Atlanta metalcore outfit Issues have never shied away from the fact that they're unabashed fans of both extreme music and pop. And their fearlessness in letting both tastes play out in their music — not to mention their strong-as-hell songwriting skills — has positioned them at the forefront of the genre's boundary-pushers.
In May of this year they dropped the explosive new single "Tapping Out" — their first new material since 2016's full-length Headspace and first without singer Michael Bohn with whom the band parted ways in early 2018. Today, June 26th, Revolver is excited to premiere the song's intense video.
The clip captures the track's anxiety at its most mundane and explosive, each member of the band dueling with a reflection of themselves. Fights range from drummer Josh Manuel getting pissed at himself for gaming all day to bassist Skyler Acord tearing down his own ideas before they're even finished. Singer Tyler Carter croons over the ultra-low guitar and bass work by the band, creating a potent and catchy mix that's hard not to fuck with. The song progresses to a meaty riff that snaps into a mammoth breakdown, which pauses for the chorus to play out one last time before ending slower.
"The song was most directly written about 'tapping out' of a relationship and its context plays to the theme of any type of fighting match," says Carter. "However, upon collaborating with director Dillon Novak, we felt that aiming the visual towards the idea of fighting with yourself would be more relatable and pack a deeper meaning.
"Some of the things we wrote about were the real struggles we faced while on a hiatus and while making this album. 'Win or lose' is kinda where we are with this, and we have every ounce of our souls set on winning. Over-working, self-doubt, self-hatred, depression and anxiety, and not breathing fresh air enough — all of the things that have been a struggle during this chapter."
Watch the new video above, and check out the band on tour with I Prevail:
LEG 1
5/4 — Boise, ID — Revolution Concert House
5/5 — Spokane, WA — Knitting Factory
5/7 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex
5/8 — Billings, MT — Shrine Auditorium
5/10 — Council Bluffs, IA — Westfair Amphitheater
5/11 — Wichita, KS — Wave
5/13 — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre
5/14 — Tulsa, OK — The Vanguard*
5/15 — Dallas, TX — House of Blues
5/16 — Baton Rouge, LA — The Varsity Theatre*
5/17 — Houston, TX — House of Blues
5/18 — San Antonio, TX — The Aztec Theater
5/20 — St. Louis, MO — The Pageant
5/21 — Chicago, IL — House of Blues
5/23 — Ft. Wayne, IN — Clyde Theatre
5/24 — Detroit, MI — The Fillmore
LEG 2:
7/11— London, ON — Harris Park
7/12— Niagara Falls, NY — Rapids Theatre
7/13 — Ithaca, NY — The Haunt*
7/14— Mansfield, OH — Mansfield Reformatory**
7/15— Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE
7/16— Peoria, IL — Peoria Riverfront
7/18— Oshkosh, WI — Ford Festival Park**
7/19— Chicago, IL — House of Blues
7/20— Cadott, WI — Rock Fest
7/22— Clifton Park, NY — Upstate Concert Hall
7/23— Huntington, NY — The Paramount
7/24— Boston, MA — House of Blues
7/26— Bethlehem, PA — Sands Bethlehem Event Center
7/27— Montclair, NJ — The Wellmont Theater
7/28— Philadelphia, PA — The Fillmore
7/30— Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore
7/31— Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore
8/1 — North Myrtle Beach, SC — House of Blues
8/2 — Jacksonville, FL — 1904*
8/3 — Lake Buena Vista, FL — House of Blues
8/4 — Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theatre
8/5 — Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works
8/6 — Louisville, KY — Diamond Pub Concert Hall*
8/7 — Belvidere, IL — The Apollo Theatre
8/8 — Indianapolis, IN — Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
8/9 — Grand Rapids, MI — 20 Monroe Live
*Issues Only
**Festival Date
