stone AU/NZ
“Earth Tongue blast listeners into a hellscape vortex of sludgy riff overload” – Under The Radar
The Week’s Best New Music Videos – Feature Video: Earth Tongue – Out Of This Hell – Rage TV
About Earth Tongue: Earth Tongue is a Heavy Psych/Fuzz band hailing from Aotearoa, New Zealand, renowned for their spellbinding fusion of ethereal melodies and thunderous rhythms. Comprising Gussie Larkin on guitar and vocals and Ezra Simons on drums, Earth Tongue has carved a niche within the global music scene, captivating audiences with their mesmerising live performances and transcendent sonic landscapes.
About In The Red Records: In The Red Records is an independent record label renowned for its commitment to groundbreaking artists and uncompromising creativity. Founded by Larry Hardy in 1991, In The Red Records has served as a beacon for pioneering musicians across diverse genres, fostering a community united by a shared passion for boundary-pushing music.
