THE SWEET THINGS are a buzzed-about, young, dirty rock n’ roll band specializing in a potent blend of New York Dolls-style trash rock served up with country-fried Southern swagger and tight songcraft. Coming off two indie singles, “Love to Leave” and “Slather,” the New York City-based band will release its much-anticipated debut IN BORROWED SHOES, ON BORROWED TIME on May 24 via Wendigo Productions NYC/Spaghetty Town Records. It was produced by Matt Chiaravalle (Courtney Love, Debbie Harry) and recorded in, of course, NYC.
THE SWEET THINGS–Dave Tierney, lead vocals/rhythm guitar; Lorne Behrman, lead guitar, vocals; Sam Hariss, bass/vocals; and Darren Fried, drums/vocals–serve up the first taste of IN BORROWED SHOES, ON BORROWED TIME with the lyric video for the album track “Dead or Worse,” a cautionary tale born from blackout nights, getting hogtied and thrown out of bars for throwing shot glasses at walls, and vomiting in your girlfriend’s panty drawer. The song can be heard at all DSP’s
“I found the phrase ‘Dead or Worse’ scribbled in an old notebook of mine,” says Dave Tierney. “Drunken handwriting. A bleak and hazy transmission from some lost in-between hours of a night a while back.” He adds: “The subject matter sounds kind of dark at first, but the song is a celebration and an anthem to ‘partying in the face of it’ as we say in the song. Shit might end up bad in the end, but we’re here right now, ain’t we? It’s about a feeling. It’s about not giving a f*ck.”
Join in on the fun and see if you end up “Dead or Worse” in the below lyric video!
IN BORROWED SHOES, ON BORROWED TIME includes guest appearances across its 10 tracks from the likes of Alejandro Escovedo on guest vocals; the legendary horn section The Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones, James Brown); Brian Hurd of beloved blues bashers Daddy Long Legs on harmonica; Rob Clores (The Black Crowes) on keyboards; and boogie chanteuse Liza Colby on the gospel vocals. The inspiration for the album’s title came from an interaction bassist Sam Hariss had on one of those eventful nights out depicted in “Dead or Worse.” “I had borrowed a pair of blue cowboy boots and was wearing them at the bar for a happy hour shift, a good friend of mine, a little worse for wear and tear, looked me up and down,” recalled Hariss, “and from behind one pointed finger, retorted to no statement I could hear, “You’re not only in borrowed shoes, ‘YOU’RE on BORROWED TIME.’ She turned around and as she shifted back to her stool managed to add, ‘THERE’S your album title.’ Sometimes lightning strikes at a bar on Bowery. I really miss those boots.”
Previously THE SWEET THINGS have brought their party-filled swagger to venues across America: summer 2018 (West Coast, Pacific Northwest) and fall 2018 (East Coast, South, and Midwest). They’ve also performed in NYC at such venues as The Gramercy Theater, St. Vitus, Webster Hall, The Bowery Electric, and The Knitting Factory. They’re excited to make their UK debut on June 1 at the annual Camden Rocks festival in London alongside headlining acts Frank Turner and The Wonder Stuff.
The band is a real-deal New York City cast of characters with some plum press accolades, including Classic Rock magazine (U.K) which featured the band’s single “Slather” on their May 2018 issue’s compilation CD. They’ve also had spins on NYC’s FM radio flagship rock station Q104.3 as well as Sirius XM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage.
IN BORROWED SHOES, ON BORROWED TIME‘s track listing
- Liquor Lightning
- Dead or Worse
- In Borrowed Shoes on Borrowed Time
- Almost Faded
- Dr. Crazy Girl
- Drained
- Coke’n
- Through the Cracks of the City
- Fix to Kick
- Feed My Dog
