Emma Ruth Rundle - Guitar, Vocals Andrew Clinco - Drums Greg Burns - Bass, Keys

M A R R I A G E S
 
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Label - Sargent House 
Label: Marc Jetton


US $ STORE // UK £ STORE


 
BIO

The first thing one notices about the full-length debut album by Marriages, Salome, is its sense of space. Like pulling open a dark window shade mid-flight, we're abruptly presented with a crystalline brightness setting the tone from the outset, signifying an evolution from the somewhat insular buzz of 2012 debut EP, Kitsune. The second thing is that, unlike the stream-of-consciousness approach which found each track on Kitsune nebulously flowing into the next, Salome is comprised of concise songs, each one a light that flickers into existence, burns with magnificent intensity, and then expires.
 
The Los Angeles-based trio first began in 2011 as a collaborative effort between former Red Sparowes members Emma Ruth Rundle (guitar, vocals) and Greg Burns (bass, keyboards). Showcasing Rundle's exceptional playing more vividly than the dense architecture of the Sparowes could allow, Marriages' departure from purely instrumental rock, too, helped bring her to the forefront, revealing a voice equally fragile and ferocious. Enlisting Sparowes drummer Dave Clifford, they recorded Kitsune, released on Sargent House in 2012. Subsequent touring with Russian Circles, Deafheaven and others honed their vision while introducing the band to a broad cross-section of heavy music fans. Full time drummer Andrew Clinco completed the equation in late 2012, the final component in Marriages' frequently epic postpunk-by-way-of-stoner-rock sound. While the group busied themselves writing the songs that would become Salome, Rundle issued solo album Some Heavy Ocean in early 2014, earning praise from the likes of Pitchfork, NPR, etc. Promoting that record found her touring the US as direct support to King Buzzo of the Melvins, immediately after which Marriages set out on tour once more, this time with the legendary Boris.
 
Back in Los Angeles, Marriages spent the end of 2014 completing Salome, a timeless 9-song monolith of a debut LP. Propulsive, frequently iridescent, the compositions on Salomeare confident and evocative, the sound of a band focusing their strengths to great effect. Nowhere is this focus more evident than on opening track, “The Liar”. Frontwoman Rundle wastes no time settling into a haunting earworm of a riff, before unleashing a moody tangle of slides and reverb. Her breathy voice, veiled in subtle effects, elicits irresistible curiosity; though it may not always be clear what she's saying, there's undeniably something to the way she's saying it. Bubbling just under the surface is the overdriven bass of fellow Sparowes alum Greg Burns, who conjures a menacing rumble from his instrument in glorious contrast to the glassy needles of Rundle's wailing guitar. New addition Clinco, whose formidable presence appears largely responsible for the kinetic reconfiguration of the band's sound, functions as both an anchor and a jostling wave, holding it all together with precision while he rattles his cage. Second track, “Skin”, is perhaps even more infectious, to the point where becoming engulfed in the emotional tide of the song is simply unavoidable. Its indelible chorus is one of the album's most iconic passages. Here, especially, Marriages wear their influences on their sleeves, a convincing amalgamation of mid-eighties postpunk (Cocteau Twins, The Cure, etc.) and what ought to be called poststonermetal. Their shoegaze aesthetic combined with Rundle’s crushing riffs make Marriages unique among their contemporaries. The tumbling urgency of “Southern Eye” could fit comfortably on Echo and the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here yet somehow sits squarely within the realm of Sargent House labelmates Russian Circles. Elsewhere, Marriages toy with a pop approach before invariably releasing a torrent of cascading noise, though never enough to bury the hook they've so cleverly constructed. Title track “Salome” is the album’s centerpiece. An ominous, otherworldly swell of emotional waxing and waning, it finds Rundle at her most vulnerable, strokes of Kate Bush and Sinead O’Connor writ large over a canvas of brooding, fuzz-pedal density. Comparatively subdued, though by no means anemic, “Contender” closes the album on a tentative note, its unresolved final chord a sobering wake-up suddenly casting doubt on the probability of the previous 43 minutes.
 
Throwing open the curtains on not only their sound but on their songwriting as well, Rundle, Burns, and now Clinco seem perfectly at ease scaling anthemic peaks and heartbreaking valleys, often in a single composition. Salome finds Marriages fully embracing their skill at crafting timeless songs with chillingly epic results. In January 2015 they'll embark on a co-headlining tour with Helms Alee, with the album release to follow on Sargent House on April 7th, 2015

Salome (2015)

Kitsune (EP) 2013

NEWS

Marriages "Salome" Pre-Orders Now Live In US and UK Stores 

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The pre-orders for the new Marriages Album “Salome” are now live in both their N. American $ store (ships anywhere in the world) and the EU/UK £ store (Europe only). Also available to purchase in specially priced T-Shirt/Poster bundles. Pre-orders will ship on or around the release date of April 7th.

You can also pre-order the album digitally or just stream the first track Skin here:
 

Marriages will begin their European tour with Wovenhand on April 10th - See All Dates HERE

Stereogum: New track premiere of "Skin" from the album Salome 

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Red Sparowes were an excellent instrumental post-rock band in the vein of Russian Circles or Pelican, but they had one unusual structural flaw: Their guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle was also a fucking great singer. Who knew? I mean, I guess the members of Red Sparowes figured it out for themselves eventually, because that band split in 2010, and by 2011, Rundle and fellow Sparowes Greg Burns and Dave Clifford had formed a new group, Marriages, this time putting a mic in front of Rundle and building songs as much around her voice as the instruments surrounding it. The initial Marriages lineup featured Rundle singing and playing guitar, Burns on bass and synths, and Clifford on drums, and in 2012, they released a very good EP called Kitsune. (Later that year, Clifford left the band, eventually replaced by new drummer Andrew Clinco.) Marriages played out a lot behind Kitsune, doing a tour with Russian Circles and Chelsea Wolfe in 2012, and a tour with Deafheaven in 2013. Last year, though, Rundle stepped fully into the spotlight, releasing her solo debut, Some Heavy Ocean. It was a total revelation. On Kitsune, Rundle’s voice was merely one element in a mighty sound, but on Some Heavy Ocean, Rundle’s voice was the mighty sound. Now, Marriages are set to release their debut full-length, Salome, and it is a MASSIVE leap forward — from Red Sparowes, from Kitsune, from Some Heavy Ocean. It’s the best thing any of these guys has ever been involved with, and one of my favorite albums of early 2015. It’s hard to even recognize this version of Marriages as the same band that made Kitsune. That EP was good, but it was blurry and blunt, where Salome is detailed and dynamic. You can spot plenty of influences here, most of them cool and dark and British: Cocteau Twins, Talk Talk, Echo And The Bunnymen, Siouxsie, the Cure, the Sundays, early Verve … Basically Marriages are drawing from some of the best and most iconic music of the ’80s and ’90s, but man, they are owning it, making it immediate, but also timeless.

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I don’t want to downplay the work being done here by Burns and/or Clinco, because make no mistake, those guys are WORKING. Burns’ synths don’t dominate the sound, but they often provide these songs with their essential texture. Furthermore, without a good rhythm section, this music might just float away and disappear; these guys, though, are a

great

rhythm section, and they drive the songs into your chest like a goddamn ice pick. But Rundle is a magician, an acrobat; she’s the thing you’re watching, the thing that’s taking your breath away. Her guitars can be anywhere or everywhere, doing anything or everything: an ambient hue or a melody line or a frantic lead or a monster riff; drifting or melting or clawing or crushing. And her voice is even more extraordinary, even more expressive: a wild Olympian spirit howling big, ancient melodies, expressing big, ancient emotions. You just gotta hear it. Fortunately, you can do that right now. We’ve got the first single from

Salome

for you to hear today. It’s called “Skin” and it is very, very good. Listen.

Salome is out 4/7 via Sargent House. Marriages are now on the road with Helms Alee. Here are the dates:

01/23 Los Angeles, CA @ Jewels Catch One w/ Helms Alee
01/24 San Diego, CA @ The Hideout w/ Helms Alee
01/26 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom w/ Helms Alee
01/27 Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse w/ Helms Alee
01/28 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern w/ Helms Alee
01/30 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar w/ Helms Alee
01/31 Seattle, WA @ Neumos w/ Helms Alee

Marriages announces co-headline tour with Helms Alee in January 2015 

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Marriages will be playing a handful of shows with label mates Helms Alee on a co-headlining run starting in January 2015 where they will be debuting a set full of new songs that will be coming out on their full length album slated for release in Spring of 2015 on Sargent House.

Tickets for the tour with Helms Alee go on sale Friday, November 21st

Jan 23 Los Angeles, CA @ Jewels Catch One 
Jan 24 San Diego, CA @ The Hideout 
Jan 26 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom 
Jan 27 Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse Saloon 
Jan 28 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern 
Jan 30 Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar 
Jan 31 Seattle, WA @ Neumos

Metal Assault Live Show Review: Marriages - August 10th 

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August 10th 2014, Complex, Glendale CA: Having completed recording their yet untitled new full-length album, Los Angeles-based experimental rock band Marriages are readying for a short US West Coast run supporting Japanese eclectic rockers Boris, and in the lead-up to this week-long tour which begins on August 16th, they played a hometown headliner at Complex in Glendale last Sunday with support acts Wreck And Reference and So Stressed, for a show presented by Church Of The 8th Day. Our writer Darshun was on site to cover the event for us through his words.

"Finally, for the main bout of the night, Marriages delivered the promised goods of newer material, which made the crowd anxious and pleased at the same time. With the newer songs I was impressed with Emma Ruth Rundle’s prowess on guitar and her command and choice of effects. Emma’s vocals shined throughout the night and was accompanied by Andrew Clinco’s tasteful beats and Greg Burns’ bass and keyboards. Andrew played the drums in such a zen-full manner while Emma desperately breathed and belted out her lyrics. Despite Greg not playing his main bass (his active pick up circuitry in his favorite bass fried earlier that day), he did a great job nonetheless. The set began with the first track off of the 2012 EP ‘Kitsune’ and the rest of the set were all brand new tunes. Only a couple songs I’ve already heard at previous shows were played last night. Emma’s voice held it together and the textures from her guitar that were chosen were executed in a skillful manner. On one of the new songs Greg used his left hand to hammer on the bass and right hand to play keyboards a la Brian Cook (These Arms Are Snakes/Russian Circles). I’m anxious to hear how the new songs will sound after being properly mixed and mastered for their new record. Sargent House will tentatively release the new album early next year. The intamiteness of The Complex has made this one of my favorite sets by Marriages. "

Marriages links: website | facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp

Marriages Live 2014
Aug 16 -  Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile  # ^
Aug 17 –  Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre # ^
Aug 18 –  Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge # ^
Aug 20 -  San Francisco, CA @ The Independent #
Aug 21 -  Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Atrium #
Aug 22 -  San Luis Obispo @ SLO Brew #

# w/ Boris
^ w/ Master Musicians of Bukkake

Marriages announced as direct support to Boris: Aug 16 - 22 

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Marriages will be joining label mates Boris as direct support on the last week of the Boris US Tour. The first half of the shows will also have the fantastic Master Musicians of Bukkake.

SEE ALL MARRIAGES SHOW DETAILS HERE

BORIS // MARRIAGES 2014
08/16  Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile  # ^
08/17  Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre # ^
08/18  Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge # ^
08/20  San Francisco, CA @ The Independent #
08/21  Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Atrium #
08/22  San Luis Obispo @ SLO Brew #

^ w/ Master Musicians of Bukkake
# w/ Marriages

In Studio Photos 2014 

























































































































































































































































sargenthouse
:

Marriages have been in the studio recording their new LP for Sargent House . Right now mixing is underway and based on the first round of mixes we have heard, let’s just say we are pretty damn excited for you all to hear what these three have been cooking up. Stay tuned for some big Tour news to be announced soon. 

Photos by Chris Katus

LIVE (MONTREAL) 2013