The Black Drumset, the project of multi-instrumentalist Brian Willey, has announced details of their third full-length release.
Following the project’s self-titled debut (2009) and Charged (2019), Friends In Dark Places will be released on July 17. Exclusive to Sun 13, be the first to listen to From a Difference Place.
It follows the hypnotic lead single, The Ice Melted, We Had to Swim. A collision of synths and guitar that make their way through the briars that lead to psychedelia. Not many synth-based endeavours get to such places, but somehow Willey does. From a Difference Place? Indeed.
The latest track from Friends In Dark Places underlines Willey’s roaming tendencies. The artist, having spent his time living in New York City, Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles, Boston, Austin, and Tucson.
On From a Difference Place, Willey comments:
“Small acts and decisions accumulate for the individual and society, and you wonder how we got here and what you can do going forward. The music in this one is a little different from the rest of the album, with a more standard pop structure. I found myself really enjoying physically playing guitar and enjoying simple guitar melodies on this album.”
Willey began record Friends in Dark Places in 2021 to 2025, firstly in the Sonoran Desert of Tucson, AZ before finishing the album in Austin, TX. Friends in Dark Places retains the heavy synth drones and rhythms of his earlier works, but with a new layers and emphasis on guitars and vocals. It’s Willey’s most accomplished work under the project.
Friends In Dark Places is out July 17. Pre-order from Bandcamp.
