New England hardcore outfit Love Letter may be a new band, but its members are hardly new to making heavy, emotive music. The group features guitarist Jay Maas and drummer Andrew Reitz, both founding members of Defeater, as well as vocalist Quinn Murphy, formerly of VERSE.
These hardcore veterans are joined in Love Letter by guitarist Matthew Spence and bassist Dave Alcan, and together, they've got their debut album, Everyone Wants Something Beautiful, coming June 28th via Iodine Records.
The 10-track record draws from a diverse array of influences, across music, art and life at large. With that in mind, we asked the band to highlight the albums that they jammed the most while making Everyone Wants Something Beautiful. Each member chimed in with a beloved LP, covering a wide range of genres, from classic post-hardcore to pioneering trip-hop.
Consider this a love letter to their influences.
Russian Circles - Enter
JAY MASS I was working in the studio in the mid 2000s when my good friend, Max Mccarthy, walked in, handed me a CD and said, "This is your new favorite band." If literally anyone else on the planet had done the same thing I wouldn't have paid much attention, but coming from Max, I was really curious.
It turns out he was absolutely right. I've always been a fan of melody in music but most particularly dark and minor melodies. Russian Circles does an exemplary job of combining a dark textured melodic soundscape with surprisingly memorable hooks and masterful dynamics.
I've probably listened to the record 1,000 times on overnight drives between shows on tour while everyone else is passed out in the van. A perfect opportunity to let every nuance etch into my mind as mile markers and countless white lines on the road zoom past to a soundtrack as dark and beautiful as the landscape that lay before me.
Baroness - Purple
MATTHEW SPENCE John [Baizley, Baroness vocalist-guitarist] was selling some guitar gear at Philly Punk Rock Flea Market in 2014 and I went to his house after to pick up some speakers. I had no idea Baroness wrote and rehearsed there, and it felt like actual magic to hang in the space that they were working on Purple and just play guitars and nerd out all afternoon.
My answer to which [Baroness album] I listened to most could actually be any Baroness record, but this conversation between John and Pete [Adams, Baroness lead guitar from 2008 to 2017] over a world-class rhythm section is a masterclass in all things I love about music in general. The lesson wasn't "how to do it" — rather, it was learning when to speak, when to sing, when to breathe and when to scream.
I keep that and my deep appreciation of hooks/melody/dynamics close when writing guitar parts for Love Letter so I can communicate with the band as beautiful or as chaotic as needed.
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
QUINN MURPHY This album has influenced most of my musical and lyrical writing for a long time, although not so much in an actual musically influential way.
Endtroducing has been in heavy rotation for many years at this point and has always pushed my brain into writing mode. It's like a weighted blanket for me — a very comfortable backdrop for any given moment in my life. It's a contemplative and thought-provoking record, even though it's an instrumental. The arrangements used throughout the songs and the track order of the album can create a narrative of subconscious thought.
It can put me into any random specific time or place, which is crazy helpful for writing about anything. It's an incredible cure for stagnation and a racing uneasy mind.
Glassjaw - Worship and Tribute
DAVE ALCAN This one has been a major influence on my musical path since I first heard it in 2003.
The album's aggression drives each track with raw intensity, and the interplay between the bass and drums is intricate and cohesive. The bass tone is something I immediately fell in love with. Melody is another key aspect, with every instrument and vocal line weaving together seamlessly. The dynamic range, shifting from fierce energy to smooth passages, keeps the listener engaged.
Worship and Tribute is a masterclass in composition, inspiring and influencing my writing to this day.
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
ANDREW REITZ Plans is one of the most inspirational and impactful records on my musical style. While the record as a whole is emotionally powerful and personally significant, the drum performances on Plans are important sources of creative inspiration for me.
Jason McGerr is one of my all-time favorite drummers. His style is unique — he plays with nuance, precision and creative dynamics. He writes drum parts that support the songs without drawing attention away from what the rest of the band is trying to say, yet still manages to let his own recognizable musical voice speak. I appreciate drummers who have the ability to say so much with so little and are able to lean into subtle rhythmic changes to make simple songs interesting.
Ever since the first time I heard this record I've tried to draw from this style in my own songwriting. Plans has many times over inspired me to write parts that best serve the songs we're creating while adding nuance and depth to complement, not interfere with, the other creative voices in the band.
