Meatbodies are gearing up to release their long awaited record, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom, March 8 via In The Red. Check out the new single, “Hole,” below:
Guitarist Chad Ubovich comments:
“The last record was more of a cartoon version of who we were—simple and fun without delving into heavy concepts. The whole thing before with Meatbodies was never sit down, next part, next part, but I wanted to make something with more depth. After everything that had happened, and my personal life, I was left with this feeling of emptiness and loss. So I wanted to make music that was absent from things—songs that were more about conveying feeling.”
Realizing a change in life was needed, Ubovich states:
“It was like the car had run out of gas in the middle of the road, and I knew I had a long walk ahead of me. I was living like a 90’s vampire out of a comic book, stumbling around LA with the socialites, partying away my sorrows, trying to forget.”
It was at this point that Ubovich began envisioning what was to become Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom. Ubovich connected with longtime collaborator Dylan Fujioka, and the writing sessions for Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom began to take shape, but not without its share of obstacles. The official production for Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom began in 2019 but stalled due to discrepancies with the studio, and, of course, the pandemic hit in 2020, further complicating matters.
To make matters worse, Ubovich’s home was deemed uninhabitable, and he wound up in a hospital bed where he spent the next month of his life. Having to not only learn to walk again but also learn to play again, Ubovich used an upcoming tour with his band FUZZ as a motivating factor and hit the road for a year trying to regain a sense of normalcy.
Regarding this setback, Ubovich says:
“A lot happened with this record—It took me five years; I was out of a band; I had a drug problem; the album almost didn’t happen; the pandemic made it almost not happen again, and then, in the end, I almost died in the hospital, lost my house, and had to learn to walk again. It’s been quite a road, but I could not be more thrilled with the final output. I guess the juice was worth the squeeze?”
Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom has been described as Blue Cheer meets Iggy Pop sprinkled with fair amounts of psychedelia, shoegaze, classic alternative, Britpop, drone, even hints of country.
Catch Meatbodies live:
Mar 23: Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
Apr 13: Vancouver, BC – The Pearl
Apr 16: Salt Lake City, UT – International Artists Lounge
Apr 23: Toronto, ON – The Garrison
Apr 24: Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
Apr 25: Troy, NY – No Fun
Apr 26: Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMoca
Apr 27: Brooklyn, NY – Market Hotel
May 03: Nashville, TN – Third Man Records at The Blue Room
Photo courtesy of Meatbodies
