Track Premiere: UNDERSTATEMENT – “You Made Us”
Posted: by The Editor
UNDERSTATEMENT’s 2022 record Get Away with Murder is an immediately gripping album for anyone who still harbors a love for the classic heart-pounding, fist-pumping punk of the ‘90s—all sludgy power chords, sugary sweet harmonies, and a bouncy energy that doesn’t dip once over the record’s half-hour run. They even end with a faithful cover of “Knowledge,” and Operation Ivy must be surely a touchstone for UNDERSTATEMENT’s sound.
The group’s new single “You Made Us,” finds the band picking up with that same infectious bay-area punk, but with a slight shift with bassist Bala Rice taking over vocal duties and delivering a rousing ode to their late father. The huge chorus, crunchy guitar sound, and heavy subject matter all meld together for a tune that is both a foot-stomping shoutalong and a touching tribute.
On the track, Rice said “‘You Made Us’ was written on the day after Christmas in 2021 when my father, Stephen Sevananda Rice, passed away. The cover art is a painting I made of him. Despite the age of the song, we didn’t start playing it as a band until September 2022 once I became emotionally ready. The song is a bittersweet tribute to him, thanking him for always accepting us and raising us up to be musicians. My sisters are featured in backing vocals towards the end of the song. ‘You Made Us’ is the third song we’re releasing with me on lead vocals rather than Sully Dunn, and the first featuring our new drummer Zachk Cain. It’s releasing with a music video on all platforms March 25th – his 52nd birthday. A studio recording of ‘Understatement,’ the song I sang on our Live at SCDC EP, is the B-Side.”
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Aaron Eisenreich | @slobboyreject
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