Tuesday Nite’s ‘To Just Exist’ a Striking, Sonic Experience
- matt smith
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
‘All the deer have gone to bed
And I’m still staring down the road ahead
I’m haunted by that thing you said
That just my presence is enough’
—Presence (from ‘to just exist’ by Tuesday Nite)
In searching for the perfect word to describe Tuesday Nite’s excellent new EP, ‘to just exist,’ one needs only to look as far as the closing song on the record: ‘Presence.’
Perhaps the band in choosing that title was looking no further than beyond that specific track, yet we couldn’t help but notice the all-encompassing meaning: Presence — ‘to just exist’ is loaded with it.
“We worked on these recordings to get them just right for over a year and it’s a big relief to finally be able to share them with the world,” said Sara Elizabeth, who along with fellow guitarist and vocalist, Courtney Ann, comprise the songwriting team of the self-described ‘spacey indie rock’ band.
There’s a quicksand element to this new EP; it envelopes and consumes. And though it’s dreamy, there’s movement. There is also a potency here. Subtle, perhaps, but undeniable.
Much of the credit, according to Tuesday Nite, goes to GCR Audio sound engineer Jenna Rutkowski, who Courtney Ann said provided the band with the space, time and patience to experiment.
“From the moment we started working with her, she clocked our influences and what we were going for right away without even asking. So, it helped so much to get us to relax and open up and bring out the sound we were looking for,” said Courtney Ann. “We appreciate her so much.”
Without question, ‘to just exist,’ is as moody as it is ethereal. But its etherealness
notwithstanding, this record is also powerful. There’s a fullness that demands attention, with guitar work that is sometimes searing, sometimes haunting and sometimes both.
“Our sound has really expanded over the last few years, and we’ve been very focused on creating a whole sonic landscape,” said Sara Elizabeth. “Vocal harmonies have always been so important to us, but since our last release we really started focusing on guitar tone and what overall feelings and shapes felt authentic to us. And the more we did that the deeper we found ourselves slipping into shoegaze territory.”
Included on the EP is a reworked version of the track, ‘C Song,’ which initially appeared on the 2022 Music is Art ‘Good Neighbors Vol. 2’ compilation.
“We thought we owed it to ourselves to serve the song and have our band that’s been with us on this journey dedicate their own vibe,” said Courtney Ann, referring to drummer Matthew Thomas and bassist Tom Varco. “They knocked it out of the park and while we’re so proud of both (versions), we’re so glad we were able to release the piece in a way that’s true to everyone that’s been in our corner since day one.”
As distinctive as Tuesday Nite’s sound is, so too is its lyrical approach, which exudes a profound willingness to be vulnerable: ‘Like mist on the water/ Like vapors you fade from me … I’ll cast you off into the sea/ Pray you will come back to me’ — ‘C Song’
“Honesty in songwriting is what makes the artists that inspire us so great,” said Sara Elizabeth. “Simple lyrics can hold so much weight when the writer is showing you part of their soul. We’ve been through a lot in the last few years, as everyone has, and we feel really lucky that we found a safe space in each other and in these songs to be vulnerable. Hopefully people who listen relate to that honesty and find safety in the songs as well.”
“We just hope people feel connected to the harmonic and emotional world of these songs and have fun finding all the little details we have hidden in them, and that they add them to their playlists and share them with their friends,” Sara Elizabeth and Courtney Ann added. “Pushing music out in the current industry climate is an uphill battle and we are so grateful for the support our friends and family and the Buffalo community have provided. Go Bills!”
“All the lights are way too bright/ The chemicals affect our sight/ We are not strangers to the nite/ To just exist, that is enough,” Tuesday Nite sings on ‘Presence,’ the record’s final track.
The song then builds with force before it finally fades. But as it fades, it leaves a deep impression.
And, so too, does Tuesday’s Nite’s ‘to just exist.’