Ira glass Announces Debut EP, Out 7/12 on Fire Talk/Angel Tapes, & Presents Lead Single, "where'd you get the candy baby lol"

Today, Chicago quintet ira glass announces their debut EP, compound turbulence flexing for the heat, out July 12th via Fire Talk / Angel Tapes, and presents its lead single, “where’d you get the candy baby lol.” Recorded at Electrical Audio and dedicated to its late founder Steve Albini, compound turbulence flexing for the heat marks ira glass’ studio debut, following two self-recorded demos released exclusively on Bandcamp, and debut single “nancy’s hell," a “rousing punk song” (Brooklyn Vegan) praised by NPR Music, Paste, Northern Transmissions & more.

ira glass’ original members were recruited via fliers posted around their hometown of Chicago, entitled “NOISY POST-HARDCORE INSTRUMENTALISTS DESIRED.” The ad listed influences both wide-sweeping and hyper-specific, ranging from “every john reis project” to “the first hole album,” and name-dropping the likes of Unwound and Slint. compound turbulence... puts the “fuzzy sort of fullness” (Chicago Reader) of their early demos — “noisy, tense, and aggressive [...] so volatile it can hardly be contained” (Stereogum) — in high definition.

Lead single “where’d you get candy baby lol” is incendiary, fusing references to a Logan Square cult with relentless instrumentation. Alongside two new tracks, “where’d you get the candy baby lol” is one of three re-recorded demos standouts which appear on compound turbulence flexing for the heat for their first-ever widespread release.

Listen to ira glass’ “where’d you get the candy baby lol”

compound turbulence flexing for the heat captures ira glass’ propulsive energy in a proper studio setting. When recording at Electrical Audio, ira glass capitalized on the space’s storied elements, known for its ability to authentically capture sound, to mimic their live performances. In conjunction with self-sourced instrumentation — including a home-made“trash-stack” percussion set of dented, cut and otherwise damaged cymbals — ira glass utilized Electrical Audio’s extensive backline, deploying toy glockenspiels, a vintage Wurlitzer piano, and vocal processing units used by the Cars, Cocteau Twins, and ELO to enact their own singular vision.

“We figured we’d lean into the fact that we were working with a limited budget and timeframe,” ira glass says of their debut, recorded over two days in the same space as records foundational for the band. It is a testament to ira glass’ DIY ethos, and a thrilling showcase of what’s possible when they’re given the room to stretch out and play.

ira glass’ current lineup is Lise Ivanova (vocals/guitar), Sunny Betz (guitar), Landon Kerouac (drums), Jill Roth (saxophone) and Kaleb Wallace (bass). This saturday, ira glass will play a free performance at Logan Square Arts Festival in Chicago. To celebrate the release of compound turbulence flexing for the heat, ira glass will perform at Cole’s Bar on July 12th with tickets available here. A full list of currently announced shows are below.

Pre-order compound turbulence flexing for the heat

compound turbulence flexing for the heat Tracklist

1. bruxism in 8mm

2. not to put too fine a point on it

3. where’d you get the candy baby lol

4. [consider It] water under the bridge

5. torrid love affair with a family annihilator

ira glass live

Wed. June 26 - Chicago, IL @ Fallen Log

Sat. June 29 - Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Arts Festival

Fri. July 12 - Chicago, IL @ Cole’s Bar * [EP RELEASE SHOW]

Sun. July 14 - Chicago, IL @ Space.01

Mon. July 22 - Chicago, IL @ Bookclub

Wed. July 24 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village

Sat. Aug. 17 - Chicago IL @ Cole's Bar