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we need to talk about hate drugs


Today, I am going to talk to all of you about the wonderfully magical world of Hate Drugs.

Alt/Surf Rock band Hate Drugs, based in the center of California, is composed of five incredibly talented members,

Adrian Diaz beating away on the drums, Norman Lee killing it on the lead guitar, John Irwin IV shredding on the bass, Josiah Caploe slamming on the keyboards, and David Caploe taking over lead vocals + guitar.

Hate Drugs currently have eleven single + ep releases up on their Bandcamp, all of which I am going to quickly go over because they're all amazing and everyone needs to know!

The first single is titled Isotope, a 3 and a half minute chill indie track released in 2014. This is genuinely such a lovely, feel good song; the upbeat instrumental making the audience feel calmly nostalgic over golden summer days.

The band's next release comes in the form of an EP titled Rough Daze, also released in 2014. This EP is compiled of four flavorful tracks, including the single Isotope. REM introduces the EP with its late night summer drive feels. Everything in this song is beautiful, especially the lyrics. The lines "We were a sound. We were city. We were a flame. We were a forest growing green. We were, we were a dream." are so incredibly poetic and intriguing, I can't get enough. The next track on the EP is titled Syntax and it is one of the most unforgettable songs I've heard in awhile. David's soft vocals paired with the optimistic, upbeat instrumental make this track a true masterpiece. The third song on this EP is Isotope, a track which fits in perfectly with the chill, indie rock summer vibes this record gives off. The fourth and final song on Rough Daze is Relativity, one of the most beautifully written songs I've come in contact with. The spoken lines towards the end of the song, "I'm not saying that it's wrong to have an open mind, I just think it's possible to have such an open mind that you're not really in control of what comes in and what goes out. What kind of foundation is that?", are my favorite part of it all. In 2015, Hate Drugs put out a lot of new, wonderful music. The first delightful piece of work they put out that year was a track titled Love & Typography (little paper dreams). This song is genuinely heavenly; dreamlike instrumentals backing heartfelt lyrics emphasizing the beauty of love and the beauty of being in love.

Later that year, the band put out their second EP titled Anna Grahm. Consisting of five tracks, Anna Grahm is a surf/indie rock beauty. Hellow, Trip Tonight, Shapes, Tell Her, and Oh Well all come together to form a record about an intense love; strong emotions wrapped within the lyrics coupled with the sounds of brilliant instrumentals create one of the most unique and divine indie rock EPs I've listened to.

The next Hate Drugs release is Under Your Tree, a fun Christmas song put out in the winter of 2015. There aren't a ton of original Christmas songs, especially when it comes to Christmas related rock songs, so the release of this track was extremely refreshing. Though Under Your Tree is a Christmas related song, it's such a universal jam that you will absolutely catch me listening to it in the middle of spring, the depths of fall, you name it.

She Called is the band's first track of 2016 and it is something else. This tune is full of dreamy melodies that make me feel like I'm in a soft haze; soft vocals and tones fill the ears of the listener.

Hate Drugs' third EP was released under the name Beach Weekend and consists of three of my favorite surf rock songs out there. Holy shit this EP is seriously just. so good. Lovers in the Summer sets the record in motion with it's 60s surf rock vibes that are so appealing you can't NOT dance your butt off to it. These fun yet graceful 60s surf rock vibes continue on throughout the rest of the songs on the EP; the second track, Sleep When We're Dead, inspiring listeners to spend their time in the golden glow of the morning sun. Never Wanna Leave closes the album and is. I mean. I LITERALLY CANNOT EVEN PUT INTO WORDS HOW GOOD THIS SONG IS!! It is the epitome of beach chill/surf rock 60s mood music, I really cannot even properly explain just how good it is!! It makes me feel So Many Things.

Towards the end of 2016, Hate Drugs released a track called Chinatown and I'm overwhelmed by how brilliant it is. The song feels futuristic almost, channeling those dreamy tones that can be found in some of the band's earlier releases. This song also contains one of my favorite lyrics "My son, observe the time, but don"t get caught up." This is one truly talented band, man.

Hate Drugs' latest release is their full length album, Tsunami Soul II. Released in the fall of 2017, this album is compiled of 12 unbelievably incredible tracks. I would go over each track individually, but they're all so good it would take me another 1,000 words to completely explain how they make me feel. I am going to talk about a couple of my favorites on the album though, Afterimage (track 3) and On My Own (track 2). Now before I talk about these specific tracks I do want to mention that the transitions between all of the songs on the album are flawless and will leave you mind blown. I've listened to this album all the way through an embarrassing amount of times because everything about it is just so well put together. AKA I highly suggest listening to it all the way through. Like. Multiple times.

OKAY. so.

Afterimage. So f*cking goooooooooood!!! I'm listening to it right now and bopping my head back and forth while writing this (but I'm also barely able to concentrate because I'm too focused on how good it is). This track is insanely catchy and fast paced, you will not be able to listen to this song without dancing. (By the way, as I mentioned song transitions before, the transition from Afterimage into (You'll Be) Fine is so smooth you will not believe it).

On My Own is another fast paced, catchy tune that immediately catches the audience's attention with it's mesmerizing instrumentals and velvety vocals. The guitar towards the end of the song is so! pretty! I love love love it. If you think this song can't get any more perfect, listen to the lyrics closely. "All I want is a love that shakes me to the core, a love that takes me to the floor" like. I FELT that.

Overall, Hate Drugs are an amazing band whose diverse sound has drawn thousands of people into their fanbase, and continue to impress those around them with each and every release. This band is going to take over the indie rock/surf rock music scene this year, just WAIT.

Make sure to keep up with Hate Drugs on all their social medias and what not!

words by eva


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