Hot New Band: Counterparts

Remember that time you had your heart shattered into a million shards of bloody glass thanks to a girl or guy?

Remember the pain and anguish and internal torment you felt after wasting years of your life with that person who, in fact, turned out not to be ‘the one’? Brendan Murphy does. And he’s condensed the purest strains of torment into the new Counterparts album Tragedy Will Find Us.

“When it came to recording I didn’t have many of the lyrics done. I think I had two or three songs finished, but while we were in there, my life pretty much went to shit,” the frontman tells us from his home in Canada.

“It pretty much turned my life upside down,” he continues. “We were out on tour and I came home to a gigantic mess. Then I was home for Xmas before more tours. I had to respond to the whole thing in real time, which is kind of what the record is.”

In his own way, Brendan has penned a concept record as each song is representative of each passing day and his “responding to what’s going on in a different way.” As you might expect, the lyrical content is bleak, but that isn’t his sole intention. In fact it captures the entire emotional spectrum – from ‘fuck you’ to ‘fuck it’ (two very different feelings). Due to this, Brendan is keen for fans to listen to Tragedy… in its entirety to fully immerse themselves in the world he created in the studio, and his headspace at the time.

Conversely, Counterparts have been in constant incline. Having toured solidly for the past four years with little time off, “it’s been a steady growth,” as Brendan states. But why are so many more fans flocking to the island of Counterparts in this vast ocean of melodic hardcore?

“We’re an honest band,” the frontman replies matter-of-factly. “There’s no veil with our band… I think people relate to that, and we’ve become this approachable band because we’re not like, ‘Oh, we’re Counterparts and the only way you can hang out with us is if you pay for the meet’n’greet.’ We just become friends with people. I’d rather have that and be poor than be a giant band that rush to the fucking bus after the show, ’cos if somebody looks at me and they haven’t paid money for it, I’m gonna snap!”

And as his band are booked on tour until December, with what sounds like even more coming their way early next year, the number of friends Counterparts make will only increase. “Even if you hate us, we’re always in your fuckin’ city!” You’ve been warned.

Tragedy Will Find Us is out now via Pure Noise

Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.