Before skipping town yesterday on their six-week long Bad Dog Tour in support of fellow audio misfits Reptar, Atlanta trio Breathers released a new two-song cassingle via Skeleton Realm. The single’s A-side, “Colored Lines,” is yet another adventurous cut full of robotic synths, angular rhythms, and offbeat percussion with ties to ’80s new wave pop as well as more modern synth-pop outfits like Cut Copy. Equally interesting, however, is the track’s subject matter, which amounts to a socio-political examination of Atlanta’s embattled public transportation system.

Speaking with Creative Loafing about the new track, frontman T. Lee Gunselman discussed MARTA’s practical problems such as unreliability and early closing hours, and how perceptions of class and race affect vital issues like increased funding and bus or railway expansion. While the colored lines referenced in the song’s title allude to the color-coded system MARTA uses to divide separate lines, they’re also an apt metaphor for the way in which the lines systematically divide the Metro area into segregated pockets based on wealth and race. Is it the ideal forum for such a complex and nuanced topic? Maybe not. But it’s encouraging to see a local artist use the stage available to them to challenge their fans to think about an issue that will determine the future of our city. Listen below.

The Bad Dog Tour, which kicked off last night in Charlotte, continues tonight in Washington, DC. Atlanta fans can catch the tour this Saturday night at Mammal Gallery, where Reptar and Breathers will share the stage with fellow locals Shampoo. Check out the full list of dates below.

Bad Dog Tour 2015
Oct 13 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
Oct 14 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
Oct 15 – Norfolk, VA – The Parlor
Oct 17 – Atlanta, GA -The Mammal Gallery w/ Shampoo
Oct 23 – Nashville, TN – The High Watt
Oct 24 – Macon, GA – Tattnall Square Park
Oct 25 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
Oct 26 – Hattiesburg, MS – Thirsty Hippo
Oct 27 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
Oct 28 – New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
Oct 29 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
Oct 30 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
Oct 31 – Austin, TX – The Sidewinder
Nov 01 – Dallas, TX – Three Links
Nov 03 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
Nov 04 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Nov 05 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Bahia
Nov 06 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
Nov 10 – Portland, OR – Star Theatre
Nov 11 – Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret
Nov 12 – Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
Nov 13 – Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown
Nov 14 – Walla Walla, WA – Main Street Studios
Nov 16 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Nov 17 – Fort Collins, CO – Downtown Artery
Nov 18 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Nov 19 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
Nov 20 – Lincoln, NE – Vega
Nov 21 – Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room
Nov 22 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
Nov 23 – Indianapolis, IN – Joyful Noise Recordings

More Info
Bandcamp: breathers.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @breathersmusic
SoundCloud: @breathers