9million has dropped their new EP titled ‘Gush’ via Strange View Records with the physical copies released via Matthew’s Homie Shit Magazine.
A future classic of an alternative to the alternative with gritty post modern style music and gushy gaze laid out with deep cut style hooks. Experimentation as the norm and Avant Garde as the battle cry, we get a set of atmospheric anthems and sonic diversity you will long remember after that test drive.
About ‘Gush’
Joined by Ace Mendoza (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Danielle Clark (Vocals), Lia Lepre (Keys), Jamie Fastlane (Bass), Brandon Santi (Drums), and the mononymous Loochman (Guitar, Vocals), the songs on Gush and Between Us are snapshots of a band developing their sound and chemistry as a collaborative unit in preparation for a proper debut LP in 2024.
Highlights of Gush include lead single “Sun Spots”, the spacey Nine Inch Nails inspired “Ultraviolet Reflection”, and two covers that serve as live staples and signposts towards their influences – “Everything is Embarrassing” by Sky Ferreria and “Sometimes Always” by The Jesus & Mary Chain. (The physical copies of the mixtape released via Matthew’s Homie Shit Magazine label also feature a secret bonus version of the “Everything Is Embarrassing” cover that is slowed + reverbed without drums).
Describing the unique blends of alt rock and pop sounds that influence 9Million, Matthew says they are “definitely a shoegaze band at the core, but constantly trying to manipulate and shift what that means to us.”
Along with the existing video for lead single “Sun Spots”, the band has also released a higher concept video for mixtape feature track “Ultraviolet Reflection” that stars the usually camera shy Matthew in what he described as “one of the campiest things I’ve ever done”. Paying homage to scenes from some of the band’s favorite movies including The Matrix, 2011 A Space Odyssey, and Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warrior, the video tries to capture the dramatic haunted house vibe of the song without taking things too seriously and leaning into the intentional cheese of the song’s howling guitar leads.
About 9million
9Million is a Toronto shoegaze band helmed by the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Matthew Tomasi. Best known for his work with alt pop icons like Ethel Cain and Nicole Dollanganger, Tomasi has gained increased notoriety in recent years for his behind the scenes work as a producer and mix engineer, but he is also a tireless creator and songwriter himself; playing and contributing to the music of countless bands and independent artists. With 6 other members including Ace Mendoza (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Danielle Clark (Vocals), Lia Lepre (Keys), Jamie Fastlane (Bass), Brandon Santi (Drums), and the mononymous Loochman (Guitar, Vocals); Tomasi says 9million started out “as a creative outlet for myself to explore new sounds and ideas that I wasn’t touching on with any of my other projects or clients”, but quickly the project took on a collaborative spirit not unlike his hardcore band Friction.
The sound of 9million infuses a shoegaze / alt rock foundation with elements of brooding alternative pop, indie rock, and synthwave – resulting in something that recalls ahead of their time 90s bands like Hum and Failure while connecting that sound from the past to the modern world of post-Lana Del Rey slowcore pop sound that Tomasi traffics in on records like Preacher’s Daughter, Natural Born Losers, and Married In Mount Airy.
Following the release of the band’s debut mixtape Between Us in 2022, the newest 9million mixtape, Gush, acts as a bookend to this early era of the band as they continue to “explore new sounds and writing styles in a very loose and experimental way to bring a new layer to the project as we lead up to writing our debut LP.”
Featuring several new original songs and two covers, the mixtape explores more electronic elements and layers of vocal processing that, when paired with the fuzzed out rock sound of Between Us, present an exciting blend of styles the band is pulling from. As a whole, Gush is a loose yet emotionally hefty collection of songs that highlights Tomasi’s distinct approach to shoegaze while also capturing the unique dynamic and possibilities of this band as a whole.