Halifax hardcore trio Botfly has decided to go… well, a little less hardcore for their newest EP At Home With Alex. This is not a permanent change in direction for the band, only a stripped-down view into their minds in the current state of the world.
“The thought process behind this record was an attempt to shine a different light on some songs that we all felt could be heard differently,” explains vocalist/guitarist Keegan Godspeed. “We’ve been talking about this release for a while. With all the extra time due to the virus cancelling our shows, it just felt like the right time to dive into this.”
The EP features five songs, some that may even be familiar to you from previous albums, only this time heard in a somewhat softer sense. Botfly is no stranger to loud hardcore rumbles, but it’s a step back like this that creates something new and refreshing for the punk scene.
The title of the EP even offers an ode to a good friend of the trio who they have always worked closely with, Alex Babineaux.
“Alex is very close to the band, he’s one of the few people we pull in to help when we are in the studio, and while we are writing new songs,” says Goodspeed, “He’s a part of this band in some way or another, always. Alex and I also live together and spend so much time together talking music, writing music, playing music and, since we are all in quarantine, this EP was made with just Alex and I.”
You can hear the intent and emotion within each guitar strum which is especially noticeable in “Little Man Syndrome”. Feelings of frustration, pain, heartbreak can be pulled from each word as Goodspeed trades in those harsh vocals for something a tad more subtle than he is used to.
“Reflect Reject” is the only new song on the EP and it gives us a taste of what we can expect from the band in the future. The production has an intentionally stripped-down quality as though they are letting us catch a glimpse of their vulnerable side. It’s raw in a way that only adds to the emotions that they are trying to express.
“I wanted to take a wide variety from our catalogue,” says Goodspeed, “…some old, some recent, something from what we have in store for down the road.”
The album closes on a sombre note with the track “Days Late” which originally appeared on their 2018 album Dark Days. The song doesn’t delve into an obvious meaning which allows listeners to create their own story and with it allow everyone to connect in a different yet meaningful way.
This EP could not have come at a better time, the tapered-down pace certainly blends in well with the delayed momentum of the world at the moment. Although the recent pandemic has put a hold on their US and Canada tour, things are still on the incline for Botfly having recently been added to Alternative Press’s fifty rising Canadian bands to keep your eye out for.
“I hope people are doing their best to take care of themselves during this time. It can be hard to find the want to be creative right now, so just let it come to you and don’t be hard on yourself.”