In a new episode of Show Us Your Junk, the folks from Earthquaker Devices travelled to New Zealand for some quality time with guitarist Jonathan Pearce of Auckland quartet The Beths. Jonathan takes us on a guided tour of his recording space filled with plenty of junk, including a Thunderbird 50 Fountain Amp head, a rare New Zealand-produced amplifier, and his beloved ’78 deluxe Les Paul Gold Top.
The Beths have recently release their first live album and film, Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, on Dew Process. As first presented in the previously-released live version of “Future Me Hates Me”, and now followed by “Dying To Believe,” Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 showcases the infectious energy The Beths bring to every performance. The accompanying film presents the deep bond between Elizabeth Stokes, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck, and captures the inside jokes they share with audiences during on-stage banter. They deliberately included the date and location because “That’s the sensational part of what we actually did,” says Pearce. In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous.
Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 is available to view in full on Vimeo and the band’s YouTube channel
After building a loyal following through live performances and their 2016 EP Warm Blood, The Beths signed to Dew Process and released the debut album, Future Me Hates Me, in 2018. Jump Rope Gazers, released in July 2020, was a slower, yearning follow-up that still fizzes and sparks with pop-punk sensibilities. Immediately seized on by both fans and music critics as a bright spot during an otherwise dark year, Jump Rope Gazers was named Album of the Year at New Zealand’s national Aotearoa Music Awards in 2020, and secured the band awards for Best Group and Best Alternative Artist for the second year running. The releases catapulted the band straight into lengthy international tours that saw them support legends like The Pixies and Death Cab For Cutie as well as headlining increasingly large shows of their own, including upcoming tour dates in Australia. See below for details.
Australian Tour Dates: Tickets: Secret Sounds
Thu. Nov. 4 – Sydney, NSW @ Factory Theatre (2 shows)
Fri. Nov. 5 – Brisbane, QLD @ The Zoo (2 shows)
Sat. Nov. 6 – Melbourne, VIC @ The Night Cat (2 shows)