ther _{(Thər )}

_{a b o u t}

ther is a band from the area of occupied Lenaphoking known as Philadelphia. their new album "godzilla" comes out april 5th.
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the songs ther plays are written by producer and mastering engineer Heather Jones (credits inc A24, MJ Lenderman, TAGABOW, Samia) who draws from an ever-shifting pool of influences and inspiration. she has been assisted over the years by a rotating cast of Philly musicians, currently comprised of Jon Cox (Florry, sadurn, Son of Barb) , Ripley Tiberio-Shultz (A Deer A Horse, Ripley) Veronica Magner(Amelia Cry Til I Die, Dustship Lizard), Max Rafter (Crooks & Nannies, Snake Boy Gang), and Amelia Swain (Amelia Cry Til I Die, sadurn)
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2022's "trembling" was a brief but sprawling vision of bedroom pop, the following year's album "a horrid whisper echoes in a palace of endless joy" sits more decidedly in folk territory, leaning heavily on fingerstyle guitar, cello, and piano.
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"electric rock and roll, astral project my soul. i will do what i'm told, and pray for cold"
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however "godzilla", like its namesake, has many faces. some songs conjure both the metallic and contemplative extremes of slowcore, while others are rooted chamber pop or plugged-in folk--all relying mostly on the raw material of a pair of live recording sessions at Heather's studio, with the production and engineering assistance of Jacob Blizard (Lucy Dacus, Eliza McLamb, Illuminati Hotties), as well as Heather's assistant of many years, Jared Taylor (sadurn, they are gutting a body of water).
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with minimal overdubs, the band attempts to justify a six-piece band as a tall ceiling for not just the size of a live performance, but its range as well. with this process, and with no artificial reverb whatsoever on the final mixes, ther (and Jones, engineering) asks: what is a space, how do we look at it, what fills it, what emptiness do we allow to remain?
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"what a gift, all this time--the cool breeze, the sunshine. all the love not yet mine. kissing the meat of a lime."
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the dynamics and dynamism of the record answer by attempting to paint the swing of a giant pendulum: moments of revolutionary optimism and clear-headed resolve, anhedonia and helplessness, regretful nostalgia, smelling flowers on a patient bike ride. the arrangements and sounds were mostly finalized in band practice, the idea being to make as complete a vision as possible to be something that could happen in any performance space. a sound that is full and realized, but organic, reactive, emotional. some records are heard, others are experienced, "godzilla" is an album that you feel in your body.
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making the most with as little as possible is common to making art--especially in an age of ever increasing scarcity and precarity. the title of the record conjures possibly the most notorious of all kaiju: a parable about the atomic bomb, a statement on the literal monstrousness of a militarized world trading in oil and blood. when the most unthinkably terrifying enemy we can think of can be reliably compared to historical disasters planned and enacted by states and treaty organizations, the question of survival in times of precarity becomes not about how to kill a monster, but what is a monster? will it ever be or has it ever been a scaly or taloned creature? or do monsters typically wear a uniform, a suit?
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"bring them to water, but you can't make them drink. or stand in circles and take only what they need"
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s h o w s

i n q u i r i e s

ther manages their own booking, and can be reached via email
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in addition to the full band, heather is also available to do solo performances of ther songs on guitar or ableton
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