Deer Tick
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Download the Bindle Mobile Health App and verify your vaccination and/or test status to expedite entry to the venue.
Holler on the Square is a festival-like series of concerts at HI-FI and HI-FI Annex spanning September 12-19, 2021. Join us for 8 days of live music with performances taking place in both venues, all week. Check out the daily schedule, full lineup and get your tickets now. All shows are individually ticketed.
ARTIST PROFILE | Deer Tick
Emotional Contracts, the latest full-length album from Deer Tick, catalogs all the existential casualties that accompany the passing of time, instilling each song with the irresistibly reckless spirit that’s defined the band for nearly two decades. Before heading into the studio with producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Sleater-Kinney), the Providence-bred four-piece spent months working on demos in a perpetually flooded warehouse space in their hometown, enduring the busted heating system and massive holes in the roof as they carved out the album’s 10 raggedly eloquent tracks. Emotional Contracts fully echoes the unruly energy of its creation, ultimately making for a heavy-hearted yet wildly life-affirming portrait of growing older without losing heart.
Deer Tick’s first new body of work since 2017’s simultaneously released Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, Emotional Contracts is their most collaborative to date, and sees all four members operating at their peak songcraft powers. The album came to life over an unusually lengthy period of time for the band, with each track based in playing around together and connected in the almost telepathic way that’s only possible after nearly 20 years. Well-rehearsed and overly prepared, Deer Tick embraced a decidedly more free-and-easy approach to the recording process at Fridmann’s Tarbox Road Studios in Western New York. “We’ve had a habit of trying to maintain a strict control over everything in the studio, but this time we wanted to see what it would feel like to let go a bit,” says singer/guitarist John McCauley, whose bandmates include guitarist Ian O’Neil, drummer Dennis Ryan, and bassist Christopher Ryan. “We figured that the songs were strong enough to stand on their own two feet, so whatever we put them through would just make them stronger and take us in some new directions.” Dennis adds, “The fact that we’d spent so much time with these songs allowed us to be really free once we got into the studio. No one was overthinking anything, and because of that the album sounds like us in a way that we’d never captured to this extent before.” Featuring guest musicians like Steve Berlin of Los Lobos–and background vocals from singer/songwriters like Courtney Marie Andrews, Vanessa Carlton (who is also McCauley’s wife), Kam Franklin, Angela Miller, and Sheree Smith–Deer Tick’s ATO Records debut adds an even greater vitality to their feverish collection of timeless rock-and-roll.
Mostly recorded live–and honed down from nearly 20 songs to a concise, thoughtfully curated ten–Emotional Contracts brings its combustible but sharply crafted sound to an often-pensive look inward. “A lot of these songs are about standing at a certain point in your life and reflecting on what’s transpired so far, reckoning with the past but looking ahead with a pragmatic hope for the future,” says Chris. Opening on a blistering burst of guitar, Emotional Contracts begins that reflection with “If I Try To Leave”–the first-ever co-write between McCauley and O’Neil. “Most of us have families now, and that song came from imagining how lost and aimless I’d feel if I just walked away from everything,” says McCauley. “It’s about how much I need that grounding force of family in my life.” “If I Try To Leave,” partly inspired by the warmth and grit of Keith Richards’s solo records, builds a sublimely bombastic backdrop to the song’s lucid self-revelation (“Some animals survive/But I only play dead/If I were to leave/From my own beloved”), and illuminates Deer Tick’s undeniable gift for twisting melancholy into something glorious.
Next, on “Forgiving Ties,” O’Neil takes the lead for an anguished yet exuberant track that finds McCauley chiming in to play the part of his jittery inner voice–lending another layer of lived-in pathos to the song’s punchy introspection (“All of my confidence/It had a warrant/Knocked on the door/And split open my mind”). “As you get older, you end up having to come to terms with traumas from your past while also dealing with the weight of certain responsibilities that you maybe didn’t have when you were younger,” says O’Neil. “That’s especially true of raising a family, but it also applies to how this band has become more and more precious to us the longer it goes on.” Featuring the spirited trumpet work of Fridmann’s son Jon (who also played flute, French horn, glockenspiel, marimba, and trombone across various songs), “Forgiving Ties” bounces along on a brightly frenetic cascade of rhythms achieved through a mid-session free-for-all. “We had a little party where we all went crazy with a bunch of different percussion items, like cowbell and a whole other litany of things,” O’Neil recalls. “It’s a dance song that’s completely authentic to who we are as a band,” adds Dennis.
As revealed throughout Emotional Contracts, that unbridled authenticity stems from Deer Tick’s staying faithful to their instincts while tapping into the ineffable power of their easy camaraderie. On “Once In A Lifetime,” the band shares a gorgeously sprawling and soul-soothing track born from a spontaneously composed accordion part brought in by McCauley. “I recorded a voice memo of me fooling around with this accordion the very first day I bought it years ago, combined that with another riff, and then we all made a jam out of it,” he says. “It turned into a song about how when you see an opportunity you need to take it, because time is always running out.” Meanwhile, on “Running From Love,” Deer Tick deliver a sweetly confessional, ’70s-R&B-inspired slow-burner that first came to Dennis in a dream. “I dreamed that the band was performing at Roger Williams Park in Providence and we were all singing this song a cappella, with the whole crowd singing along,” he says. “I woke up and sang it into my phone while I was rocking the baby, and then brought it to the band later on. It’s funny because at first I didn’t really take the song seriously, but with the help of my friends we ended up bringing it to life.”
After the one-two punch of “My Ship” (a lovely reverie co-written by McCauley and The Rugburns’ Steve Poltz) and “A Light Can Go Out In The Heart” (a particularly wistful track from O’Neil), Emotional Contracts closes out with the all-enveloping catharsis of “The Real Thing.” Another product of their deliberately free-flowing process, the nine-minute-long epic emerged from a jam at their rain-battered rehearsal space. “At first I had an idea for a song called ‘The Last Book on the Shelf,’ which I ended up using as a title for a song about all the creepy book-banning happening lately,” McCauley notes. “‘The Real Thing’ became about living with depression, which has been part of my existence since I was a kid, and how it takes even more work to keep your head above water as you get older.” As the song drifts from brooding urgency to dreamlike grandeur, Deer Tick intensify its captivating impact with an ever-shifting tapestry of sonic details (moody strings, reverbed snare, lush flute melodies, intermittently muted vocals). “Dave had me go through that song about five times and create different types of feedback for an hour straight,” O’Neil points out. “It’s a good example of how great he is at piecing together different elements and keeping even a very long song like that exciting all the way through. When I look back on our other records I can remember some incredibly frustrating moments where you’re working on a solo for six hours or something, but there really was nothing frustrating about making this album.”
Founded by McCauley in 2004, with the lineup solidified in 2009, Deer Tick partly attribute their unfaltering chemistry to a shared sense of humor. To that end, the album takes its title from an inside joke regarding potential aliases for the band. “We were saying that if we had to play a secret show under a fake name, we could be The Hitmen and dress in pinstripe suits like Prohibition-era gangsters. Then we decided, ‘Let’s just release an album as The Hitmen—we’ll call it Emotional Contracts, like contract-killing on an emotional level,” says McCauley. “But the title connects here with each song somehow–every song is about a deal you’ve made with yourself at some level.” But as a phenomenally rowdy live act who once averaged 250 shows a year, Deer Tick mainly credit their deep-rooted connection to a mutual love for the unpredictability of the musical impulse. “I feel very lucky that we all ran into each other at some point pretty early on in our lives,” says McCauley. “From the start, I just wanted to find other musicians that would somehow all stick together, which definitely isn’t easy. But we all have a real fascination with music, and that desire to never limit ourselves or repeat ourselves is something that we all very much continue to share.”
READ MORE >>Supporting Acts
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About HI-FI Annex | Indianapolis, IN
HI-FI Annex is an open-air ALL AGES venue located in the back parking lot of The Murphy Arts Center. The main entrance to the venue is located on St. Patrick Street across from the church. All shows end by 10 pm.
Getting Around the Venue
Frequently Asked Questions About HI-FI Annex | Indianapolis, IN
What are the age restrictions at this venue?
HI-FI Annex shows are always all ages, with a handful of exceptions when a 21+ restriction is in place. Bring the whole family!
Check the individual show listings at hifiindy.com to view if there are age restrictions for your show.
HI-FI Annex requires a valid ID for admission. For guests who will be consuming alcoholic beverages, a valid state or government issues ID is required. Everyone will be carded during check-in. Expired and temporary ID’s are not accepted.
Can I upgrade my to VIP seating?
The Sidestage Lounge VIP access offers a premium exclusive viewing location with an up-close and personal view of the stage. It features a private bar with a full selection of cocktails, beer, and wine. While the Sidestage Lounge is an all-ages area, you must be 21+ with a valid ID to visit the bar. Additionally, it provides a comfortable seating area with tables and couches, as well as dedicated outdoor restrooms for your convenience. Click here to reserve your spot in the Sidestage Lounge.
What items are permitted or prohibited at this venue?
Our security staff performs a thorough screening of all bodies, purses and bags entering the venue. All guests will go through security screening to ensure no weapons or non-permitted items enter the venue. Screening may include metal detection and/or wanding.
Permitted and restricted items may vary by show. Below is a general list of permitted and non-permitted items and activities. Ticket buyers will receive information prior to the show with any updates.
Permitted Items
- Small purse/fanny pack/diaper bag – subject to security inspection
- Umbrellas – small, handheld only
- Strollers
- To-go food from local restaurants
- (1) factory sealed bottle of water or (1) empty, refillable water bottle
- A warm heart & smiles
- Lawn chairs & blankets are only permitted for a select few shows and in designated areas
Non-Permitted Items
For safety reasons, guests are refused entry if they are in possession of prohibited items. Illegal items will be confiscated. If a guest is found inside the venue with a prohibited item, the item will be confiscated and the guest may be ejected from the facility. HI-FI reserves the right to prohibit any item, including items not listed here, from entering the premises if deemed hazardous or disruptive to the event.
- No weapons of any kind: including firearms (with or without permit), knives, multi-tools
- Pepper spray/mace
- Fireworks or flares
- No outside beverages or coolers
- No oversized bags (larger than 12″ x 12″) including backpacks, duffle bags, camelbacks, briefcases luggage etc.
- No drugs or illegal substances
- No laser pointers
- No glass
- No smoking or vaping in venue, designated smoking area outside venue
- No pets or animals – with the exception of documented service animals
- No removable lens cameras or flash photography, tripods, monopods, selfie sticks – unless pre-approved by Event Manager
- No audio or video recording devices – unless pre-approved by Event Manager
- Skateboards, hoverboards, rollerblades, bicycles, scooters – bike parking available outside the venue
- Signs large than 11″ x 17″ or any sign attached to a stick
- Hula hoops, spray paint, silly string
Can I bring a bag into the show?
Yes! You are allowed to bring a small purse or fanny pack, but it may be subject to security inspection.
What’s the parking situation like?
Depending on the day and time, finding a spot can be tricky. On busy show days we advise arriving early to ensure you get a good spot.
Parking is free on all of the surrounding streets in Fountain Square and most parking lots.
The LAZ pay lot directly across from HI-FI Annex (on Prospect St) offers paid parking by the hour and is the closest public parking to the venue.
Rideshare and guest drop-off should take place on the corner of Prospect St and St. Patrick St.
We advise against traveling down St. Patrick St on show days, as it can become congested one-way with traffic coming from both directions.
Bike parking is available outside the HI-FI Annex box office as well as at any of the bike racks on Virginia Ave in front of HI-FI.
What is the camera/photo policy for this venue?
The photo policy for each night is posted at the band’s discretion. This policy can change on a nightly basis. As a general rule HI-FI Annex does not allow any professional photography unless pre-approved by the band. For approved photographers, Photos permitted for the first three songs only. No flash. Media and professional photographers can contact marketing@hifiindy.com to submit a request for photo credentials.
Is there food and drink at this venue?
HI-FI Annex offers a variety of food, snacks and drinks for guests of all ages. Any guest consuming alcoholic beverages must provide a government issued ID and be 21 years of age or older.
Easy Rider Diner accepts pre-show reservations if you are looking for a sit-down meal before the show. Easy Rider Diner is our restaurant connected to HI-FI. Guests who make advance reservations will be treated to a free show poster from that nights show. Posters can be picked up in the diner by asking your server.
Snack Shack
Snack Shack is a concession stand for guests of all ages. Choose from several hot and ready food times from Easy Rider Diner including hamburgers, chicken nuggets, vegan burritos and much more. In addition, Snack Shack offers popcorn, slushies, candy, sodas and water. Snack Shack also doubles as a HI-FI merchandise store where you can pickup t-shirts, hats, hoodies, stickers and more from our venues.
Main Bar
Main Bar is located to your right when you enter the venue. It’s the largest container in the venue and serves up the largest selection of beer, wine, spirits, specialty cocktails and boozie slushies. Guests must be 21+ to enter this area.
Stage Bar
Stage Bar is located on the left when you enter the venue, and is the bar closest to the stage. This location serves a selection of beer, wine and cocktails and is the only bar in the venue that serves draft beer.
Sidestage Lounge Bar
This bar is tucked away on the end of Stage Bar, inside of our VIP area known as Sidestage Lounge. This location serves the same options you will find at Stage Bar, but in a private intimate setting.
View seating maps for this venue
The majority of HI-FI Annex shows are general admission, standing-room-only. There is a limited amount of seating upgrades available in Sidestage Lounge. Contact the box office to secure a seating upgrade for your show at boxoffice@hifiindy.com. Shows that are reserved or partially reserved seating configurations will have information or purchase options directly on the event listing.
Can I leave and re-enter the venue?
No. Re-entry is not permitted at this venue with the exception of the external smoking area.
Do you offer ADA, handicap or special needs options?
There are 2 handicapped parking spots in the lot located across Prospect St. closest to El Arado Mexican Grill. The box office handles any special needs or ADA seating requests at boxoffice@hifiindy.com.
Where is the box office located?
Getting tickets to our shows is super easy! You have a few options, depending on how you like to roll:
Online: Grab your tickets in advance from our official websites, hifiindy.com and mokbpresents.com, or through our trusted ticketing partners tixr.com and seetickets.us.
In Person: Swing by one of our three convenient box office locations around the Murphy Arts Center building and grab tickets with no service fees:
HI-FI Annex Box Office: The box office is located at the front entrance off of St. Patrick St.
Main Box Office at Virginia Ave Mercantile: Located at 1043 Virginia Ave Suite 2 (between Easy Rider and La Margarita). Open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
HI-FI Box Office: Found at 1043 Virginia Ave Suite 4 (at the main entrance to HI-FI). Open only on show nights, starting 1 hour before published show times until 10 pm.
I lost something at the show. Who do I contact?
Have you misplaced something during one of our events? Don’t worry, we’re here to help reunite you with your belongings! While we can’t take responsibility for lost or stolen items, we’re committed to assisting you in any way we can.
Found items are securely stored at our Virginia Ave Mercantile & Box Office until they’re claimed. Please note that items lost during late-night events might take until the next morning to reach our lost and found. We know you might be eager to retrieve your belongings (like that phone you’re pinging outside our door at 6 am), but our team typically wraps up late-night events and may not be available until later in the morning.
For lost items, please follow the outlined process rather than popping into Easy Rider in the early hours. They’re open early, but our restaurant team is busy during weekends and can’t assist with lost items during busy service hours.
To inquire about lost items, shoot us an email at boxoffice@hifiindy.com. Mercantile hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
Let’s work together to get your goods back to you as quickly as possible!
What is your refund policy?
What’s Your Refund Policy for Postponed Shows?
If a show gets postponed, don’t sweat it! We’ll shoot you an email to let you know about the change, and if you’re cool with the new date, no further action is needed on your part.We’ll be working diligently to find a new date for the show, and we’ll keep you updated every step of the way. But if you can’t make it to the rescheduled gig, we’ve got your back. You’ll have a generous 30-day window following the announcement of the new date to request a refund.
For those who paid with cash at our box office, just drop us a line at boxoffice@hifiindy.com for further instructions on processing your refund.
Please bear with us as we explore rescheduling options with the tour. Your patience is much appreciated as we work to present the best possible show experience for you.
What’s the Refund Policy for Canceled Shows?
In the unfortunate event of a canceled show, don’t fret! If you purchased your tickets online, your refund will be processed automatically. Just sit tight and allow 3-5 business days for the refund to appear in your bank account.
No need to lift a finger! However, there are a few scenarios where you might need to reach out to our box office:
- If you paid cash at our box office.
- If you’ve received a new or different card since your original purchase.
- If you haven’t seen the refund in your account after 5 business days.
What Happens if a Show Gets Rescheduled?
No worries! If a show you’ve already grabbed tickets for gets rescheduled, your tickets will still be valid for the new date. We’ll shoot you an email to let you know about the change, and if you’re good to go for the new date, no further action is needed on your part.
However, if you can’t make it to the rescheduled gig, we’ve got you covered. You’ll have a generous 30 days from the announcement of the new date to request a refund. Just reach out directly to our box office to kickstart the process.
Beware of counterfeit tickets. How do I tell if my ticket is valid?
It’s crucial for all buyers to exercise caution when purchasing tickets from unauthorized sites and ticket resellers. Tixr and SeeTickets are the only two ticket vendors supported at our venues. Unfortunately, this is a widespread issue affecting venues nationwide, and true fans often find themselves at a loss. Regrettably, there’s little we can do in such situations. Since the original transaction didn’t occur through our authorized ticketing partners, we lack the necessary information to assist. It’s disheartening to witness fans being taken advantage of, especially on platforms like Craigslist, Facebook, StubHub, VividSeats, SeatGeek, and others. We are only obligated to honor valid tickets purchased through our approved channels.
Can I purchase tickets in person without fees?
Yes. HI-FI Annex box office is located at the main entrance off of St. Patrick St. The box office is open 1 hour prior to the published door time. Additionally, the new and primary box office is located two doors down from HI-FI Annex in Suite 2. This box office is open Monday through Friday 10am – 6pm for fee-free ticket purchases. HI-FI Annex accepts cash as well as all major credit cards for ticket purchases.
Do you have free WI-FI?
Yes. HI-FI Annex offers free WI-FI during all shows. Simply select the HI-FI Free WI-FI network and you are all set.
Deer Tick
Start Time: 6:20 pm
HEALTH CHECK REQUIRED: Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours or negative Antigen test with 6 hours.
Download the Bindle Mobile Health App and verify your vaccination and/or test status to expedite entry to the venue.
Holler on the Square is a festival-like series of concerts at HI-FI and HI-FI Annex spanning September 12-19, 2021. Join us for 8 days of live music with performances taking place in both venues, all week. Check out the daily schedule, full lineup and get your tickets now. All shows are individually ticketed.
Buy Tickets
ARTIST PROFILE | Deer Tick
Emotional Contracts, the latest full-length album from Deer Tick, catalogs all the existential casualties that accompany the passing of time, instilling each song with the irresistibly reckless spirit that’s defined the band for nearly two decades. Before heading into the studio with producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Sleater-Kinney), the Providence-bred four-piece spent months working on demos in a perpetually flooded warehouse space in their hometown, enduring the busted heating system and massive holes in the roof as they carved out the album’s 10 raggedly eloquent tracks. Emotional Contracts fully echoes the unruly energy of its creation, ultimately making for a heavy-hearted yet wildly life-affirming portrait of growing older without losing heart.
Deer Tick’s first new body of work since 2017’s simultaneously released Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, Emotional Contracts is their most collaborative to date, and sees all four members operating at their peak songcraft powers. The album came to life over an unusually lengthy period of time for the band, with each track based in playing around together and connected in the almost telepathic way that’s only possible after nearly 20 years. Well-rehearsed and overly prepared, Deer Tick embraced a decidedly more free-and-easy approach to the recording process at Fridmann’s Tarbox Road Studios in Western New York. “We’ve had a habit of trying to maintain a strict control over everything in the studio, but this time we wanted to see what it would feel like to let go a bit,” says singer/guitarist John McCauley, whose bandmates include guitarist Ian O’Neil, drummer Dennis Ryan, and bassist Christopher Ryan. “We figured that the songs were strong enough to stand on their own two feet, so whatever we put them through would just make them stronger and take us in some new directions.” Dennis adds, “The fact that we’d spent so much time with these songs allowed us to be really free once we got into the studio. No one was overthinking anything, and because of that the album sounds like us in a way that we’d never captured to this extent before.” Featuring guest musicians like Steve Berlin of Los Lobos–and background vocals from singer/songwriters like Courtney Marie Andrews, Vanessa Carlton (who is also McCauley’s wife), Kam Franklin, Angela Miller, and Sheree Smith–Deer Tick’s ATO Records debut adds an even greater vitality to their feverish collection of timeless rock-and-roll.
Mostly recorded live–and honed down from nearly 20 songs to a concise, thoughtfully curated ten–Emotional Contracts brings its combustible but sharply crafted sound to an often-pensive look inward. “A lot of these songs are about standing at a certain point in your life and reflecting on what’s transpired so far, reckoning with the past but looking ahead with a pragmatic hope for the future,” says Chris. Opening on a blistering burst of guitar, Emotional Contracts begins that reflection with “If I Try To Leave”–the first-ever co-write between McCauley and O’Neil. “Most of us have families now, and that song came from imagining how lost and aimless I’d feel if I just walked away from everything,” says McCauley. “It’s about how much I need that grounding force of family in my life.” “If I Try To Leave,” partly inspired by the warmth and grit of Keith Richards’s solo records, builds a sublimely bombastic backdrop to the song’s lucid self-revelation (“Some animals survive/But I only play dead/If I were to leave/From my own beloved”), and illuminates Deer Tick’s undeniable gift for twisting melancholy into something glorious.
Next, on “Forgiving Ties,” O’Neil takes the lead for an anguished yet exuberant track that finds McCauley chiming in to play the part of his jittery inner voice–lending another layer of lived-in pathos to the song’s punchy introspection (“All of my confidence/It had a warrant/Knocked on the door/And split open my mind”). “As you get older, you end up having to come to terms with traumas from your past while also dealing with the weight of certain responsibilities that you maybe didn’t have when you were younger,” says O’Neil. “That’s especially true of raising a family, but it also applies to how this band has become more and more precious to us the longer it goes on.” Featuring the spirited trumpet work of Fridmann’s son Jon (who also played flute, French horn, glockenspiel, marimba, and trombone across various songs), “Forgiving Ties” bounces along on a brightly frenetic cascade of rhythms achieved through a mid-session free-for-all. “We had a little party where we all went crazy with a bunch of different percussion items, like cowbell and a whole other litany of things,” O’Neil recalls. “It’s a dance song that’s completely authentic to who we are as a band,” adds Dennis.
As revealed throughout Emotional Contracts, that unbridled authenticity stems from Deer Tick’s staying faithful to their instincts while tapping into the ineffable power of their easy camaraderie. On “Once In A Lifetime,” the band shares a gorgeously sprawling and soul-soothing track born from a spontaneously composed accordion part brought in by McCauley. “I recorded a voice memo of me fooling around with this accordion the very first day I bought it years ago, combined that with another riff, and then we all made a jam out of it,” he says. “It turned into a song about how when you see an opportunity you need to take it, because time is always running out.” Meanwhile, on “Running From Love,” Deer Tick deliver a sweetly confessional, ’70s-R&B-inspired slow-burner that first came to Dennis in a dream. “I dreamed that the band was performing at Roger Williams Park in Providence and we were all singing this song a cappella, with the whole crowd singing along,” he says. “I woke up and sang it into my phone while I was rocking the baby, and then brought it to the band later on. It’s funny because at first I didn’t really take the song seriously, but with the help of my friends we ended up bringing it to life.”
After the one-two punch of “My Ship” (a lovely reverie co-written by McCauley and The Rugburns’ Steve Poltz) and “A Light Can Go Out In The Heart” (a particularly wistful track from O’Neil), Emotional Contracts closes out with the all-enveloping catharsis of “The Real Thing.” Another product of their deliberately free-flowing process, the nine-minute-long epic emerged from a jam at their rain-battered rehearsal space. “At first I had an idea for a song called ‘The Last Book on the Shelf,’ which I ended up using as a title for a song about all the creepy book-banning happening lately,” McCauley notes. “‘The Real Thing’ became about living with depression, which has been part of my existence since I was a kid, and how it takes even more work to keep your head above water as you get older.” As the song drifts from brooding urgency to dreamlike grandeur, Deer Tick intensify its captivating impact with an ever-shifting tapestry of sonic details (moody strings, reverbed snare, lush flute melodies, intermittently muted vocals). “Dave had me go through that song about five times and create different types of feedback for an hour straight,” O’Neil points out. “It’s a good example of how great he is at piecing together different elements and keeping even a very long song like that exciting all the way through. When I look back on our other records I can remember some incredibly frustrating moments where you’re working on a solo for six hours or something, but there really was nothing frustrating about making this album.”
Founded by McCauley in 2004, with the lineup solidified in 2009, Deer Tick partly attribute their unfaltering chemistry to a shared sense of humor. To that end, the album takes its title from an inside joke regarding potential aliases for the band. “We were saying that if we had to play a secret show under a fake name, we could be The Hitmen and dress in pinstripe suits like Prohibition-era gangsters. Then we decided, ‘Let’s just release an album as The Hitmen—we’ll call it Emotional Contracts, like contract-killing on an emotional level,” says McCauley. “But the title connects here with each song somehow–every song is about a deal you’ve made with yourself at some level.” But as a phenomenally rowdy live act who once averaged 250 shows a year, Deer Tick mainly credit their deep-rooted connection to a mutual love for the unpredictability of the musical impulse. “I feel very lucky that we all ran into each other at some point pretty early on in our lives,” says McCauley. “From the start, I just wanted to find other musicians that would somehow all stick together, which definitely isn’t easy. But we all have a real fascination with music, and that desire to never limit ourselves or repeat ourselves is something that we all very much continue to share.”
READ MORE >>Supporting Acts
About the Venue
Upgrades: The Sidestage Lounge VIP access offers a premium exclusive viewing location with an up-close and personal view of the stage. It features a private bar, a comfortable seating area, as well as dedicated outdoor restrooms. Click here to reserve your spot in Sidestage Lounge.
Ticket Support: Box Office opens 1 hour before published door time. For ticket related questions please email boxoffice@hifiindy.com.
Parking: Street Parking, Bike Parking
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