Biography
Preoccupations craft a rugged yet invigorating take on post-punk that balances affirmations of existence with an intimate grasp of existential unease. On their first full-length effort, the 2015 release Viet Cong, the group fused post-punk, psych-pop, shoegaze, noise, and electronics without sacrificing an underlying organic vitality. That same human thread runs through their subsequent records, even as the sound grew more understated and expansive on the 2016 effort Preoccupations, more arena-ready on the assured 2018 album New Material, and more direct in its challenges on 2022’s Arrangements.
The Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based pair of vocalist and bassist Matt Flegel and guitarist Scott Munro launched Preoccupations in 2012. Flegel had previously belonged to the acclaimed local indie rock outfit Women, while Munro had contributed guitar to Lab Coast. The two began composing material while serving as members of Chad VanGaalen’s touring ensemble in Europe; news of the passing of Women guitarist Chris Reimer prompted them to pursue a fresh endeavor. They brought in ex-Women drummer Mike Wallace and guitarist Danny Christiansen, who had previously collaborated with Flegel and Wallace in a Black Sabbath tribute project. Under the original name Viet Cong, the quartet issued a four-song cassette titled Cassette in 2013 and sold copies during North American dates supporting Freak Heat Waves. After appearing at the 2014 CMJ Music Festival, they signed with Canadian imprint Flemish Eye, which put out two tracks from the cassette as a single; Mexican Summer simultaneously released an expanded seven-song edition of the recording as a 12-inch vinyl EP in the United States.
The self-titled debut album arrived in January 2015. Graham Walsh produced the set, which incorporated additional noise and electronics into the quartet’s atmospheric blend of post-punk, shoegaze, and direct indie rock. In April 2016 the musicians altered their name to Preoccupations over worries that the prior moniker could cause offense. Their initial release under the new identity, the September 2016 album Preoccupations, adopted a more deliberate approach while still emphasizing the heavier and rhythm-driven aspects of their work and included a guest turn from Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner. A deluxe edition added a single containing renditions of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Key” and the Raincoats’ “Off Duty Trip.” For their third record, the March 2018 album plainly titled New Material, they enlisted producer Justin Meldal-Johnson, whose contributions brought greater refinement and scale to their soaring compositions. That same year Preoccupations collaborated with Protomartyr on the split single Telemetry at Howe Bridge, each act interpreting material by the other.
Toward the end of 2019 the band commenced tracking their fourth album at Munro’s Montreal studio, laying down the basic tracks for every song. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, they completed the remaining elements at a distance, with Walsh handling mixing and Mikey Young responsible for mastering. Arrangements appeared in September 2022 as a self-released collection dominated by guitars and echoing the visceral character of their earliest work.
The Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based pair of vocalist and bassist Matt Flegel and guitarist Scott Munro launched Preoccupations in 2012. Flegel had previously belonged to the acclaimed local indie rock outfit Women, while Munro had contributed guitar to Lab Coast. The two began composing material while serving as members of Chad VanGaalen’s touring ensemble in Europe; news of the passing of Women guitarist Chris Reimer prompted them to pursue a fresh endeavor. They brought in ex-Women drummer Mike Wallace and guitarist Danny Christiansen, who had previously collaborated with Flegel and Wallace in a Black Sabbath tribute project. Under the original name Viet Cong, the quartet issued a four-song cassette titled Cassette in 2013 and sold copies during North American dates supporting Freak Heat Waves. After appearing at the 2014 CMJ Music Festival, they signed with Canadian imprint Flemish Eye, which put out two tracks from the cassette as a single; Mexican Summer simultaneously released an expanded seven-song edition of the recording as a 12-inch vinyl EP in the United States.
The self-titled debut album arrived in January 2015. Graham Walsh produced the set, which incorporated additional noise and electronics into the quartet’s atmospheric blend of post-punk, shoegaze, and direct indie rock. In April 2016 the musicians altered their name to Preoccupations over worries that the prior moniker could cause offense. Their initial release under the new identity, the September 2016 album Preoccupations, adopted a more deliberate approach while still emphasizing the heavier and rhythm-driven aspects of their work and included a guest turn from Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner. A deluxe edition added a single containing renditions of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Key” and the Raincoats’ “Off Duty Trip.” For their third record, the March 2018 album plainly titled New Material, they enlisted producer Justin Meldal-Johnson, whose contributions brought greater refinement and scale to their soaring compositions. That same year Preoccupations collaborated with Protomartyr on the split single Telemetry at Howe Bridge, each act interpreting material by the other.
Toward the end of 2019 the band commenced tracking their fourth album at Munro’s Montreal studio, laying down the basic tracks for every song. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, they completed the remaining elements at a distance, with Walsh handling mixing and Mikey Young responsible for mastering. Arrangements appeared in September 2022 as a self-released collection dominated by guitars and echoing the visceral character of their earliest work.
Albums
Singles
