New York City’s GIFT released their debut album for Captured Tracks Illuminator, a record imbued with a dynamic fusion of genres and widescreen pop production techniques.
On the new album, vocalist/guitarist TJ Freda says “Our second album, ‘Illuminator,’ is out today. It’s surreal to think that just a year ago, we were still reworking song structures and writing lyrics for almost every track on ‘Illuminator.’ Today, it’s no longer just ours—it’s yours. Time is such a complex concept. How do you truly live in the moment while also anticipating what’s ahead? A year passes in the blink of an eye—people drift in and out of your life, you fall in and out of love, and the days, months, and years slip away faster than you can grasp. It’s like watching your life unfold from a distance, surrendering to the relentless pace at which it all flashes by. ‘Illuminator’ is about light—physical light, the speed of light, the way it radiates. The word itself means something or someone that illuminates, that concentrates or reflects light. It’s a state of being. We aimed to create something raw and honest. This album is a true reflection of who we are, in this very moment.”
Leading to the album the band shared the LP’s singles “Wish Me Away”, “Going In Circles” and “Later” and “Light Runner” which have drawn critical acclaim from the likes of, among many others, Pitchfork, Billboard, Paste, Uproxx, Consequence, Paper, Flood Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, and Stereogum who recently labeled GIFT as a band to watch – read that feature here.
LISTEN, STREAM OR DOWNLOAD ILLUMINATOR HERE
In support of Illuminator, GIFT will embark on an international tour, including their headline run in the US and UK. All shows – including a hometown album release party at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on September 20 – are listed below and you can purchase tickets HERE.
GIFT TOUR DATES
Sept 14 – Boston, MA – Rockwell (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 15 – Portland, ME – Oxbow Brewing (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 17 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 20 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (w. Catcher, Public Circuit) *Record Release Show*
Sept 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy(w. Catcher)
Sept 22 – Washington, DC – DC9 (w. Catcher)
Sept 25 – Chicago, IL – Schubas (w. Catcher)
Oct 10 – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
Oct 11 – London, UK – Moth Club
Oct 12 – Manchester, UK – YES (Basement)
Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds
Oct 15 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (w. BODEGA)
Oct 16 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 17 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 18 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – The Cluny (w. BODEGA)
Oct 19 – Cardiff, UK – SWN FEST
Oct 21 – Cambridge, UK – Junction 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 22 – Sheffield, UK – Crookes Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 23 – Bristol, UK – Lantern Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 24 – London, UK – Earth Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 26 – Amsterdam, NL – LONDON CALLING @ Paradiso (w. Chanel Beads, STRKFR, English Teacher)
Oct 27 – Appeldorn, NL – De Gigant
Nov 1 – Utrecht, NL – DB’s
Nov 4 – Paris, FR – SuperSonic
Nov 5 – Dijon, FR – Club La Vapeur
Nov 6 – Nantes, FR – La Lune Froide
Nov 7 – Lorient, FR – Les Indisciplinées (L’Hydrophone) (w. Corridor & Cucamaras)
Nov 8 – Saint, Lô, FR – Les RDV Soniques Festival (Ateliers Arts Plumes)
Illuminator Tracklisting
1. Wish Me Away
2. Light Runner
3. To The Stars and Back
5. It’s All Too Fast
6. Falling Down
7. Destination Illumination
8. Later
9. Glow
10 Water In My Lungs
11 Milestones
More on GIFT & Illuminator:
GIFT’s band members – Freda, Gurewitz, multi-instrumentalist Justin Hrabovsky, drummer Gabe Camarano and bassist Kallan Campbell – have roots all over the world (Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Boston and Brazil, to be exact) and came from vastly different professional backgrounds – specifically photography, talent buying, DJing, audio engineering, art directing, and even DIY venue ownership (Brooklyn’s beloved Alphaville). The melting pot of these varied skills helps make Illuminator an even more cohesive listening experience, with Gurewitz, a relative newcomer to making music herself, contributing a host of lyrics and vocal melodies and Camarano’s drumming providing the crucial rhythmic underpinning to the album’s 11 tracks. Hrabovsky, who previously engineered at Asheville, N.C.’s beloved studios Drop of Sun and Echo Mountain Recording, shared production duties with Freda for the first time.
GIFT formed in 2020 when Freda cherry-picked members of some of his favorite other bands, crossing his fingers and hoping for the best. The musicians leaned on their collective deep experiences as part of settling on a bold new sound – a dizzying blend of early shoegaze, classic ‘90s alternative rock and even modern pop – and GIFT emerged somewhat fully formed on their 2022 debut album Momentary Presence. The LP was a testament to the untapped creative potential lying deep within, and it wasn’t long before the band was pricking up the ears of adventurous listeners both at home and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Illuminator is the long-awaited payoff of GIFT’s ever-growing musical and human chemistry. And while nods are apparent to label forerunners such as Beach Fossils, DIIV and Wild Nothing, GIFT are shepherding those elements into wondrous new vessels for the present moment – sleek, often danceable and frequently mesmerizing. Throughout the album, Freda and company thankfully do much of the hard work for us: falling in love, heartbreak. Watching events and moments go by like cars on the highway. People you once knew coming in and out. Grieving the loss of different phases. Watching everything happen simultaneously. For these and many other reasons, Illuminator, friends, will be the soundtrack to the throughline of your life.
Find GIFT here:
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