Song Premiere: TEST Debut “Bleached Hands” Ahead of Hi Hat Performance TEST

Photo credit: Joel Hodson

TEST prides itself on being a band, and not a ‘project.’ The trio makes unapologetic rock music, so it makes sense that they’d also keep a strict definition of exactly who they are. It all began in a warehouse in Vernon, living off of cheap noodles and the promise of creative catharsis. After a couple of years of simultaneous incubation and growth, their new record Brain In / Brain Out is finally ready to see daylight. Before you see them perform it tonight at the Hi Hat (tickets), listen to their new single, “Bleached Hands,” exclusively below.

Intriguing imagery pairs the comfort of a warm embrace with the uncertainty of a stranger’s arms. The character holding our narrator has a loose structure, formed from stream-of-consciousness wordplay, but something about it sticks. Frontman Blake Stokes reveals more about the track:

“’Bleached Hands’ started as a demo I worked up in our studio late one night. I wanted something with tons of chorus effect and guitar bends. I wanted something that was Smashing Pumpkins, that was Suede, that was Ride. The lyrics were stream of consciousness but inspired by a trip to the Rothko Chapel in my hometown of Houston Texas. When we worked it up with the band we added the crescendo and it whole song snappy into focus. Beautiful, swirling, technicolor focus.”

Come out to see TEST at the Hi Hat tonight; grab tickets. Brain In / Brain Out drops November 10th. For more information on TEST, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.