Matthew and Lauren Barus of Terrible Sons.
"Mass is a stark, quiet collection of deeply romantic songs that hark back to the sweeping indie glory of Kings of
Convenience and Feist. It’s the kind of music that feels destined to soundtrack the idiosyncratic indie cinema of the
mid-2000s. It’s luscious, organic and so, so intimate.” - Tone Deaf
“Terrible Sons craft songs like complex beautiful dioramas constructed from the emotional stuff of life.” - American Pancake
“Terrible Sons makes music that’s quite tender, almost fragile. It's steeped in folk traditions and sometimes, like on
their song ‘What a Friend’, it's quite breathtaking." - RNZ's Tony Stamp, The Sampler
Christchurch husband-and-wife duo Terrible Sons are on tour for the first time this April, celebrating the release of their stunning new EP Mass. The five shows will see their lush, indie-folk paired with Wellington dream-pop group French For Rabbits for a series
of South Island shows in Nelson, Blenheim, and Onekaka, before two headline events in Auckland and Ōtautahi.
Terrible Sons is the music project of former Dukes frontman, Matthew Barus andLauren Barus, who has performed asL A Mitchell and inFly My Pretties. They released their much-anticipated third EP Massin February this year produced by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins). Having clocked up over 18 million streams on previous singles since 2018, it may come as a surprise that the quietly
accomplished band from Christchurch, signed to Canadian label Nettwerk, has never played a single live show outside of their hometown.
Both Lauren and Matt are relishing the thought of bringing Terrible Sons to audiences across Aotearoa next month."We both have a history of performing a lot under other musical names so bringing Terrible Sons out feels jubilant," says Lauren. "Being face to face with an audience has always been magical, and we are looking forward to making music, sharing
stories and being together with others."
The pair are "travelling light" for what's set to be rich and intimate performances, much like their songs, with
acoustic guitar, piano, and the duo's harmonious voices at the forefront. "It's just the two of us playing in the way we know best, piano and acoustic guitar and our two voices, the way we
play in our living room after the kids have gone to sleep," says Matt. "I think you could expect a night of warmth, laughter and hopefully something moving."
Find Terrible Sons tour tickets, merch, and listening, here.
South Island Shows with French for Rabbits
Thursday, April 8th - Nelson, Fairfield House
Friday, April 9th - Blenheim, The Plant
Saturday, April 10th - Onekaka, Mussel Inn
Headline Shows
Saturday, April 17th- Auckland, Freida Margolis w/ Rodney Fisher
Friday, April 23rd- Christchurch, The Piano w/ special guests *early bird special $20 until March 25th*
Tickets on sale atUndertheradar.co.nz
Terrible Sons is the moniker for husband/wife duoMatthew Barus (Dukes) and Lauren Barus (Fly My Pretties), who work and live with their two children in an intentional community near Christchurch. While the music they’ve made
in the past has reflected the intimate and bucolic warmth that wraps around their family, Terrible Sons has never shied
away from revealing the more vulnerable feelings that define us all: heartbreak, loneliness, exhaustion.
It’s clear from the start that an evolution has taken place with their new EPMass. From taking cues from folk tradition by singing their own version of a protest song to involving each other in their
writing processes early on, Mass establishes a stronger connection between Terrible Sons and the world at large, while
also signifying a more cohesive sound thanks to their more connected writing partnership. ProducerTom Healy (Tiny Ruins) took the organic, analog, and acoustic sounds Terrible Sons are known for, and warped them to a perfect degree of
idiosyncrasy — harmonies were played in reverse and stacked, brass and organ made appearances, and layers of percussion
were added for a louder, more dynamic rhythmic texture.
Mass was made in true collaborative spirit, between friends and family, and it comes at a time when collectivity has never
been more relevant. At its core,Mass is about resilience, about making your voice heard, even if it seems the world isn’t listening.