Biography

Partnership with American Songs

From the moment they hit the ground a decade ago, TURNSTILE have never stopped moving forward. The Baltimore band, comprised of singer Brendan Yates, guitarists Brady Ebert and Pat McCrory, bassist Franz Lyons, and drummer Daniel Fang, immediately distinguished themselves from the pack with their infectious, aggressive punk fusion; their welcoming, satisfying live shows; and most importantly, their willingness to experiment, as seen by the steady evolution from their early demos to 2018’s Roadrunner ambitious debut Time & Space, the latter of which earned renown from The New York Times, NPR, The FADER, and others. The only constant in the TURNSTILE universe, aside from love, is progression.

If Time & Space marked the sound of TURNSTILE charting new ground for hardcore, expanding stylistic boundaries and celebrating new possibilities, then GLOW ON is that utopic vision fully realized; 15 tracks devoid of boundaries, only abundant imagination, heart, and grooves plucked from all corners of the musical spectrum. Hardcore remains the heart of TURNSTILE’s sound — songs like “BLACKOUT” and “T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION)” are guaranteed to stir up that heavy energy — but it moves to a more alien pulse this time around, an incessant arrhythmia that consistently keeps you guessing minute to minute, track to track.

TURNSTILE aren’t seeking to provide any answers to life’s big questions, of course: at the end of the day, they’re here to spread love, and hopefully get you dancing. The band’s short film TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION (a companion piece to July’s EP of the same name, and by extension, GLOW ON Itself) underscores this mission again and again across its 11-minute runtime. The film begins with the band aimlessly roaming the grounds of a deserted stadium before transitioning to an extended, dreamlike sequence resembling a life cycle in their beloved hometown of Baltimore, starring their family and peers. We close with Yates riding on the back of a dirt bike, holding on for dear life, quiet bliss lighting up his face. The sound fades out as the pair speeds into the horizon, approaching the point of no return, or perhaps a new beginning. Of course, the end destination doesn’t matter; TURNSTILE have always been about the journey; roadmaps, itineraries, and speed limits be damned. We’re all immensely lucky to be along for the ride.