Fort Lauderdale hardcore five-piece Gouge Away will release its debut record, Dies (stylized , Dies), on Saturday, February 13.
The 13-track album is a ripper, with songs like “No White Flag,” exploring socio-political themes of corruption, oppression, and racism. Frontwoman Christina Michelle’s scathing lyrics sting as she screams out lines like “Another word for ‘unarmed’ is ‘target’ in the mind of a bigot / We know who you’re protecting / We know who you’re targeting / Another killed by a fucking cop.”
Gouge Away, who formed as a group at the end of 2012, has been busy for a while. The group spent the majority of 2015 touring and recording, and it seems like 2016 will be just as big of a year. Michelle says the band has an upcoming East Coast tour, and also joined the lineup for Seattle’s Rain Fest in May, where they’ll be rubbing elbows with bands like Burn, 108, Trapped Under Ice, Axis, and more.
“It’s just so wild because it’s the complete other side of the country,” says Michelle. “It’s in Seattle, so we’ll be doing our first tour out there. I’ve never even been to the West Coast, so I can’t even describe how excited I am.”
For now, though, the outfit is ready to celebrate all its hard work alongside some fellow South Florida bands. The lineup at their record release party at O'Malley's in Margate will include six groups in total: Bloodbather (Broward), Woolbright (Davie), Insignificant Other (Cooper City), Guilty Conscience (Miami), WRONG (Miami) and finally, Gouge Away.
Gouge Away’s , Dies will be available purchase on vinyl at the show. It’s the group’s first vinyl release and to commemorate the occasion, the 150-gram, magenta-colored record will only be available as a deluxe edition of 400.
Michelle says around 100 of those have already sold on presale. “It's really strange to think about people buying the album at all,” she says. “I wanted to start this band because it was something that I had to do for myself, and the idea of people listening to our music on their own time is still very surreal to me. We have the most supportive friends and people in our lives, and we're grateful for them everyday.”
Gouge Away Record Release Show
With Bloodbather, Woolbright, Insignificant Other, Guilty Conscience, and Wrong. 6 p.m., Saturday, February 13, at O’Malley’s, 1388 N. State Road 7, Margate 33068. Tickets cost $10, all ages. Gouge Away’s record, , Dies is available for purchase here.
