Today, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based indie rock band The Crane Wives share upbeat, introspective track and official video “Bitter Medicine” out everywhere now where the group embraces imperfection. The self-produced, rousing fifth studio album Beyond Beyond Beyond is due out September 6 and available for pre-order now. Plus, The Crane Wives have announced a new fall leg of their tour starting with the official album release show on release day in Grand Rapids, MI. Get tickets this Friday, July 12 at 10 AM local time here and catch them in the midst of their summer tour through August.
Despite its driving, upbeat guitar riffs and playful energy, “Bitter Medicine,” out today, is an ode to impostor syndrome, the internalized shame of having others look up to you for guidance on a subject you feel like you’re failing at. Drummer Dan Rickabus and bassist Ben Zito create a bouncing groove that turns the self-deprecating lyrics into a cathartic confession: “don’t look up to me.”
Vocalist and guitarist Emilee Petersmark shares, “For me, songwriting has always been a safe place for honesty and vulnerability. ‘Bitter Medicine’ is one of many songs on this record that explores what it means to be an imperfect person making imperfect choices.” Pondering her place in the world, particularly as a person with a young audience, Petersmark adds, “The older I get, the more I feel the weight of younger people’s eyes, and I often find myself questioning if I am the kind of person that deserves to be a role model. This song touches on the insecurity that comes with that line of questioning, and the acceptance that maybe the answer is ‘no’.”
Watch “Bitter Medicine” (Official Video)
The artful black-and-white accompanying video, directed by Jackson Ezinga, opens with Petersmark alone in a pristine and minimal environment. As the story progresses, their environment has been overtaken by an ominous presence and Petersmark is almost consumed by it. It’s only with the help of their friends that they are able to make it out and battle these negative feelings together.
On how he envisioned the music and what pulled him towards creating the visual, Ezinga says “I was drawn to ‘Bitter Medicine”s visceral and poignant lyrics about self doubt and imposter syndrome. These feelings have a sticky and invasive quality that are hard to shake. I began to visualize these feelings as a creeping presence that slowly appears and then rapidly takes over. I saw the “tentacles” and bouncing balloons as representing these negative feelings and how these feelings can sometimes explode and make a mess. Due to the psychological nature of the lyrics and concept, I saw this video as a moving Rorschach Test which is why I decided to shoot the video in black and white to focus on shapes, patterns, and movement.”
Ezinga continues, “It’s scary when dark thoughts begin to take over which is why I drew from classic horror movie imagery, like the ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ ‘bed swallowing’ sequence.” Overall, says Ezinga, “We’re stronger together and we shouldn’t have to battle dark and negative emotions and thoughts on our own.”
Beyond Beyond Beyond, the fifth studio record by The Crane Wives, explores the mixture of fear, joy, and deep vulnerability that occurs when a person is on the cusp of changing the course of their life. The eleven track album is a circular journey that asks heavy questions of the listener: Am I strong enough to change? Am I brave enough to take the risk? Do I deserve the chance to be happy? It offers the listener momentum to move forward, a guide through dark spaces with shimmery other-worldly melodies and an encouraging push to venture forth into the unknown.
Beyond Beyond Beyond is an electric departure from the Crane Wives’ previous releases, prominently highlighting the lead guitar work of songwriters and singers Kate Pillsbury and Emilee Petersmark. Drummer Dan Rickabus contributes darker, stormy and dynamic rhythms to this record, while bassist Ben Zito creates narrative movement in the songs with his rooting, counter-melodic approach. The album is self-produced by the four-piece collaboration, and engineered & mixed by Zito at his studio, Centennial Sound. The band invited guest violinist Samantha Cooper and guest cellist Jordan Hamilton to help portray a distinct emotional voice. The album was mastered by Heba Kadry. The band’s longtime collaborator, visual artist Rebecca Green returned to create her fifth piece of album artwork for the project.
Rickabus shares that the band collaborated like never before throughout the album creation process. “We tried to challenge ourselves to shake loose from our old patterns and explore what is possible between the four of us. Those brave experiments mean even more to me when I think about the lyrical content of the album. The album begins with inner-conflict, and moves through a very human process of growth toward a bold belief in possibility, and an attempt to create change. So, that sense of creative experimentation really resonates.”
Last month, the group shared the lead single “Arcturus Beaming,” a rhythmic, gentle exploration of simultaneous grief and gratitude, one that holds onto a belief in a better future. The song’s building energy culminates in a realization of personal empowerment. “Nothing will change until I change.”
The Crane Wives are busy captivating audiences throughout North America and have just added a slew of dates for the fall across Texas, California and more. They are gearing up for Toronto on July 15 followed by Ottawa and Montreal, and will then make their way down the East Coast, including another sold out show in Hamden, CT, and concluding in their home state in Ann Arbor, Michigan. See a full list of dates below and get tickets now here for the summer dates, and get tickets this Friday at 10AM local time for the fall dates.
The Crane Wives formed in 2010 and have captivated audiences across hundreds of stages around the U.S. since. The band has built a global community and has amassed over 1M Spotify monthly listeners and 100M total streams with their unparalleled, spirited live show, evocative lyricism and glimmering harmonies. The group has shared stages with The Avett Brothers, Lake Street Dive, Rusted Root, The Dead South, Joseph, and more. In 2017, they won JBL’s “Best American Band Contest” and were named one of Paste Magazine’s “12 Michigan Acts You Should Be Listening To Now,” Featured by Michigan Radio and NPR’s “All Songs Considered“, the band has been the recipient of several local accolades such as the WYCE Best Rock/Pop album for their 2016 full-length studio record, Foxlore. Now, in 2024, The Crane Wives prepare to enter an all-new, dynamic phase of their artistic identity where they learn to trust themselves, dive deeper lyrically and take sonic risks like never before.
The building, spirited “Bitter Medicine,” out now, grapples with impostor syndrome and what it means to be a role model today. Beyond Beyond Beyond, the lush fifth LP by The Crane Wives is due out September 6 and available for pre-order now. Don’t miss The Crane Wives live this month and next across North America with tickets on sale now here and grab tickets to the all new fall tour dates this Friday, July 12. Connect with the rising rockers now on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.
Watch: “Arcturus Beaming” (Official Lyric Video) | Listen
The Crane Wives
Live Across North America
Summer 2024
07/15 – Axis Club – Toronto, ON
07/16 – Club Saw – Ottawa, ON
07/17 – La Sala Rosa – Montreal, QC
07/19 – Higher Ground Ballroom – Burlington, VT
07/20 – State Theatre – Portland, ME
07/21 – Royale – Boston, MA
07/23 – Lark Hall – Albany, NY
07/24 – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT (SOLD OUT)
07/26 – Levon Helm Studio – Woodstock, NY
07/27 – Iron Works – Buffalo, NY
07/28 – Mr Small’s – Pittsburgh, PA
08/15 – The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
08/16 – Washington’s – Fort Collins, CO
08/17 – Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
08/18 – Strings Pavilion – Steamboat Springs, CO
08/20 – Soundwell SLC – Salt Lake City, UT
08/21 – Treefort Music Hall – Boise, ID
08/23 – Wonder Ball Room – Portland, OR
08/24 – South Sound Block Party – Olympia, WA
08/29 – Sonic Lunch – Ann Arbor, MI
Fall 2024
9/6 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
10/14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
10/15 – Dallas, TX – Echo Lounge & Music Hall
10/16 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater
10/18 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
10/19 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
10/20 – Fort Worth, TX – Tannahill’s
10/24 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
10/25 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
10/26 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s
10/28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda
10/29 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
11/01 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst Club
11/02 – San Francisco – The Fillmore
11/03 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
