The Rupert Selection illuminate a creative journey on ‘Crumbs for the Sun’
Boston alt-rock and psych-grunge trio unleash a dynamic
new album on Tuesday, November 14
NOW PLAYING: Listen to ‘Crumbs For The Sun’ via Spotify
Performing live at Off Cabot in Beverly on Friday, November 24
Listen to The Rupert Selection on YouTube x Spotify x Bandcamp
BOSTON, Mass. [November 14, 2023] -- The music of The Rupert Selection often takes the listener on an expansive sonic journey. But for the Boston alt-rock and psych-grunge band, who unleash new album Crumbs for the Sun on Tuesday, November 14, the writing and recording of the record took the trio on an extensive journey of its own.
The culmination of more than two years of creativity, Crumbs for the Sun displays The Rupert Selection as the band it was always meant to be, fueled by a locked-in lineup of founder Reilly Somach (vocals and guitar), Sam Bouvé (bass and additional vocals), and Peter W. Bartash (drums). Across its seven tracks, buoyed by an overarching lyrical theme of how unforgiving and fleeting life is, the band’s penchant for brash melodicism, seismic power riffs, and cruising-altitude rock and roll help concoct their dynamic sound and translate it from the stage to the record. The band celebrates the album with a release party on November 24 at The Cabot Theatre’s Off Cabot venue in Beverly.
A string of four singles dating back to last fall, all of which appear on the album, helped the band earn a nomination of Rock Artist of the Year in the 2023 Boston Music Awards. Those singles (“Astronauts,” “Then Again,” “I Saw God,” and “Taking Turns”) are paired with three new songs – “Come Along,” “What You Said,” and album closer “Unbroken” – to round out Crumbs for the Sun, an apt title for a record where the pieces come together to create something uniformly impactful.
“The title has been kicking around for years and we all agreed it just felt right for this one early on,” says Somach. “Since this album was recorded at different places and at different times, it now feels like a collection of snapshots that, when together, tell the story of the last two years. Scattered crumbs that build to something bigger.”
Writing for the album began under a pandemic haze in the spring of 2021, and with studio time earned from a finals appearance at the 2019 Rock & Roll Rumble, Boston’s vaunted World Series of Boston rock, they linked up with Kyle Paradis at New Alliance Audio in Somerville and then Brighton’s Zippah Studios with producer and mixer Brian Charles.
A fire at Zippah Studios in late 2021 did not deter Charles from continuing work with the band, leading to recording sessions around the Boston area, including Allston’s Mad Oak Studios and Q Division in Cambridge, before putting the finishing touches at Charles’ newly-minted digs, Cambridge’s Rare Signals. It was an unexpected journey, but one that helped the band create the record they wanted to make, especially with Bouvé and Bartash, who both joined after the writing and recording of 2019 album Priors, solidifying their lineup and sound.
“This album was a difficult birth and we can’t thank Brian Charles enough for guiding us through and being such an incredible producer, engineer and friend,” Somach says. “Despite the tribulations, we had the best time making it. This record really feels like a rebirth and beginning of a new era even though it’s been over four years of us being in a band, playing shows and writing together. Having this record finally come out just makes it feel more ‘official’ or something. These songs reflect us growing together and where we’ve been creatively for the last few years and where we’re going.”
Charles was especially instrumental in helping The Rupert Selection crystallize its vision of modern-day alternative rock, channeling the ghosts of ‘90s guitar-rock luminaries but keeping the sweat and vigor of each track entrenched in modern touches of forward-motion and propulsion. There’s rarely any down time across its 32-minute run time; instead what unfolds is a cohesive passage through the band’s kaleidoscopic sense of creativity.
“It’s really easy especially for me to get carried away in the studio and wanting to add tons of layers and effects to everything but with this one, there was a strong emphasis on restraint, not repeating ourselves and taking the less is more approach, keeping things sounding like how we sound in a room playing together and just let the songs speak for themselves,” Somach adds. “I think Brian really helped us achieve that.”
Though The Rupert Selection have a penchant for rocking out and riding an extended groove across its compositions, two of the songs on Crumbs for the Sun clock in at under three minutes (“I Saw God” and “Then Again”). But elsewhere, the trio stretches things out a bit, leaning into the colorful psychedelia that defines their sound, with new tracks like the yearning “Come Along” and crunching “Unbroken” blasting out past the seven-minute mark.
“Come Along,” in particular, finds The Rupert Selection at perhaps their most ambitious, a daydream racer that slowly builds from an ethereal atmospheric ballad to a swirling psych cruiser that rides higher than a skyscraper, complete with violin by Anika Thomas and cello by Matt McDonnell.
“‘Come Along’ definitely stands out to me,” Somach admits. “It’s been a dream of mine to have strings on a song and was pinching myself the whole time they were being recorded. With Brian’s production and the fact that that particular song started at Zippah and was part of one of the final sessions there, it holds a really special place. I’m also really proud of ‘Astronauts’ just because of how easy and natural it was to write and record.”
In fact, “Come Along” could be a defining song from the record, as it was one of the first songs the band wrote and started recording but also the last to finish. Among the other new tracks, the punchy “What You Said” was written together during recording sessions and added to the album mix, and “Unbroken” is a Rupert Selection live staple that was finally brought to the studio. “We were talking about wanting a heavier song on the album,” Somach admits, “and figured this was the time to finally record it and give it a home.”
That home is an important one, as The Rupert Selection have been slowly headed that way for two years now. And now that they’ve arrived at this place, noting all the stops along the way, they’re excited to settle in.
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The Rupert Selection is:
Reilly Somach – Vocals and guitar
Sam Bouvé – Bass and additional vocals
Peter W. Bartash – Drums
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‘Crumbs For The Sun’ production credits:
All music written by The Rupert Selection
All lyrics written by Reilly Somach
Produced and mixed by Brian Charles
Mastered by Alex Psaroudakis
Additional engineering by Annie Hoffman
Recorded at Zippah Studios, New Alliance Audio, Mad Oak Studios,
Q Division Studios, and Rare Signals
Violin on “Come Along” by Anika Thomas
Cello on “Come Along” by Matt McDonnell
Album art by Crystal Araiza
The Rupert Selection bio:
The Rupert Selection is an American psychedelic grunge band from Boston, Massachusetts.
Comprising Reilly Somach (guitar/vocals), Sam Bouvé (bass/vocals), and Peter W. Bartash (drums), the band has created a loyal following throughout New England with their “original voice” and “sound anchored in hard rock” (Boston Globe). Improper Magazine had this to say about the band’s live shows: “The Rupert Selection sparked the loudest crowd interaction, with fans shouting to fill the pauses in the trio’s deft, dynamic mash of Nirvana-esque blasts and math-prog rhythm shifts.”
Embodying everything you love about ‘90s grunge but with a modern twist, the band has released three EPs and one full-length album. Each release was built upon the previous album but without leaving the band’s original psychedelic rock roots behind.
The Rupert Selection has left its mark on Boston with sold-out venues and heaps of praise from local media – nominated for “Rock Artist of The Year” three times by the Boston Music Awards (2018, 2019, 2023); being a finalist in the Rock and Roll Rumble; being named one of the “10 Acts On The Rise In Boston” by WGBH, and one of “10 Local Acts Making Waves” by Improper Boston.
The future is bright for The Rupert Selection as new album Crumbs for the Sun, with Brian Charles at the helm as producer, is set for a November 2023 release. The band will be touring extensively afterwards.
Media praise for The Rupert Selection:
The music of The Rupert Selection can be heard on Blood Makes Noise, Boston Emissions, Brooklyn Free Radio, BumbleBee Radio, Click Roll Boom, Code Zero Radio, DigBoston, Divine Magazine, Fuzzed Out on WZBC, Garagerocktopia on KUCR, Good Music UK, If It’s Too Loud, Indie Rock Dojo, Jammin’ with JenCat on Twisted Road Radio, Loose Canon on 6 Towns Radio, Marc’s Alt-Rock Playground and Original Music Showcase on Mark Skin Radio, On The Town With Mikey Dee on WMFO, PipiloPop, Rising with Skybar on WMFO, Rock N Roll Fables, Screaming For Years, Sunshine Music iRadio, The Whole Kameese, The Alternative Frequencies on Radio Leyland, The Alternative Music Hour on Banks Radio, The Bad Copy, The Retweeter Show on Zeno.FM, Tour Bus Tunes, Turn Up The Volume, Vanyaland, WODY Odyssey Radio, and other fine stations, shows, outlets and platforms.
“Clocking in at just under two and a half minutes, this track is on the short side but no second or note is wasted, instead each packed with intent. ‘I Saw God’ is loud and heavy and the accompanying video does a fine job of what is often impossible and captures the raw energy of a performance – the lighting also helps nail the trippy aspect of the tune.” _Tour Bus Tunes
“I love the originality of this band.. .their willingness to do active riffs with each instrument shining with his/her own personality speaks volumes. I highly recommend this song to anyone who loves to melodically jam!” _Indie Rock Dojo
“Nirvana’s poignant teen spirit is all over this mind-boggling grunger. This hellish head-over-heels assault will leave you out of breath in the end. ‘I Saw God’ is a malicious mammoth of a haymaker. Layers of razor-blade riffage, monstrous drumming and anxious vocals bringing the late great Motorhead Lemmy’s growling pipes to mind, combine for a supersonic ballbreaker. Now I’m sure that God was a biblical punk rocker. Hallelujah.” _Turn Up The Volume
“The Rupert Selection are more than just a band – they are in fact a sonic and melodic experience that you won’t soon forget.” _The Whole Kameese
“It’s almost like The Rupert Selection are time travelers from 1993 that were the forgotten bridge between bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains and the follow ups like Bush and Silverchair.” _If It’s Too Loud
“So if you miss the early 90’s and bands like Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam’s more abrasive material this might be up your alley. I definitely feel the grunge vibes as it’s dark, moody and driving. Riffs that hit like Soundgarden’s more metal tinged songs. The vocals definitely give off a Layne Staley meets Scott Weiland feel. This would be the perfect band to see live if you are looking for that nostalgia feel and just want to see a loud heavy band that is melodic.” _Blood Makes Noise
“Wonderful… outstanding.” _The Alternative Music Hour on Banks Radio Australia
“Prog-rock power trio The Rupert Selection are a consistently great act with killer riffs and an abundance of volume. [‘Astronauts’] exemplifies what I’ve just described with a cool lead up at the beginning and stellar syncopation between guitarist and vocalist Reilly Somach, bassist Sam Bouvé, and drummer Peter W. Bartash. You can’t deny the sheer shredding that’s always been a primary trait of this talented band.” _DigBoston’s Best of 2022
“‘Astronauts’ has that fuzzed out, psychedelic alt-hard rock sound that is going to remind you of some of your favorite ‘90s classics. In particular, this one is going to make you think of Hum and early Smashing Pumpkins. It has this wonderful aggressiveness while still being beautiful.” _If It’s Too Loud
“The Boston trio… unleashed a sky-high psych-grunge cruiser called ‘Astronauts’, clocking in at a robust 4:20 in length and serving as the explosive live band’s first new music in three years.” _Vanyaland
“‘Taking Turns’ is a riff-vicious mid-tempo psych-blues wallop. A stoner rock jackhammer that triggers you to hit your poor head against a wall. Raw vocals, thumping drums, Slash-like guitar aggression and an ablaze grunge chorus combine for an on-target left/right uppercut. Think Queens Of The Stone Age and Jon Spencer & Blues Explosion having a noise contest. Helter skelter.” _Turn Up The Volume
Who would have thought that Boston would be the epicenter of a grunge reemergence in 2023? The Rupert Selection are one of the band's leading the charge, and they just released a brand new single. ‘Taking Turns’ sounds like pure grunge. It's the kind of song that could easily be on some obscure grunge compilation from 1992. It somehow encompasses the sounds of earlier bands like Tad with some of the later, more alt-rock bands like the Toadies. ‘Taking Turns’ is especially going to slam your nostalgia button down on the chorus. This is a powerhouse of a song that is just giant guitars, thundering drums, and snarling vocals.” _If It’s Too Loud
