NEAR BEER Releases 2 New Singles And Lines Up 4 SXSW Appearances

“For me, it’s always refreshing to hear a band who can ruthlessly slam through a true rock n roll song with fast timings, raucous energy, and timely guitar licks. It’s sort of like if Japandroids melded with the more Americana vibe of say The Hold Steady.” – AustinTown Hall

“Near Beer capture an energy that feels free of burden yet melancholic as it harkens back to memories of the past.” – EARMILK

“…takes cues from The Replacements while at the same time matching Pkew Pkew Pkew’s energy” – Punk Rock Theory

“Merged somewhere between the songwriting groove of Tom Petty, the modern flair of Brian Fallon, and the punk rock spirit of The Descendents, Near Beer could very well be your next music obsession.” – CHORUS.FM

“10 tracks of perfect guitar driven singalong anthems about all of the feelings we’ve had bottled up the last two years. If you love the Replacements and ever considered doing a shoey at FEST this album is for you.” – New Noise Magazine

Releases Two New Singles
And Lines Up Four SXSW Appearances

Out Now via Double Helix Records 

MARCH 13, 2023 (New York, NY) – Following the release of their self-titled debut album on Double Helix Records in July 2022, Los Angeles, CA indie rockers NEAR BEER are releasing two brand-new singles – “Slow Motion Pain” and “Forced Perspective” – in advance of a run of four shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas later this month.

“‘Slow Motion Pain’ is one of those rare songs that just sorta came together in one-fell-swoop, both lyrically and musically,” says vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Joey Siara. “I think there’s something about walking down the scale in the verses that helped the lyrics tumble out. It’s about a conversation between two people at a holiday party. They are in two different stages of life. They share some drinks and one opens up about all of the pain of getting older and squaring that with some fading sense of who she’d been in the past.

“And yeah, there’s a lot of pain in aging — physically, emotionally — and it comes in waves and never really goes away — hence the name of the song. But at the same time, this is one of our poppiest tunes, with super chimey 12 string and drive-into-the-sunset vibes, so I guess getting old and losing your memories doesn’t always have to feel like a bummer.”

New Noise premiered the track HERE.

“‘Forced Perspective’ was originally written for my old band FAKERS,” says Siara. “Everyone in that band would write a song or two and then we’d record and see what made sense to release.  We broke up before I ever got a chance to record this one with them. But it still lingered — because it was always fun to do live. I figured I’d give it a try with NEAR BEER. And I’m happy we did. It’s arguably the most stripped down recording we’ve done. Just two guitars, bass, drums — and a double-tracked vocal I cranked out at the end of a long day of recording. Didn’t want to overthink this one.

“And that’s what I like about it. I rewrote some of the lyrics. I live in a neighborhood in NY that feels like a weird mix of ambitious twenty-somethings and a bunch of retired people with rent-controlled apartments. I am neither of those. But I still like my neighborhood. And I walk my dogs late at night and think a lot of silly thoughts – late-thirties existential fun stuff. Plus, I just found out that Herman Melville lived a few blocks away and walked these streets a lot – so, we threw in the ‘I’d prefer not to’ line as a nod. Bartleby feels like a proto-quiet-quitting millennial. And that’s part of the vibe of the song.” 

Punk Rock Theory premiered the track HERE.

NEAR BEER, which consists of Siara, Brent Stranathan (drums), and Jeremy Levy (bass, backup vocals), describes their sound as “Mini- anthems about insomnia, drinking, and human connection. Sometimes cynical. Sometimes romantic. Always with loud guitars.”

“I don’t recall the specifics, but there were margaritas, tacos, a pool, and a bunch of our friends talking about babies,” says Siara, when asked about the benign house party beginnings of NEAR BEER. “We had a conversation about Teenage Fanclub I think — songs that make you want to drive into the sunset. You know, aging indie rockers pining for the glory of a perfect power-pop tune while the rest of their friends become responsible, child-rearing adults.”

NEAR BEER will be playing four shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas later this month. Their first two shows will be on March 15: first, at The Side Bar as part of the Stupor Friends Party, then at Hole In The Wall as part of the Chicken Ranch Records Party. NEAR BEER will then play on March 16 at The Side Bar as part of the Hipster Robots Party. They will close out the week on March 17 at The Side Bar as part of the Jumpstart Party.  

TOUR DATES:
March 15 – The Side Bar, SxSW / Austin, TX (Stupor Friends Party)
March 15 – Hole In the Wall, SxSW / Austin, TX (Chicken Ranch Recs Party)
March 16 – The Side Bar, SxSW/ Austin, TX (Hipster Robots Party)
March 17 – The Side Bar, SxSW / Austin, TX (Jumpstart Party)

NEAR BEER’s two new singles – “Slow Motion Pain” and “Forced Perspective” – will be available for purchase on Bandcamp and iTunes, and they will be available for streaming across all major digital service providers. The band’s 2022 debut full-length record, NEAR BEER (S/T), can be purchased from Double Helix Records.

“Slow Motion Pain” and “Forced Perspective” Credits:
Songs written by Joey Siara
Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by Dan Long at Headwest Studio (Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA)
Mastered by Steve Hall at Future Disc Mastering (McMinnville, Oregon)
Original cover artwork and layout by Takeover Studio

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