SPILL NEW MUSIC: SUMMMER BRUISES – “DEATH DISCO”

SUMMER BRUISES – “DEATH DISCO”

INDEPENDENT

Calgary-based indie-rock outfit Summer Bruises are releasing their sophomore album, Out of Body, recorded at Arch Audio Studio with producer Lorrie Matheson.

The record asks the listener to face the archetype of the predator – internal, external, figurative, or literal. From cartoonish vampirie characters in “Sang Crême Glacée” to the volatile intensity of “With Me or At Me,” the album wrestles with abusive relationships, loneliness, self-reckoning, and the desire to heal. Lead single, “Death Disco,” pulses with unrelenting energy, balancing goth-inspired tension with a sharp post-punk edge.

Musically, Out of Body hears Summer Bruises leaning into darker textures and isolating atmospheres compared to their debut. “As the album’s music and lyrics are ‘colder’ than our debut, Light to Waste, we isolated ourselves from each other in different rooms during recording or finished our tracks individually,” explains guitarist Aaron Smelski. “This was intentional and encouraged by our producer, Lorrie Matheson. Overall, it has a colder feel – similar to a Joy Division album – than warm cohesiveness like our previous record.”

The cold, drum-machine-inspired percussion and discordant piano break open the artery of lead single, “Death Disco,” creating a danceable yet uneasy atmosphere. While much of the band’s debut Light to Waste LP came together with harmony and ease.

Out of Body is a cold, dark, but danceable bleed-out – an unflinching look at loss, regret, and resilience.

ARTIST QUOTE

“We wanted to write a song that The Bat Cave, London circa 1980’s, would play. Death Disco is about the realization of what you’ve invited in – seeing your error in judgment, maybe realizing too late that you allowed yourself to be seduced. You’ve gone just past the point of no return, and the only way out is through.

We’ve grown as collaborators and as musicians. There will always be moments when ideas clash, but we’ve gotten better at navigating those moments in a healthy way.”

Summer Bruises
Out Of Body
(Independent)
Release Date: September 13, 2025

Artist Links