Peaer are announcing their new full length, entitled doppelgänger, will arrive on January 16th via Danger Collective (Boyo, Slow Holly). To mark the news, the band are sharing lead-single “Button.” In 2014, when primary songwriter Peter Katz aimed to blend his love of math-rock with contemplative slowcore. From this sprang the lo-fi, home-recorded album the eyes sink into the skull which was released digitally via Bandcamp with Katz performing all of the instruments. The idea evolved, and while touring on 2016’s self-titled LP (Peaer), Katz joined forces with now long-term close-collaborators Jeremy Kinney (drums, engineering) and Thom Lombardi (bass, vocals).

The trio came together to write and produce 2019’s A Healthy Earth, and have played shows with Wednesday, Pinegrove, Why Bonnie, Horse Jumper of Love and Spirit of the Beehive.

The pandemic hit just as the band was poised to begin a year of touring, and as it did for many, changed the band’s circumstances dramatically. It’s been over 6 years since Peaer released a new album, but they never stopped working on new music, and today they finally get to announce their new album.

Peter Katz on Lead-single “Button:”

I started working full-time in an office in 2023 which led to a shift in perspective. For the first time, music and touring were not the central part of my identity.

“Button” started from this place of rumination. It grew into a song about small moments and their impact on the course of your life. There are lots of questions in the lyrics, a lot dealing with the idea of “you wanted this, didn’t you? What do you do now that you have it? Is it what you expected?” There is also a moment of humility towards the end, with the acknowledgement that even if we don’t necessarily want to ‘work’ there is a power in being a part of something larger than yourself.

Musically, I was really inspired by the song ‘Turmoil’ from Mount Eerie‘s album Sauna which conceptually deals with a lot of the same ideas. I wanted to feel like the song emerged from the background of the world, like it was always happening and the song is us tuning in. The main verse guitar chord progression was inspired by some of the changes in ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ (although the song is pretty far from that, aesthetically). Jeremy (drummer) and I added some piano while in the studio, and Blair Howerton (of Why Bonnie, also my wife) lent her beautiful voice to the choruses.

Peaer
doppelgänger
Tracklist
Danger Collective

End of the World
Part of the Problem
Just Because
No More Today
Rose in My Teeth
Button
IDWBWY
Bad News
Future Me

Pre-order doppelgänger by Peaer HERE