Military Genius

Military Genius' second album Scarred For Life is a genre-flexing mix of bass-heavy R&B, spaced dub, and jazz that is newly grounded within a traditional rock framework and centered on lyricism. Written, recorded, engineered, and produced by Bryce Cloghesy in the heart of the Mojave Desert, the album reflects a deeply solitary exploration of personal trauma, from initial fallout to eventual catharsis. The record's difficult themes are addressed honestly and passionately, resulting in a reflective album full of soul and positivity. Hand-crafted by way of analog cassette, the songs are painted with blemishes and artifacts, adding to the record's realism and personal character. In his own words - "I found excitement in creating something naturalistic and hand-made, flawed by its own humanity. It's all about embracing the journey, stepping beyond the point of no return, and facing the future.

Military Genius—aka Joshua Tree, CA-based Bryce Cloghesy, also of Crack Cloud—today released his absorbing, genre-defying new album Scarred for Life via Unheard of Hope (Mabe Fratti, Titanic). The follow-up to his atmospheric 2020 debut LP Deep Web, it’s a riveting blend of bass-heavy R&B, spaced dub, and jazz that’s newly grounded within a more traditional rock framework and centered on deeply affecting lyricism. The starting point for Scarred for Life—which was written, recorded, engineered, and produced by Cloghesy—was to try and make sense of ‘the toll taken by a life lived, and the complex beauty of a reality that can never be repeated or replicated.’ Stream the album at all DSPs HERE and watch the new video for its title track HERE.

Advance singles “Window to the Soul” and “Darkest Hour” have earned stellar press from Paste (Best New Songs), Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Under the Radar (Best Songs of the Week), Buzzbands.la, Northern Transmissions, and more. Military Genius will embark on a headlining tour of the UK and Europe this month, including a show at London’s Sebright Arms on November 7th and a performance at the Netherlands’ Le Guess Who? Festival on November 9th. Tickets for all headlining dates are on-sale now and a current itinerary is below.

The title of Scarred for Life refers to a gruesome episode in Cloghesy’s life in 2012, when he had a near-death experience after falling through a window. “I tore up my left arm real good and never slowed down to process the trauma,” he says. Add a debilitating series of panic attacks and depressive episodes to the charge sheet—followed by several significant life changes like a move from Canada to California, getting married, and becoming a father—and it’s clear the record has a lot of heavy lifting to do. “It took some time to realize that I had been working tirelessly for years, white-knuckling life without any tools to process stress or trauma. So there are many lyrics about that mental health journey, learning to cope and accept,” Cloghesy explains. He found “a powerful catharsis putting these experiences into words,” and the music reflects and celebrates a greater understanding and appreciation of how life can be lived.