Written by Brie Dunphy
Photo by Adam Kelley
WINNIPEG NOISE-ROCKERS DROP 23 ANXIETY-RIDDEN TRACKS
Abrasive guitar, feelings of urgency, gritty, punchy bass lines, tense drums and melodic bite. Exhaling, the 23 track album from Winnipeg-trio Tunic exudes catharsis. The record can be considered as the ultimate overview of the band’s discography. Exhaling, a 23 track album is composed of previous sold-out releases including three brand new songs, “Exhaling”, “Invalid” and “Fade Out”.
Exhaling is a sonic representation of anxiety in the pit of your stomach that needs to be set free. This is apparent in the lyrics of the album’s title track - “Exhaling poison on you and you and you.”
“It's just another way to say ‘spitting venom’, explains frontman David Schellenberg. “That song is about the breaking point of being on tour. That breaking point where you’re not being a nice person to your bandmates and everyone’s fed up with each other and you just hit that wall. You're all on edge with each other.”
For Tunic, having a strenuous tour schedule is hardly new for them. A quick trip to the tour page on their website doubles as a geography lesson. Life on the road, as exciting as it sounds, is expected to have its downsides and ware downs. For Schellenberg, stepping on stage is a perfect opportunity to air out those frustrations.
“The first time we went to Europe I was so happy that I had to make this sad playlist that I had to listen to,” he recalls. “I had my headphones on, I was plugging my pedals in and I was like ‘you are sad, you are mad.’ I was in Berlin playing in a basement full of kids. I was in Belgium playing in this nice beautiful venue. I was just like ‘you are sad you are mad, you are not doing the coolest thing in the world,’" he laughs.
Choosing a life of music isn’t easy. The relentlessness of following your dream in the world of music at times can feel downright disheartening. However, passion is extremely persistent. You take the bad in hopes that the good will come back tenfold. Walking off stage with an unremovable smile on your face, fueling the flame to keep going.
“As much as I love doing it and its the best 15 to 30 minutes of the day, you're just like ‘here I am again, and it’s time to be mad’, Schellenberg concludes. “I’ll mostly channel being upset about being exhausted.”
Exhaling is available everywhere.
