Over the past year, North Carolina's heralded progressive alternative band … Read Full Bio ↴Over the past year, North Carolina's heralded progressive alternative band Unifier has been gutted in many ways.

“Our new EP is about reinvention, both as individuals and a band, and we wanted the title Gutted to reflect that -- but with the bleak connotation in which we experienced it," says singer/guitarist Aslan Freeman. In the tradition of great modern alternative noisemakers like Brand New, Jimmy Eat World, and Foo Fighters, Unifier has spent the last several years releasing and performing a steady stream of gorgeously driving pop rock records (Colorado, Oh Great City EP, B_sides: Volumes 01-03). While momentum has reached an all-time high, the band has continually pushed to refine their sound and rediscover what drives them as artists, both individually and as a collective whole.

“Essentially, we’ve been in the process of rebranding our band, and Gutted is a big part of that,” says Luke Rayson. “We’re gradually moving in a heavier, darker, and more openly creative direction.”

What the band’s debut album Colorado achieved in terms of “big” and “pretty” aesthetics, Gutted matches with newfound elements of rawness and aggression. Conceptually, the EP wanders into both familiar and darker domains, examining recurring feelings of loss, helplessness, doubt, and judgment through a variety of narrative lenses.

“We wanted the tone of this EP to be a bit of a departure from what we’ve tried to accomplish with our previous releases, without sounding lo-fi or unpleasantly jarring at any point,” says Aslan. “We wanted the overall production to still be polished, but with the individual elements remaining more ‘alive in the room.’”

While drenched in darker, more experimental tones and moody thematic content, “alive” may actually be the most accurate adjective to describe Gutted. After repeat listens, the new “voice” of the band grows stronger and more familiar -- a recalibrated and more powerful version of a model that was already working.

“Gutted is a bit of a segue between where we’ve been and where we are heading as a band,” says drummer Mike Kane. “We’re treating it as a sort of a sounding board for peoples' reactions.”

As with any evolution, each stage of output represents a step down a longer path. With Gutted, Unifier is discovering their true north; a creative foundation which countless iterations can be built upon. Gutted marks the beginning of a new era for Unifier -- a period of growth through refinement; of progress through focus.

Expect the new EP at digital retailers everywhere on March 24th and visit spartanrecords.com for more information about Unifier and the Gutted EP.

Grace
Unifier Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My friends need me to pretend that they're there
I'll find a way to resent all the things we share
You're gonna feel me out
And then you'll shake, shake, shake me down
You're gonna feel me out
A little farther

Nobody's keeping it conscious, we're just locking our doors

When the panic's gone, I won't say a thing, yea

Graves, how I thought you would stay
Heart beating through your chest
Owing the thoughts and even the speeches
To your quiet hands

Sleep tried to kill me again, got me scared
Keeps picking off all my kin with his empty stare
You're gonna steal me out
And then you'll take, take, take me down
You're gonna steal me out
When it's darker

You always reel me out
And then you break, break, break me down
You always reel me out a little farther

We missed you

We missed you
We missed you while you were missing out

Overall Meaning

The song "Grace" by Unifier highlights the theme of isolation and resentment towards close relationships. The opening lines create an ambience of something unusual, where the singer's friends request him to pretend that they are present. This could be interpreted as the singer needing to step into his friend's shoes to understand their perspective. However, it becomes apparent that he is struggling with their connection, leading him to develop resentment towards their shared experiences. The chorus "You're gonna feel me out, and then you'll shake, shake, shake me down" can be read as the singer's struggle to be understood, but perhaps he is not ready to be seen entirely.

The second verse takes a dark turn as the singer equates sleep to death. He's scared of sleep taking away his loved ones and leaving him alone. The lines "You're gonna steal me out, and then you'll take, take, take me down" can be interpreted as sleep taking the singer's thoughts, desires, happiness, and comfort, leaving him in despair.

Overall, the song "Grace" by Unifier appeals to individuals who crave an understanding of their emotions, perspectives, and experiences with close ones. It's about trying to keep things together while feeling like everything is falling apart. The lyrics and melody are poignant and evoke deep emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

My friends need me to pretend that they're there
I pretend that my friends exist when they really don't, just to keep myself from being alone.

I'll find a way to resent all the things we share
I will hold onto grudges and negative feelings towards the things I have in common with others.

You're gonna feel me out
You will try to understand me.

And then you'll shake, shake, shake me down
And then you will test me, and pressure me to see if I am truly who I say I am.

A little farther
You will push me until I am uncomfortable.

Nobody's keeping it conscious, we're just locking our doors
We are all just trying to survive and protect ourselves, and we are not thinking about others.

When the panic's gone, I won't say a thing, yea
Once the chaos has settled, I will not speak up about what happened or how I feel.

Graves, how I thought you would stay
I thought that certain people or things would always be there, but now they are gone forever.

Heart beating through your chest
Your heart used to be full of love and life, but now it is only beating out of habit.

Owing the thoughts and even the speeches
I am responsible for my own thoughts and words, and I cannot blame anyone else for them.

To your quiet hands
But sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I cannot express myself fully and must rely on actions instead of words.

Sleep tried to kill me again, got me scared
My own mind and thoughts sometimes terrify me and make me feel out of control.

Keeps picking off all my kin with his empty stare
These thoughts and fears take away from my sense of family and community, leaving me alone and vulnerable.

You're gonna steal me out
You will try to take me away from these negative thoughts.

And then you'll take, take, take me down
But in doing so, you may push me down and hurt me.

When it's darker
When things get worse.

You always reel me out
You always try to pull me back from the edge of despair.

And then you break, break, break me down
But sometimes, your efforts only lead to more pain and trauma.

We missed you
We wish you were here with us.

We missed you
We noticed your absence and felt your loss.

We missed you while you were missing out
We grieved your absence, even though you were not present to experience the event or moment.

Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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