There’s an anxiety in life that comes from knowing there isn’t anything to do but try to prepare for the inevitability of change. And sometimes the only thing that can make a drastic shift or an ending more difficult is to see it coming. On their seventh full-length, A Eulogy For Those Still Here, Counterparts set out to capture that surreal space in-between, and in the process pushed their sound to its greatest extremes to make their most definitive statement as a band. “I think I deal with things by preparing myself for the end,” explains vocalist Brendan Murphy. “With so much of this record I’m mourning the loss of someone that’s still alive or saying goodbye to something that hasn’t left yet.” Murphy’s preoccupation with endings reaches wide, from relationships dissolving, to friendships fading, to loved ones passing away–and even to his band. Since forming in 2007, Counterparts–made up of….

There’s an anxiety in life that comes from knowing there isn’t anything to do but try to prepare for the inevitability of change. And sometimes the only thing that can make a drastic shift or an ending more difficult is to see it coming. On their seventh full-length, A Eulogy For Those Still Here, Counterparts set out to capture that surreal space in-between, and in the process pushed their sound to its greatest extremes to make their most definitive statement as a band.

“I think I deal with things by preparing myself for the end,” explains vocalist Brendan Murphy. “With so much of this record I’m mourning the loss of someone that’s still alive or saying goodbye to something that hasn’t left yet.” Murphy’s preoccupation with endings reaches wide, from relationships dissolving, to friendships fading, to loved ones passing away–and even to his band. Since forming in 2007, Counterparts–made up of Murphy, guitarists Alex Re and Jesse Doreen, bassist Tyler Williams, and drummer Kyle Brownlee–have gone from the Hamilton, Ontario, underground to touring the world as hardcore heavyweights. But with 15 years already under their belts, Murphy couldn’t help but consider a day where his well might run dry. “I started to think about what it would be like to write a record as if it would be our last, to try and make something that I knew I would be satisfied with if it was,” the always candid singer explains.

With these self-imposed high stakes, the band convened at Graphic Nature Audio with their longtime producer/engineer, Will Putney (Knocked Loose, Every Time I Die, Vein.fm) to make what would become A Eulogy For Those Still Here. In addition to Putney’s reliable hand at the helm, the album also sees the return of Doreen and Re. The result feels like Counterparts have honed every element of their sound into its sharpest point, resulting in 11 of their most viscerally compelling songs to date.

“This band is so much bigger than ourselves. That’s the giant mission statement of AVOID – to remind people that life is fun and you’re going to be okay. It’s not about making decisions to make a buck. It’s making the decision to not give a fuck. We’re going to take over the world, all of us – and have fucking fun doing it.” – Benny Scholl Engaging, edgy, erratic, irreverent, wild, vibrant, fun… There’s certainly no shortage of adjectives to describe AVOID and their quest to fuel that feeling of being a part of something. Evoking a nostalgia for the kind of music that seeps into your soul, the Seattle five piece channel the musical legacy synonymous with their hometown while blissfully genre hopping to create something entirely new. Good times with a message of inclusivity, with a drive to bring passion, innovation and provocation back to heavy music….

“This band is so much bigger than ourselves. That’s the giant mission statement of AVOID – to remind people that life is fun and you’re going to be okay. It’s not about making decisions to make a buck. It’s making the decision to not give a fuck. We’re going to take over the world, all of us – and have fucking fun doing it.” – Benny Scholl Engaging, edgy, erratic, irreverent, wild, vibrant, fun… There’s certainly no shortage of adjectives to describe AVOID and their quest to fuel that feeling of being a part of something.

Evoking a nostalgia for the kind of music that seeps into your soul, the Seattle five piece channel the musical legacy synonymous with their hometown while blissfully genre hopping to create something entirely new. Good times with a message of inclusivity, with a drive to bring passion, innovation and provocation back to heavy music and pull in the community around it, AVOID crackle with the energy of a young act ready to take the world by storm.
Carving his own path hustling promoting shows and managing bands, the band’s inimitable future frontman Benny Scholl knew early on the dedication it would take to be successful in the music business. Meeting impressive guitarist Nick Olson, he turned his hand to playing music, deciding he would be unlike any other frontman he had seen, and on enlisting Chris Echols (guitar), Luke Ryder (bass), Paul Jaton (drums) some of the top talent in the local scene became AVOID, releasing their debut album Alone in 2018.

While the world fell silent in 2020, the band seized the moment to make noise with the release of their attention-grabbing EP The Burner -and it got LOUD. Securing a sponsorship with NASCAR which turned their passion into promotion, they had their music and band branded vehicle in the official video game. Singer Benny Scholl went viral with his accidentally acapella rendition of the National Anthem at the NASCAR Vegas race, endearing himself to sports commentator Jim Rome who ran with coverage of the event for weeks. They also forged a long term partnership with SiriusXM, taking over the airwaves on Octane and Liquid Metal with ambassador single “Song About James”, which incorporated their lyrical muse James “Jeopardy James” Holtzhauer in its marketing.

With new tracks “My World”, “COWABUNGA” and “Split (Kill It)” setting the tone for a new era for the band, and their live show reputation building more buzz daily, AVOID are ready to spread their brand of infectious hedonism that injects some magic into the mundane. Bringing twists on the art, and the media and methods of the 90s/00s into the modern day, this is the something new that we have all been craving.

This is the start of something important, something defining – and AVOID are bringing everyone along for the ride. Hold on tight, it’s about to get weird.