The Drums started as a duo of childhood friends, Jonathan Pierce (vocals) and Jacob Graham (synths) bonding over the struggles of being queer in religious households. In 2009 and 2010, after the addition of a drummer and a guitarist, they enjoyed indie rock stardom with favorable coverage in NME, Pitchfork, and BBC Music. They were the most Shazam-ed band of 2009. However, after each album, another band member left the group.
Band members came and went in the band’s decade-long history, but founders Pierce and Graham remained the constant thread through the changes. That is, until Graham left the Drums in 2016, sometime between the Drums’ third and fourth studio albums.
The Drums recently released Brutalism, their second album since Pierce took full control of creative direction. Brutalism is an upbeat yet melancholic pop album with a electronic influence. Pierce explores different types of intimacy and their endings, from hookups to flings to long-term relationships. He reflects on the meaning of it all.
Long gone are the days of surf-rock riffs and 2010s indie rock fame; Pierce is focusing on intimate, indie pop albums about queerness and love that are earning him his own spot in the changing indie scene.
The Drums play Paradise Rock Club on Saturday, May 4, and we’re giving away two tickets! This giveaway closes Thursday, May 2 at 10 PM, so get your submission in soon.