Shop our Big Takeover store for back issues, t-shirts & CDs
Follow The Big Takeover
Varlots is a 5 piece shoegaze band reminiscent of Hum, Deftones, and Smashing Pumpkins from PA/NJ/NY with their first full length release titled ‘Extraordinary Null’ coming out on Ulro Records on Nov 4th, 2022.
When asked about the song ‘World Pain’, vocalist/guitarist Stephen Edwards had this to say, “This song’s part of a larger narrative on the record but we felt it was important to release it first. With so much grief and tragedy that goes on in the world, whether in the form of gentrification, ongoing corruption of the American legal system, and the general level of non livability we push the planet into; it’s really easy to allow yourself a defeatist mindset. I guess the song is about not letting the status quo win inside your head. Things can always change despite feeling weighed down.”
On the origins of the band, Edwards writes, “Ryan (Treppedi – Guitarist/Vocalist) and I have known each other for nearly a decade and a half and we spent our 20’s playing in noise rock bands. I think we wanted to try and do a band that wasn’t restricted by genre as much as we felt we were in the past. On the record you’ll hear some ambient moments as much as you’ll hear black metal and more grunge leaning guitar music. In many moments during the writing of this record, I often sent some demos to Ryan asking him if I had gone too far in bending the genres together. More often than not, his reply was that we should go even further.”
When pressed on themes of the upcoming record, Edwards states, “It’s honestly a lot. I know everyone kinda says that about their albums but I really felt that this record was me trying to talk about things I didn’t have the support or courage to talk about in music I was making prior. It’s a lot about generational trauma and trying to overcome one’s shortcomings in an attempt to pass on something more positive to those around you in the present. Additionally, a lot of this record documents a severe break with reality I experienced in 2020. I had been suffering from psychosis and imagined people and things that defy the laws of physics were following me in an attempt to kill me. Some days I would just lose track of time and ‘wake up’ driving on a highway, unsure of how I had gotten there. It was a surreal experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. With that said, the record is more about empowerment of the self and how unfortunate situations like I had gone through, hopefully do not define who you are at the end of the day. I’m happy to report that things these days aren’t so grim or based in paranoia despite the small bits of ptsd I still experience from time to time. I’m now a medicated member of society (laughs).”
Big Takeover is excited to host the premiere of “World Pain” by Varlots:
