In the late summer of 2011, Drowners frontman Matthew Hitt found himself in New York City. “I just like the way things look here. I like the way things are done here. I like how late everything happens,” says the Welsh native. New York’s signature up-all-night energy courses through Drowners’ self-titled debut, but there’s a sweet melancholy to the album as well. “The early songs came out really short – I thought, well, I’ve already sung the chorus twice I don’t need to do it again, that’s what makes it a chorus! I think that being in New York influenced what I was trying to do with economy in song structure and instrumentation. It’s like, here’s what I’m trying to say. Okay, I said it. Now it’s over. Onto the next one.”

Gallivanting around downtown, Hitt also met likeminded souls, including future bandmates Jack Ridley III (guitar, vocals) and Erik Lee Snyder (bass). While Hitt is responsible for the elegantly understated lyrics throughout the album – the kind that adhere to his Salinger-esque economy of words – he professes that everything changed as soon as recording began. When Hitt, Ridley and Snyder began to play, Hitt’s initial blueprint and the band’s extensive punk music background melded. “Our live shows are a lot more aggressive,” Hitt emphasizes, “With the album, we wanted to create like a sort of layered, fleshed out live show.” The result is an album that toes the line between music that sweeps the listener up, and lyrics that beg for their deep sensitivity and understanding. “Whether you think something is good or not is if you respond to it,” says Hitt. “I wanted to elicit a response, but I want them to get whatever they want from it.” Drowners' self-titled debut LP is out now on Frenchkiss Records.