"To me, we formed very organically and purely, which I'm very grateful for considering how many bands these days start with strangers over the internet exchanging riffs trying to create a product," says Alex McCormick, guitarist/vocalist of Tough Thought. He continues, "That can be cool but there's just something about getting in a room with people and starting from scratch."
I guess we should offer some more background. Tough Thought is based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and they play a melodic and moody style of alt-rock that packs punchy hooks within each track. But, perhaps, Alex can break that down a bit better? Here's what he says when No Echo asks him to describe the Tough Thought sound:
"Grungey post-hardcore with a little bit of emo influence? Not yet entirely defined? Hopefully authentic? Considering there was musically no intentional aim I'd leave that to the listener to decide. Vocally? Conscious. Unapologetic. Mindful. Honest. Melodically performed enough to keep the attention of the average listener and just heavy enough at times to elicit and invoke more intense emotional and physical response from a listener? Someone who comes from a heavier and angstier musical background beginning to learn how to chill out and focus on delivering vocals in a more tame and melodic way?"
Listen for yourself below on the group's brand-new EP, Lick the Rug & Eat Your Crow:
"The only outwardly spoken rule from [drummer] Sean was to just keep things simple and find ways to create interesting sounds that do not need complex time signatures and too much noodling. So, I'd essentially and impulsively just pick a scale or key of music to play with and I would let Sean do his thing until we found pieces that stuck," says Alex about the arrangements on the new EP.
Alex also shares some inspiration info on "The Internet Made Me Do It," a track from Lick the Rug & Eat Your Crow: "That one was probably inspired by observing habitual complaints by people on the internet. There are people who are complaining and screaming for noble reasons or causes that undoubtedly deserve attention.
"And then there are people who are complaining and screaming about noble causes that I feel are only doing it with a disingenuous or alterior motive that is only beneficial to themselves and not at all for the cause they are projecting it to be for. An example of this would be people who film themselves giving money to homeless people. The idea that it had to be documented and published on social media makes me very uneasy and uncomfortable."
No Echo also asks Alex if he feels a certain kinship with the rest of the local scene in the New Bedford area. "The local scene of people we don't know? I am uncertain. I'm kind of a hermit who's always wanted to connect with some of the other artists in the New Bedford area but have just never had the opportunity to and Sean Nor Dave have been in an active band for quite a few years.
"The few and far between people that have followed my other projects Savage Spirit and The V'islands, or are friends with Sean and Dave have been very supportive. The EP did just drop only a few days ago so how our local scene responds is pending on time and us playing live, I suppose."
Tough Thought on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp
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Tagged: new artist focus, tough thought
