Released in October of 2016, the debut full length from Illegal Drugs was a dark and caustic affair that twisted elements of post-punk, goth, and hard rock into all manner of noisy and tempestuous knots. It was a powerful and propulsive first statement, one that seemed to set up the group of scene veterans for a promising future. But in the months following the album’s release, the band’s presence in Atlanta started to wane—they played increasingly less shows, and spent all of last year and, to now, all of 2018, without revealing any new music.

As it turns out, much of the group’s inactivity was caused by the departure of guitarist Joe Hardwick, which left remaining members John Robinson (guitar, vocals), Tom O’Neill (bass), and Shane Patrick (drums) with the task of reconfiguring the band’s cavernous riffs and grimy, visceral aura for a three-piece. Since then, Illegal Drugs have been lurking in the shadows, carving out new material and making plans to tour and record their next full length. Along the way, they’ve hatched a plot to produce a series of singles, the first of which we’re stoked to premiere for you today.

Truth be told, “Tie Your Own Rope” is exactly the sort of gritty stomper we hoped to hear from the band. Yeah, it’s loud and heavy and taut and all the good, brawny things the band delivered on their debut, but it also brings a large dose of hellacious swagger coupled with addictive hooks that dig under your skin and make you want to scream along. Indeed, with the song rumbling by in under two minutes, the sense of emotional and physical catharsis here is palpable, and that’s no accident.

“The inspiration for the song is all the shitty moments when you’re listening to what the monkey on your back keeps telling you to do, just sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and letting the noose get tied tighter and tighter,” explains Robinson. “It’s not a happy song, but hopefully it gets the energy out of anybody that’s feeling like the floor dropped out from underneath them, and maybe they can get their yell on and kick around in the dirt.”

Amen to that.

Illegal Drugs will perform on Thu., July 26 at the Rooftop of the Georgia Theatre alongside Mighty, Country Westerns, and the Minks. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $5. 21+ to enter.

More Info
Web: illegaldrugsband.com
Bandcamp: illegaldrugs1.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @illegaldrugs
Instagram: @illegaldrugsband
Twitter: @IllegalDrugsLTD