The soft, fuzzed-out sound of the Drums‘ latest new track, “Head of the Horse,” conceals a lot of pain. Frontman Jonny Pierce, who’s gay, says the song was inspired by the lasting effects of growing up in a religious, anti-gay household. As he puts it, the message he heard as a child was, “If you fall in love, son / That’s a crime.” Over a swirling chorus, Pierce reflects on how, even as an adult, it’s hard to forget: “All these memories get the best of me.”
The Drums’ new album “Abysmal Thoughts” is out June 16. Hear “Head of the Horse” and read Pierce’s statement about the song’s origins below.
I grew up in a poor and dirty town called Horseheads, NY. I am the son of two pentecostal preachers who have always been outspokenly anti-gay and this made for a childhood that was riddled with self doubt, confusion and a lot of self-hate. I remember being anxious all the time and turning to music as an escape. Music bought me to New York City, where I live now as an adult. But I am coming to find out that being an adult doesn’t mean much at all. We are all just kids in bigger, older bodies. We all still know very little about the world and even less about ourselves. I find that the past still dominates a lot of my daily experiences – sometimes to the point of feeling paralyzed. The goal is to heal, and I think I am – but at a much slower pace than I am comfortable with.
