"dream about the past / you can't go back / bet your father never told you that..."
Listening to "Stitches" by Austin indie rock outfit The Western Civilization and light and dark memories washed over me like sunshine through trees, shards of sad love blinding me. When Rachel Hansbro and Reggie O’Farrell sing apart and together there is a communal sense, the kind of bohemian folk indie atmospheres stung with emo and twee that (for me) hearkens back 90's college radio, summer camp in the 70's, Los Campesinos! in 2012, the murmur of R.E.M and the violent femininity of Violent Femmes and an Aztec camera to capture it all.
"Stitches" is from the The Western Civilization's upcoming full length "Fractions of a Whole" and the band is at their core, the duo of Rachel Hansbro (vocals, guitar, piano) and Reggie O’Farrell (vocals, guitar, bass, synth, piano, production), with contributions from Angie Holliday (vocals, piano), John Boyd (drums), Adam Bencen (drums), and Bob Lane (trumpet). The entire album was recorded, produced, and mixed by O’Farrell, and mastered by Nick Landis at Nick Landis Mastering in Austin, Texas.
Of "Stitches" the band shares via press notes:
[Memories have a funny way of sticking with you, affixing themselves to your person like patches on a sleeve. In that same way, so can the ills of life, leaving a trail of worries and wounds for us to make something of, if we can. It’s an ode to a seamstress friend who knows all too well about stitching together more than just fabric. In particular, the mending comes from finding the diamond of good in the rough of bad: in recognizing one’s own resilience in getting through the muck of it all. It makes sense that after writing nearly eight pages of lyrics, they narrowed it down to about three minutes of sad yet inspiring words of note that inspired the title of the band’s new record. We’re all just fractions of a whole, getting stitched together to make something beautiful.]
For a long time I had the bad habit of holding onto the bad moments in life carrying an emotional novel of wrong turns and regrets, of bruises and open wounds. The older I get the little emotional treasures, connections to people that make life worth it, quiet looks bolstered by real love are finally starting to erase the pages and pages of hurt received and given. I thought about that when listening to "Stitches".
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kUHJ5akULbdO8NZ7jzFHX
https://www.instagram.com/westerncivmusic/
Religion may serve some sort of purpose to some, but it’s not the end all be all answer for everyone, especially considering how exclusive and damning the language can be. In many ways, that language has haunted Rachel Hansbro, half of the principal songwriting duo behind Austin indie rock outfit The Western Civilization. Somewhat melodically based on the ridiculously racist hymn “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” which she sang all too often at vacation bible school growing up, Bible Verses for Kids is Hansbro’s way of trying to reconcile the widely accepted marginalization within the church and conservative America. She doesn’t mince sentiments on how an endless pursuit in trying to please God can unravel a sense of identity, particularly when it comes to gender roles. That pressure can take up a lot of space in one’s mind, communicated on the track by the use of a whirring drone sound. Both infect the brain, pervasive in their inescapable natures. The drumming pounds almost relentlessly, furthering this incessant type of presence.
Lyrically transformed by Rachel Hansbro and musically molded by Reggie O’Farrell, each song on the band’s forthcoming full-length, Fractions of a Whole, is a snapshot of a moment in time related to Hansbro in one way or another. There’s sincerity in how she recalls these instances, overtly tugging at these bits of remembrance that others can relate to. She likens the process to vomiting—an uncontrollable yet ultimately relieving release of remembrance as a means of helping her come to terms with it all. For O’Farrell, reaching that comfort comes from a slightly different facet of the songwriting process—by making sure everything feels and sounds just right. His keen ear and meticulous approach pay off fully on Fractions, taking the lyrical foundation laid by Hansbro and forming the walls, helping to create the whole room of an album that encompasses the dichotomy of being. As a band, they have a way of ending on high notes, no matter how somber the topic or musical expression. They each have a background in heavier music and it shows; they’re able to find the proper connections between the message they’re sending out and the resonance that goes along with it, even if it’s not what one might expect.
The Western Civilization, indie rock, folk indie, alt rock, upcoming album "Fractions of a Whole", evocative single "Stitches", Rachel Hansbro and Reggie O’Farrell, melancholia, singer songwriter, dream pop,
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