Every interaction and meeting we have with another human being leaves a mark on us. Depending on the interaction that mark may be huge or it may be barely perceptible, but it’s there nonetheless. That mark can be good or bad, memorable or a distant memory buried in our brains. Dominic Sahagun has given these interactions thought, and channeled it into his music in the form of the band Air for Ants. An exploration of human interaction can be found on Air for Ants’ new album Once More With Feeling, which we are thrilled to exclusively premiere this morning.
Sahagun has put a ton of work into the seven songs on Once More With Feeling. Besides writing the album almost entirely by himself (Stephanie Lynn co-wrote “Pieces”), he also played guitar, keyboard, and did the synth work besides singing. He’s joined by Adam Benham on drums and Tyler Luppi for bass on most tracks (Ian Underwood takes bass duties on “Pieces”), and together Air for Ants shines here. Each track on the album carries a sound that’s completely unlike anything else on the album, but at the same time instantly recognizable as Air for Ants. Album opener “We’re Together” relies on funky guitar riffs to make its mark, then immediately gives way to the moody, eerie epic “Like a Lion or a Tiger or a Bear.” Keys dominate “Privyet,” and Sahagun brings the house down on closer “CLG.” No matter which song you listen to, Sahagun’s enthralling writing is there to guide you through his tales.
Sahagun explained both the recording process and meaning of Once More With Feeling, telling us “”All the drums, bass and piano took two days to record, but the album itself took over two years to finish. I’ve been really busy, and would sometimes put the tracks away for months. Our last album We Think It Was Raised by Wolves was about one long relationship, and although this album is about shorter relationships they were just as painful/intense, and some of them felt like they went on forever.”
You can listen to Once More With Feeling below. The album officially drops on Friday, October 26.
