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The Brian Jonestown Massacre Recruits Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder for Folky Dreampop Single “Don’t Look At Me”
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Our love is like violence
We’re flying to nowhere
There’s smoke in your lies
Do no harm
In the heart of a storm where love and turmoil twist together like choking vines, the soul aches for a simple, impossible stillness. There is a quiet, stubborn yearning for peace, for some balm to soothe the cuts of a bond worn thin by lies and hurt. Even as this love careens, unruly and wild, toward an unknown, unforgiving future, the spirit holds on. It hopes against hope, whispering prayers into the whirlwind, aching for a hand to steady and words to calm. Yet, we spiral, clinging desperately to dreams of harmony in a world turned reckless and unkind. Do no harm.
Anton Newcombe, alongside Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder, delves into the tension-filled realm where calm feels fragile and fleeting. Their latest collaboration, Don’t Look At Me, marks Brian Jonestown Massacre’s first offering in two years. This track, a hypnotic dose of shoegaze, has Nash’s vocals casting an intoxicating spell. It captures the turbulence of a love teetering on the brink, where affection turns fierce, likened to violence, tangled in lies and aimless wandering. A repeated whisper to “do no harm” clings to a slender hope for peace, despite the relentless drift into an unknown future. Echoes of a lost Lee Hazlewood ballad meet a Pixies-infused dream at the crossroads of a Dandy Warhol number. It is a heavy psychedelic tune, best listened to in the dark, eyes closed, immersed in headphones.
“I love her voice on this version so much,” says Newcombe. “I sent her the track, she thought it was a duet and sang around my vocals on the original, I cut up her vocals and made this!”
“I’ve been a long time admirer of Anton’s music and I hold him in the highest regard as one of my most treasured and beloved artists,” gushes Nash. “I’ve been fortunate enough to share stages with The Brian Jonestown Massacre across three continents touring together since the early 2000s. Despite touring and occasionally singing together this was the first time we had ever collaborated on something together. We were in the midst of a global pandemic when these conversations began. It was a very strange and unpredictable time so this connection and collaboration truly was a joyful experience. Anton is one of the last true unicorns. I am so very happy this song is finally finding its way into the world.“
There is no such thing as a defining statement in Anton Newcombe’s world anymore, just more chapters that contribute to the tale. “Nobody can stop me, I’m not asking somebody, I’m not making the rounds at Warners, saying ‘please put out my record!’. It’s just for me,” he says. He hopes he can be an inspiration to others. “I would love to see more groups, people playing music in the UK and everywhere else because I really enjoy it. That’s the only reason I need. It’s the only reason to do stuff.”
Listen to Don’t Look At Me below:
It’s been over 30 years since the debut Brian Jonestown Massacre single, She Made Me / Evergreen, first hit the airwaves in 1992. At the time, the British music press had invaded the US, eager to crown the next American guitar band as the latest flavor of the month, while major labels prowled for compliant hopefuls to mold into their next quick fix. But Anton Newcombe had a different vision: he would say no. As the driving force behind the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Newcombe had already carved out a reputation as a fiercely original songwriter. For him, music wasn’t a fashion statement or a passing trend; it was the very essence of his being. He watched in quiet dismay as his contemporaries surrendered to contracts, managers, and endless compromises, nodding along with every suggestion, whispering “yes” to anything and everything. Newcombe, however, chose defiance. He was determined to say no.
“I just knew I would be more successful in a certain way by saying no, just being contrary because I figured that if people liked me they were gonna like me anyway,” he says. “Or dislike me. It doesn’t matter.”
Since then, the Brian Jonestown Massacre has unleashed 20 more albums, each a mind-expanding journey, pushing the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll. From psychedelic rock to country-blues, from snarling riffs to blissed-out noise-pop, each record dives into new sonic realms. Along this winding path, Anton Newcombe has solidified his reputation as a singular talent—a visionary who foresaw the mainstream indie-rock trajectory and deliberately took the road less traveled. He stands now as a revolutionary force in modern music, an underground icon. There was no other path; for Newcombe, this was the only way it could be.
“My only option with everything in life has always been that you just jump into the fire,” he declares. “It doesn’t matter what it is.”
Much of this was documented on the controversial documentary Dig!, which is still hailed as one of the best rock documentaries ever made, and celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. The remastered, expanded version premiered at Sundance in January.
Brian Jonestown Massacre released their 20th full-length studio album The Future Is Your Past, in February 2023 on Anton’s record label A Recordings. Throughout January and February they will be making their way around Europe. Purchase tickets here.
TOUR DATES:
January 2025
- 28th – Fabrik, Hamburg
- 29th – Die Kantine, Cologne 30th – 013 Poppodium, Tilburg
February 2025
- 1st – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill
- 2nd – Marble Factory, Bristol
- 4th – Rock City, Nottingham
- 6th – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow 7th – Olympia, Liverpool
- 8th – Beckett Students Union, Leeds 9th – NX, Newcastle
- 11th – Ulster Hall, Belfast
- 12th – 3Olympia, Dublin
- 14th – Albert Hall, Manchester
- 15th – O2 Guildhall, Southampton 16th – O2 Academy Brixton, London
- 18th – O2 Institute, Birmingham
- 19th – Dome, Brighton
- 20th – University Great Hall, Cardiff
The post The Brian Jonestown Massacre Recruits Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder for Folky Dreampop Single “Don’t Look At Me” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.