trauma ray have mastered shoegaze’s complexity, intensity, and expressive devastation. Their powerful new single “Bardo” is eerie, veering between noisy one string bends and surging headbang, mapping a middle ground between Unwound and nu-metal. trauma ray guitarist Jonathan Perez tells, “Bardo is the in-between. Whether that’s life or death, or a purgatory. It’s about being stuck in between one phase and the next. When you can feel the past fading and yet you can’t quite see the path to the future either.”
The Texas five are set to release their highly anticipated debut album Chameleon on October 25 via Dais Records which has already seen early acclaim from The FADER, Stereogum, Consequence (Heavy Song of the Week), Brooklyn Vegan, New Noise and more. Since first making waves with a S/T EP in 2018, trauma ray have been honing their live set across increasingly adventurous American tours – stacking amps and turning heads show by show, justly earning them a massive following in no time. The band’s three guitar attack is a force to behold, alternately surging, savage and spectral, drenched in precision distortion.
The core songwriting duo of Uriel Avila and Jonathan Perez have expanded and refined the project’s vision and craft, culminating throughout Chameleon. Rounded out by bassist Darren Baun, drummer Nicholas Bobotas, and guitarist Coleman Pruitt, the album both synthesizes and transcends its influences, a stormy fusion of downer hooks, apocalyptic beauty, and bulldozer riffs.
The name trauma ray was inspired by the German word for ‘daydream, or ‘dream state,’ in classic shoegaze fashion. Avila’s background in a devout Pentecostal community gives his lyrics about guilt, purgatory, and passing to the other side to an emotional authenticity that cuts through the music’s majestic volume.
Chameleon is a masterpiece of craft, balance, melody, lyricism, and gravity, flexing a fresh vision of loud-quiet-loud architectures and the vertigo depths of blasted harmonics. From Slowdive to Deftones to Hum and beyond, trauma ray absorb and expand on their influences into a rare and dedicated alchemy. trauma ray’s cinematic tempest is a gathering storm only just taking flight.
Just after a U.K. run at the end of this month, trauma ray perform across their home state including dates at Levitation and with Panchiko. Other highlights include two release shows: one headlining The Roxy in LA and San Diego’s Voodoo Room. See all dates below and grab tickets here.
Trauma Ray Live Dates:
Oct 26: Birmingham, UK – XOYO *
Oct 27: Manchester, UK – B.E.C. Arena (Outbreak Autumn)
Oct 28: London, UK – New Cross
Oct 31: Rubber Gloves – Denton, TX
Nov 01: Levitation – Austin, TX
Nov 03: Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre ~
Nov 04: Little Rock, AR – EJ’s
Nov 06: Kansas City, MO – The Truman ~
Nov 07: Chicago, IL – Sleeping Village #
Nov 08: Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe ~
Nov 09: Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation ~
Nov 10: Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre ~
Nov 12: Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ~
Nov 13: Boston, MA – 4th Wall
Nov 14: New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
Nov 15: New York, NY – TV Eye #
Nov 16: Washington, D.C. – Comet Ping Pong !
Nov 17: Richmond, VA – Cobra Cabana !
Nov 18: Raleigh, NC – Kings !
Nov 19: Atlanta, GA – Altar #
Nov 20: Birmingham, AL – Saturn #
Nov 21: New Orleans, LA – Siberia #
Nov 22: Houston, TX – TBD #
Nov 23: San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
Nov 29: Los Angeles – The Roxy (Record Release) ^
Nov 30: San Diego – Voodoo Room (Record Release) $
* w/ Citizen
~ w/ Panchiko
# w/ Leaving Time
! w/ Leaving Time and Full Body
^ w/ Toner, Lvster, Slumped
$ w/ Toner, Slumped, Sparkler
