Flat Worms

Hitting flat and hard with their bass-drums-guitar and vocals alignment, Flat Worms use a buzzing combo of blunt force and surreal lyrics to hammer the absurdity of the status quo, as it deserves. Our social experiment continues to implode before our eyes; Witness Marks offers both critique and compassion, with songs that corkscrew through shades of exhilarating, dizzying and ambiguous spaces in between times of crisis and complacency.

Rock band Flat Worms have shared a new song “Suburban Swans,” which is the second track to be shared from their upcoming album Witness Marks. This LP is due out September 22 via Ty Segall’s Drag City imprint GOD? The band also have some fall tour dates coming up. Check out the video for “Suburban Swans” below, followed by the upcoming LP’s tracklist and cover artwork as well as tour dates.

Flat Worms are lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Will Ivy, drummer Justin Sullivan (Kevin Morby) and bassist Tim Hellman (OSEES). Throughout the record, Ivy contemplates how to control his own narrative in a world that seems to be spinning out of control.

Of Suburban Swans, Ivy writes in a press release: “The last time we were in the UK, I learned that every mute swan in all of England legally belongs to the royal family. In the swan’s mind, it is free, living its life as a wild animal. It is totally unaware of the system in which it has been claimed as property by a human establishment. This made me think about freewill, the perception of freewill, or the lack thereof. Growing up in suburban Arizona, I felt stuck, angsty, so eager to break out and pursue my own life and independence. This place, this time, this experience barely even feels like it happened to the same person now. Since I left, my family has all left this neighborhood. More and more stucco structures become less and less unique, making all the places we are from harder to distinguish from one another. The memories begin to decay with nobody there to maintain a presence. What are memories worth if they are as intangible as dreams? If we have no control over our own narratives, maybe we are not so different from the swans.”

Drawing inspiration from Viagra Boys, Fontaines DC, and Parquet Courts, the band offers hints of foundation laying garage-punk to speak their truth of what it means to know and to be known.

Flat Worms previously released the song “Time Warm in Exile” which is also featured on this upcoming record.