While in Europe, New Zealand indie favourites The Beths faced the kind of nightmare every touring band dreads.
On the day of a show in Tourcoing, France, their van was broken into, with instruments and equipment gone. They posted on social media that their guitars, bass, cymbals, snare, and pedal board were among the stolen goods, alongside their rented backline.
“We’re pretty sad, these instruments have a lot of time and love in them. More than we can express really,” they said.
Instead of bowing out, The Beths confirmed the show would go on, thanks to the generosity of friends. The band borrowed gear including instruments, a new backline and a pedal board, and were able to take to the stage.
Currently midway through a European tour in support of their new album Straight Line Was a Lie, The Beths have 14 more shows to go in October.
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The album, which adds a more introspective tone to the indie rock The Beths have always done well, received a 3.5/5 star review from Rolling Stone.
“Vocalist and songwriter Elizabeth Stokes understands the meaning of “Wherever you go, there you are,” as she delicately weaves through a confrontation with herself while also singing about integrating antidepressants into her life. With clever hooks and sharp vocals, her sweet melodies are tethered by creative partner and fellow guitarist Jonathan Pierce’s crunchy melody lines, along with driving bass lines and stacked vocals from bandmates Benjamin Sinclair and Tristan Deck,” we wrote.
Written in Los Angeles and self-recorded in their hometown of Auckland, the album is The Beths’ most vulnerable and revealing body of work to date. Singles like “Metal”, “No Joy”, and “Mother Pray For Me” dive into the weight of cyclical growth, while the title track threads it all together with brutal honesty.
