After a decade of breaks, different bands and TikTok virality , Superheaven’s new self-titled album has finally arrived, expanding the boundaries of their fuzzed-out riffs to new decibel levels.
“About time,” guitarist and vocalist Jake Clarke said ahead of the release.
Across 10 tracks, the long-awaited third studio album shows the growth Superheaven has made since starting up nearly two decades ago in the Philadelphia suburbs. The band intentionally sought out a DIY process for the record, with Clarke and drummer Zach Robbins handling the engineering at The Metal Shop , with a little bit of help from longtime producer and collaborator Will Yip for the vocal mixes.
“We wanted to turn the knobs and make things sound a little wider and express ourselves through what’s coming through the speakers,” Clarke said. “We did it at the studio that we had no time restraint on, so it was kind of like, ‘Let’s just sit here and vibe and just listen.’ ”
The majority of the album was written and recorded from December 2023 to April 2024. Taylor Madison, the other guitarist and vocalist in the band, will admit he’s not the most patient person and said waiting for Friday’s release was “torture.”
“The time in between making something and being able to release that something or for other people to experience the thing that you made is pretty excruciating for me,” Madison said.
Longtime fans of the band have been waiting for a follow-up to 2015’s Ours Is Chrome Jar
“I think this happens to so many bands, you get a little interest on your first record and then you think that your second record is the most important thing in the world and you cannot fuck it up,” Madison said. “I do like most of the second record, but I think the band just felt so much pressure on ourselves to do something and be something and it just wasn’t happening.”
“You can’t force people to like your band, it takes time,” Clarke said. “Especially with our type of music … You kind of need to fall in love with the record and that’s how people can really relate to the songs and want to come out to the shows.”
Superheaven’s self-titled third album, released on Blue Grape Music, provides longtime fans with the first dose of new music from the band in a decade. (Artwork by Simon Heller) While Superheaven was in hibernation, Madison and Clarke started Webbed Wing , focusing on catchy rock riffs and rhythms, something closer to the music that got them hooked as kids.
“Having Webbed Wing and recording three LPs since Superheaven recorded any music, it probably helped to keep the songwriting muscle a little exercised because I think I’m better at writing songs now than I was in 2015, for sure,” Madison said.
Those muscles are flexed throughout the self-titled album’s 31 minutes, especially “Cruel Times,” which tackles the subject of letting go of the past and embracing what the future has in store.
“I have just felt like this is the best record, in my opinion, objectively,” Madison said. “Not everyone will agree with that, but I just feel like we were the most confident writing this one. We probably had the most fun making it and I just feel pretty strongly that we just got better.”
Songs from this record will fill the setlist of their upcoming tour , including a stop at Union Transfer on May 16 .
“Union Transfer is going to be awesome,” Clarke said. “That’s the best venue, not only in Philadelphia, but I think in the world. It’s such a great vibe.”
On Sunday, the band will also be hosting a listening party for the new album at Doom from 2 to 5 p.m. Copies of the record will be available.
