After much build-up, Trails & Ways finally dropped their debut album Pathology via Barsuk Records earlier this month. While recording and producing the LP, the Oakland quartet generated a lot of buzz over the last couple of years, embarking on two national tours and opening for Mac DeMarco, Phox, Stars and Tycho. The second single off the album, “Say You Will” is a sleek and sinewy number steeped in four-part harmonies, rhythm guitar, plucky synths and a syncopated bass.
Written by their bassist Emma Oppen, here’s what she had to say about the song: “Two years ago I met someone very special, and had the experience of falling in love in a matter of hours. In my delirium, I imagined making an ultimatum: Say you will, or don’t say anything at all. A few months later, I wrote the bass line in the back of the van on our first summer tour, and made the first demo recording of the vocal melody against the droning fan of a venue bathroom.”
Stream the song below and say you will pick up the album on iTunes. Friends in the DMV area can catch them performing at DC9 this Sunday, with fellow Oaklanders Waterstrider supporting (full list of June tour dates below).
6/13 Chapel Hill, NC – bit.ly/TWChapelJun13
6/14 Washington, D.C. – bit.ly/TWDCJun14
6/16 Philadelphia – bit.ly/TWPhillyJun16
6/18 New York City (Manhattan)- bit.ly/TWNYCJun18
6/19 Boston – bit.ly/TWBostonJun19
6/20 New York City (Brooklyn) – bit.ly/TWBknJun20
6/22 Cleveland – bit.ly/TWCleveJun22
6/23 Chicago – bit.ly/TWChicagoJun23
6/24 St. Paul, MN – bit.ly/TWStPaulJun24
6/26 Denver – http://bit.ly/TWDenverJune26
6/27 Salt Lake City – bit.ly/TWSLCJun27
poetry in an empty coke can 