DEBUT: Carrier releases “You, Underwater” and chats about being back on stage

New Yorkers have heard a lot of things this past year and discerning truth from fiction hasn’t always been easy. When shows started getting canceled left and right in March 2020, the world seemed glum. The key phrase I heard time and time again was “New York is dead and not coming back”.

When Ali and I stumbled into the small and sort of grimey (in a cool-lower-Manhattan way, of course!) bar/venue that is Bowery Electric, we didn’t know exactly what to expect. Like in the glory days of pre-pandemic, we were back to jumping at every and any opportunity we could to see live entertainment. Truthfully, that’s often where you find the best bands and hidden gems especially in a scene like pop punk and alternative music.

So, when Carrier came on we were both pleasantly surprised and excited to be hearing true alternative rock that was filled with every bit of East Coast angst.

Adam Downer, who takes on lead vocals and is the primary songwriter of the band describes their sound as “A blend of emo, indie and alternative rock from the 90s and early 2000s filtered into 2021.” Every element of that indie, slightly-off alt sound is present in their music, giving us the sound of The Front Bottoms with the same beaten down feeling of The Wonder Years. That’s to say: depressing in the best way possible, the way every emo enthusiast hopes to feel after listening to a new single drop.

Downer decided to form the group, saying  “I’d been putting off starting my own project for years because I wasn’t confident about my music, until I just said “Fuck it,” and set out to do it. In 2018 I recorded a demo of “Bitter Child,” the first song on the record, and started posting that around NYC music groups to find like-minded people, and I really lucked out with these guys.”

Thankfully, he found the other members of the band: Skye Matlock (Bass), Greg Russo (Drums), and Bart Mol (Lead guitar). All of the members contribute to the backup vocals and Adam also adds onto the rhythm guitar. Between each member, the blend of music is seamless in every way.

Downer says “Carrier started as part of my goal to record an album before I die, so on When New York Is Drowning, the songs are my babies. Over half the album is made up of songs I’d written 5-10 years ago, brought to life by Skye, Greg and Bart.” The new album promises to be received well as it explores a variety of topics including: “growing older, climate change, a major breakup, waking up with coke hangovers; basically, I tried to summarize my 20s in nine songs”. 

The first single from that album “You, Underwater” is actually the most contradictory from everything I just said: ultimately, it’s a happy song. Downer explains: “I came to a point in my life where I realized I was actually happy. I had just entered a wonderful relationship, sobered up, and the narrative unfolded after that: me, in my room, dreaming about writing a pop song that would have her and I set for life. It went from the song that frustrated me most to one of the songs I’m most proud of.”

“You, Underwater”, available now, is the song that hooked me on the album, so it’s only right that it has lent itself to be a wonderful lead single for the band. It has the catchy pop qualities mixed with the vibrant and familiarly alternative, underground feeling that we all know and love. 

To me, there’s nothing more addicting than digging into a song that has that emo and alone feeling undercut with hopeful lyrics that remind us to just keep on pushing forward a little bit more. It’s songs like “You, Underwater” that speak to everyone looking for a reason to smile and it’s these songs that touch lives.

As for their all-around sound, Adam also accredits a lot of the sound to his guitar. “My guitar is a 1960s Kalamazoo KG1 that gets this unique, really warm tone. A lot of the songs on the album sound the way they do and are written the way they are because of that guitar.” 

Bart Mol takes a writing approach from a different perspective. He says “I’m passionate about jazz and music theory and often overcomplicate the great songs Adam or the other members write, only to realize I dig the simpler strong melodies that make Carrier songs so catchy, and tone it back.” However, he’s guilty of sneaking in some of those chromatics into his lead lines that really bolster the sound. While everyone loves a great pop run, you can’t deny the beauty in music theory. Bart’s passion for this elevates the band’s sound overall and clearly rings out to a keen ear. 

Like all bands, it hasn’t been all glitz and glam for Carrier. They opened up deeper about the challenges they’ve faced as a band. Greg Russo sarcastically jeers “Not being a teen pop icon with a fan following built off of our years on a Disney channel sitcom has been a major barrier for us all.” And it’s true.

In a world of nepotism and manufactured mainstream music, it can be hard to just “the right person to open an email” as Adam notes. Bart chimes in saying “It’s a shame you can’t rely entirely on your music and stage performance to breakthrough.” If you’re like me, and you still believe in music for the community, connection, and just for the sake of a good tune, then you’ll want to check out this lead single immediately. Carrier is a band built on a real love for music and a real passion for doing something right. It’s clear they’ve poured their hearts and soul into everything they’re doing.

On the stage of the Bowery Electric that night, you could tell there were obvious nerves (it was the first show after the COVID lockdown, afterall), but there was something else: the energy of four people doing what they love for a crowd that obviously loved it right back at them.

Skye Matlock describes that night: “I had some friends that night saying I shouldn’t hide my face with my hair so much… but I HAD TO because I kept tearing up from being on stage again. Our first show after over a year reminded me how much I love getting to play live and has me itching for more!”

I remember seeing Skye on stage and immediately being so excited. Seeing women playing on stage like that always brings a smile to my face. Immediately, Skye captured my full attention because her talent was just so obvious. 

Other band members had similar reactions to their first show back:

Adam: “Honestly it was surreal.”

Greg: “Sweaty with a side of relief”

Bart: “Slightly terrifying, but so relieved”

This certainly won’t be the last of Carrier you see, either. They have plans and aspirations of touring and working on new music. We can’t wait to see where this brand grows toward. It’s clear they’re full of the type of musicians who are serious about what they do, but aren’t taking themselves too seriously. They’re playing for all the right reasons and have a sound that is both distinct and yet reminiscent of the early-emo we adore. 

Bands like Carrier are what make New York City great and they’re why we’re not going anywhere, anytime soon.

“You, Underwater” debuts now:

 

Photos via Ali Fitzgerald, @alfitzpics