All Pleasure is out now!
Image: Shervin Lainez.
Brattleboro, Vermont breakthrough outfit THUS LOVE have delivered their enigmatic sophomore album, All Pleasure. We caught up with band members Echo Mars, Lu Racine and Shane Blank to unpack the collection of songs...
Tell us a bit about Thus Love’s origin story…
Echo: Thus Love began as a basement band, jamming project for fun, between Lu and some other folks. And at the time, it was it was called I Love You. 2 weeks in, I moved to Brattleboro, and I met Lu and the other people involved. And we immediately started playing a few songs that I had written, and that ended up shaping kind of the direction we started going in.
We started writing songs collaboratively, playing in regional and local bars and small venues. Pretty soon after a few months pos- conception, we recorded 2 collections of demos, each 3 songs, maybe 2 months apart within the 1st year of being a band. And that laid a local and regional, groundwork for, you know, our fan base that still supports us.
And then after some time went on, like, two and a half years of shaping I Love You, we end up going through a couple lineup changes and different friends coming in and out. And then COVID hit. We weren't sure if I Love You was going to continue. And at that point, it was just Lu and I pondering options. This was just before the pandemic, and I ended up hosting Nathaniel in my apartment, the Christmas right before the pandemic started.
And Lu and I convinced Nathaniel to join in the project as conceptually a new band, which we named Thus Love. And then we played 2 shows as Thus Love. And then the pandemic started. Marlborough College closed. Nathaniel and I moved into Lu's apartment, and we decided that the only way forward through the uncertainty of everything going on at the time was to record Memorial as a send off and as a possible goodbye to that era of our life.
Lu: To document the last couple years. To document that band because we weren't sure if it was going to keep going. And then, we made Memorial and we sent it to our manager and that’s when Captured Tracks, our label, showed interest.
Your new album All Pleasure arrives two years after your debut. How do you think your artistry has evolved throughout this time into what is presented on your sophomore album?
Echo: We have a new band now, so that's definitely a huge part of it. 2 new members bringing both their brains into the mix. We grew a lot as a band having them involved, and we really can’t thank them enough for believing in this project. All Pleasure would not be the album it is without them.
The record is laced in nostalgia, and is an exploration of the complexities of the human existence; with an acute focus on growth and relationships. What drew you towards documenting these themes on the All Pleasure?
Echo: Beyond sort of a general ethos of making music for the sake of joy and artistic fulfilment, one of the artistic practices that went into effect on this on this record was not overcomplicating things. Like there are a couple songs in the record that are pretty much the same as the demo version. And we realized that the first version isn’t necessarily any less valuable than future ones.
Lu: And, yeah, I would say Show Me Patience and Get Stable are really evident of that. They are simple to the point, but also, definitely widen the artistic vision in comparison to the first record.
Lyrically, the album does lean into introspection and personal thoughts - particularly on songs such as Face to Face. Is there any apprehension when it comes to displaying your most intimate thoughts, or does that flow naturally within the creative process?
Echo: Artists will always be afraid, but embracing that vulnerability is really important. And often times, the most vulnerable material and works shared are the most embraced.
The album continues your post-punk sonics, but pushes it further and allows for more space within the songs’ soundscapes. How did you craft the sonic realm the album exists within?
Echo: I would definitely say that the physical environment and the emotional headspace that we were recording in had a major effect on the palette for the record. Recording in the woods in winter makes a difference. Also, just the time constraints on the recording process itself, I think, pushed us to figure out the sound quickly and then really, you know, own it fully.
When sitting down to begin work on the album, what were your goals for your sophomore effort? Do you feel you’ve achieved them all?
Echo: I would definitely say goal number one was to make a record that we enjoyed playing live and would make a good foundation to experiment live in this new lineup. And as we discovered, that is a 100% true, and we have succeeded in doing so.
Shane: And we often say that the best way to hear Thus Love songs are in a live context. I know that for me, a big goal of mine was really to forge a relationship with Echo and Lu being a new member here. And I do think, you know, spending 10 hour days with Echo in the same room, playing the same guitar line over and over again that I think really, brought us into a headspace where we just had to be friends.
All Pleasure is out now, and fans have lapped it up. Have you been surprised by any of their reactions to particular songs?
Lu: I think I was really surprised how big of a hit Lost in Translation has been. I feel like people have really been talking about that song, especially after they hear it live. That song has really been sticking.
Echo: And, also, it’s definitely a highlight of the live set.
Shane: Yeah. I feel like it's a song that we kind of can, like, push our boundaries the most in a kind of noisy experimental way.
When it comes to writing and creating, what is your collaborative process?
Echo: We still have the luxury of finding out what that is. It’s always changing and no one way we do it.
Which three songs from the album would you choose to show to someone who has never heard your music before, that you think would make them an instant fan?
Echo: Lost in Translation, Get Stable, and On the Floor.
Is there a particular line, lyric or musical motif from All Pleasure that you are most proud of?
Echo: Yes, the backup vocals on Show Me Patience. They were recorded on an iPhone in a house in Texas.
You’ll be heading out on a North American tour next year. How are you bringing All Pleasure into a live context for your live shows going forward?
Lu: Having fun playing them – very, very Lud.
Will Australian fans get the chance to experience Thus Love live in 2025?
Echo: I sure damn hope so!
GET-TO-KNOW THUS LOVE
Biggest musical influences?
Radiohead, Pixies, The Pixies, and Grace Jones. And Beyonce.
Dream Collaboration?
Rick Rubin.
How do you define the musical style in 3 words?
Open mouth kissing.
If you could create the soundtrack for any film, which one would it be?
The Neverending Story.
What was the first song you loved to sing?
Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel featuring Kate Bush.
A song you would love to cover on tour?
Sympathy is a Knife by Charli XCX.
Go-to karaoke song?
Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz.
Dream location/venue to play?
The Sphere in Las Vegas.
All Pleasure is out now!
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