This year Silverstein are celebrating their 20th anniversary, a rare milestone for any band but even more impressive for one that’s been as consistently active, influential, and crowd-pleasing as the Ontario-based post-hardcore legends. The band are celebrating all year long with a packed touring schedule and the release of their ninth studio album, “A Beautiful Place To Drown”, released last Friday, March 6th, from UNFD. The album fittingly encapsulates the best of Silverstein while pushing their sound into daring new territory, and that boundary pushing spirit is on full display with the band’s latest single “Madness”. The song features a guest appearance from critically acclaimed rapper, Princess Nokia, with the band’s trademark aggression serving as an unexpectedly natural fit for her dynamic vocals.
Silverstein vocalist Shane Told discussed the collaboration, saying: “We’d seen Princess Nokia mention that she was a fan of ours and we had to chance to hang out last time we were in NYC and just hit it off. ‘Madness’ was one of the early songs we had musically and it kept evolving until we knew it needed a strong female voice on it to put it over the top. The first person we thought of was Princess Nokia. She had an amazing take on the vibe and meaning of the song and absolutely killed the verse. She’s such a talented and kind person, it was amazing collaborate with her”.
Princess Nokia added: “Working on this record was really special to me because I’ve been a fan of this band since I discovered their first two albums. Silverstein holds a special place in my heart. Their first two albums were the soundtrack to my adolescence. They later were an inspiration in the making of my record a girl cried red. Through the release of that record came the introduction of the band when they invited me to their show in New York. Being asked to be a feature in this album was nothing short of amazing. I appreciate the guys for the opportunity and for wanting to include me in this era of their work. It’s been a really full circle experience and I cherish it dearly”.
Silverstein may be proud torchbearers of the emo and post-hardcore scenes but appearances from artists that range from Princess Nokia to Underoath‘s Aaron Gillespie, Beartooth‘s Caleb Shomo, SimplePlan‘s Pierre Bouvier, and more, are indicative of the band’s wide-reaching impact and their ability to reach listeners in all worlds of music. “A Beautiful Place To Drown” captures this appeal in its dynamic range of sounds and styles, all made cohesive by the performances of vocalist Shane Told, guitarists PaulMarc Rousseau and Josh Bradford, bassist Billy Hamilton, and drummer Paul Koehler. Silverstein pushed themselves lyrically as well, exploring the mental duress that seems to be inextricable from the personal and societal challenges of modern life, often focusing on external perspectives and even political elements without losing the band’s trademark intimacy. “ABeautiful Place To Drown” is sure to please old fans and new ones alike, proving exactly why Silverstein remain a vital and powerful voice in alternative music and beyond.
Silverstein will be celebrating their 20th anniversary and supporting “A Beautiful Place To Drown” with heavy touring this summer. Silverstein are pulling out all the stops to honor their entire catalog in the live setting, performing three sets at each show: their seminal 2005 full-length, “Discovering The Waterfront”, in full, a stripped-down acoustic section, and a careering-spanning batch of fan favorites. See full itinerary below.
June 18 Dessel, BE @ Graspop June 19 Koblenz, DE @ Circus Maximus June 20 Bischofsmais, DE @ Rock The Hill Festival June 21st Aschaffenburg, DE @ Colos-Saal June 22nd Aarau, CH @ Kiff June 23 Milan, IT @ Circolo Magnolia June 24 Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi Kao June 26 Ysselsteyn, NL @ Jera On Air June 30 Poznan, PL @ Klub Pod Minoga July 1st Rostock, DE @ Peter-Weiss-Haus e.V. July 3 Stockholm, SE @ High 5ive Festival July 5th Bremen, DE @ Tower Musikclub July 7th Dover, UK @ The Booking Hall July 8th Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store July 9th London, UK @ New Cross Inn July 10th Withington, UK @ 2000trees Upcote Farm
A Beautiful Place To Drown Track List – Listen HERE: 1. Bad Habits (ft. Intervals) 2. Burn It Down (ft. Caleb Shomo) 3. Where Are You 4. Infinite (ft. Aaron Gillespie) 5. Shape Shift 6. All On Me 7. Madness (ft. Princess Nokia) 8. Say Yes 9. Stop 10. September 14th 11. Coming Down 12. Take What You Give (ft. Pierre Bouvier)