More than any young American rock band, Kills Birds approach their songs with an intensity that’s so tangible it feels like the stakes are near life and death. Fronted by Nina Ljeti, a Bosnian-Canadian filmmaker the Los Angeles Times called “L.A.'s most electrifying new rock singer,” their performances are visceral and cathartic, with guitarist Jacob Loeb’s blistering riffs and Fielder Thomas’ pummeling basslines. While 2019’s Kills Birds was a debut that captured the promise of their grunge-inspired sound and Ljeti’s unflinching lyrics, Married, their follow-up is a triumphant representation of everything that makes them so thrilling. It’s a document of a band pushing their musical chemistry to new heights.

Dave Grohl invited Kills Birds to record at his Studio 606 in Northridge, California. In September, the band and producer Yves Rothman decamped there for a week and recorded Married on Grohl’s legendary Neve 8028 soundboard, the console from famed studio Sound City which captured albums as iconic as Nirvana’s Nevermind, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Rage Against The Machine, and dozens more. “Just on a technical level, the board is a beautiful sounding instrument,” said Loeb. “I expected that it would elevate our production in a way that we've never imagined but what I didn't expect was like this sense of really emotional history behind it, and the warmth of that studio and the people that work there.”

The songs on Married sound massive, a reflection of Kills Birds’ ferocious live show, soaring arrangements, and remarkably physical drumming from Bosh Rothman. Take “Cough Up Cherries,” which combines austere post-punk basslines with scorching solos and ample distortion, where Ljeti intones, “Us and our stupid brains / Our dramas, anxious pains / Waiting for affectation  / Scream out for your attention.” “This ultimate feeling of being in this place, with these people that I'm so insanely close to, after all the stuff we've been through: it was just cathartic,” said Thomas. “I remember hearing back one of the songs after a playback for the first time and it was so powerful.” Elsewhere, LP highlight “Glisten” is a slow-burner that highlights Ljeti’s astounding range as a vocalist and compassion as a writer. The song deals with heartbreak and doesn’t soften any blows when it comes to how devastating a partner’s betrayal can be.