Richmond, Virgina has been bursting with Punk-Rockers lately, Gnawing being one of the best. Gnawing is to release their upcoming album Modern Survival Techniques May 19th via Refresh Records. The upcoming LP portrays a core theme of how it feels to lose your mind and the variety of perspectives one can struggle to choose for an outlook on the madness happening within. 2023 has seemed to be a specific year of artists expressing relatable frustrations of the struggle in holding yourself together as the world around us essentially falls apart. Modern Day Techniques is a blatant expression of whipping-up solutions for problems we never thought would ever be an issue, paired with the inconvenience of already having your own sh*t going on – why does the world have to add so much extra?
“Gimme Tinnitus” is the first taste of Modern Survival Techniques, a super catchy single with compressed Dinosaur Jr.-esque vocals and growing guitar fuzz I am personally a sucker for. What better way to express frustration other than shouting out your frustration with enthusiasm? What better way to express your low emotional-battery other than through lazy vowels embracing the exhaustion of trying to do anything other than exist? “Gimme Tinnitus”‘s punchy-drums and self-suffering undertones paint us a montage of a guy walking through life as if they’re the stoned and depressed-yet-trying main character in an early 2000’s comedy movie. As this main character is “walking through life”, people try to hold onto him, speak some sense into them, but outside input has turned into an ear-ache, which can heavily represent what it feels like to move into the subtle-loneliness of adulthood; people will drain you without asking how you are, so take care of yourself.
John Russell’s bedroom project was sure to be fantastic stand-alone, but the evolution into a full band has truly brought his vision to life. Gnawing has been noticed playing with some recent favorites Supercrush, Narrow Head, Young Guv, and I do not think their momentum will stop there. Be sure to be one of the first to listen to Modern Day Techniques full drop May 19th, and you must pre-order the record. Stream Gnawing using the links below!
Behind The Midwest Scene 
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