Identity and belonging are common themes within the emo and post hardcore subgenres. Many artists, from Saves the Day to My Chemical Romance, have provided their take on the concepts, providing comfort to cross-generational fans. Now, bands are tasked with quite the conundrum: have we explored the self so introspectively that every story has already been told? Bay Area locals Drought doesn’t think so, and their new record Souvenir, out July 18 on Iodine Recordings proves that perspective is everything, especially in musical storytelling. There is still much to be learned through lyrics and a tight score.
“We were thinking of how you can hear everything clearly (in a Saves the Day mix),” candidly admits vocalist Viggy Ram. “There’s a little bit of a cacophony, but we wanted something where everything was well-placed.”
This method allows Drought to carefully curate a signature sound that leans into the nostalgic elements of analog recording without using it as a crutch. Instead, they borrow from their mix references, like Saves the Day, and expand upon them, utilizing the contexts of their desired lyrical messaging. Their self-titled EP veers more existential, anxiously dredging through tough themes. Now, though, Ram finds himself more self-assured; a journey towards “home” was far more significant during this period of life. “When you’re living with this diasporic history, removed from your original place, you have to learn a new milieu. I think that informed how I was writing this record,” he says.
All this self-discovery comes with plenty of sociopolitical commentary. Ram grapples with the tired concept of a “male loneliness epidemic,” which he believes is forged, namely, out of fragile standards of masculinity that seep into every aspect of modern existence. He had to learn—and then unlearn—what it meant to feel masculine, and thereby comfortable in his skin. Music serves as a wonderful outlet for artists to express opinions like this. Sometimes, they’re a bit more obscured, but in Souvenir, they’re plainly stated—intentionally so. Ram didn’t want any confusion about what he was saying, while still giving the audience a way for creative interpretation. “Hardcore music allows some kid to hear it and understand that they don’t have to be ‘macho’ or a jerk to be validated by the right people.”
Ram’s biggest lesson as he wrote Souvenir? “Home” isn’t a place.
“You make what home is. The album artwork is a diorama of a house, and the idea is home, right? Within the diorama, there are all these Easter eggs that are relevant to all of us. There’s a record I grew up listening to actually referenced on the album cover by Corner Shop, and a photograph of our guitarist’s grandma before she passed. Our friend Tiana made tiny miniatures of everything for it. The whole thing is only about this big. Thematically, it asks what home means to you. You are home. Everything you carry with you is home—that’s why we call it Souvenir.”
Many of us don’t realize how fleeting and impermanent most situations are. “You’re not going to find home in a job, a friend, or a band. It’s hard. You spend years searching, only to feel lost again. Where you belong is where you are; it’s who you are. It’s so easy to seek validation elsewhere, and then someone will disappoint you.”
That’s not only a beautiful concept for a record, but a profound life lesson. Today’s hustle culture encourages everyone to consistently seek the next greatest thing or achievement. Many of us feel hollow as a result. However, it’s never too late to realize that, as Ram suggests, “I’m rooted here.”
Souvenir presents these gripping ideas eloquently throughout. The music is a stunning array of analog hardcore recordings, but hopefully, that helps listeners pause for a moment to take it all in. Perhaps, we will all follow suit in Ram’s thesis statement—you are home. You are home.
Souvenir is out Friday, and you can preorder it from Iodine Recordings. Follow Drought on Instagram and Twitter for future updates.
Photo Credit: Senny Mau
