The Eyebrows prove that once is not enough with their new two-song single Double Take — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
A preview of the upcoming album of the same name, Double Take finds the North Carolina indie-rockers kicking up their heels on a pair of killer nuggets: The LP’s opening track Say Yeah! and Open Mic Tuesday. The first is street-tough, energized and catchy as hell. The latter, replete with crunching guitar hooks and sugar-rush harmony vocals is a sonic vignette from the bandmembers’ time at local open mics. The lyrics here are rife with whimsical reportage:
“Got bumped at the end of the night
Signed up way too late
Oh yeah, will I see you next Tuesday?
Trash fire in your heart
You pose just like Freddie Mercury.”
But The Eyebrows are posing as anybody on Double Take — they’re taking control of their sound like never before. When the band couldn’t get time at their favourite studio, the studio’s owner and producer — longtime producer and friend Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let’s Active) — suggested they try recording themselves. The Charlotte trio did just that — though they still found time to record with Easter at Fidelitorium Studio in Kernersville, N.C.
The resulting album, Double Take, their third full-length, is a concept record with one repertoire of music tracked and mixed in two vastly different ways. Side 1 features polished studio tracks recorded and mixed by Mitch. Side 2 was tracked at The Eyebrows’ practice space, and produced / mixed by the band’s primary singer-songwriter Jay Garrigan. This side features raw and meaty recordings. The entire album was mastered by Bill Skibbe (Jack White, Kills, Black Keys) at Third Man Mastering in Nashville.
“We’re a double threat. I’m not sure if everyone in the band can dance, so we can’t be a triple threat,” Jay says laughing. He continues: “We are a great studio band and a great live band, not many bands do both of those well, and I wanted to showcase those aspects on this new album.”
The Eyebrows are singer-songwriter, producer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist Garrigan; bassist and vocalist Darrin Gray; and drummer and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lynch. The band solidified in 2018, and their sound is the product of deep friendship and telepathic musical chemistry.
Garrigan brings a literate bend to his lyrics, informed by his English degree and years in the Charlotte rock community. Jay is a former member of 2nd Skin, Violet Strange, Boil, Laburnum, Transmission Fields, Temperance League and Poprocket. He’s opened for Alabama Shakes, Bob Seger, The B-52’s, Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge and Matthew Sweet. In addition, Jay has worked in the studio with Ed Stasium (Ramones), Jeff Tomai (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins), Brian Malouf (Wolfmother, Pearl Jam), Clint Steel (Swans), Steve Haigler (Clutch, Pixies), and Easter.
Check out the Double Take single below, watch the video for Say Yeah! above, and raise The Eyebrows on their website, Instagram, Facebook and Instagram.
