Inspired by another Florida rock icon, Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace is starting a new band and releasing a new album, Bought To Rot, on legendary Americana indie imprint Bloodshot Records.
"It doesn’t have to be anything. No one can comparatively be disappointed because it’s not like the last record or the record before that, or the record before that," Grace, 37, told Rolling Stone about a new album from Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers. "Having that blank slate was really liberating.”
Inspired in large part by Full Moon Fever, the first album Grace ever owned, Bought to Rot (set for release on November 9) finds her at the same age Petty was when he created his revered solo debut. In light of his recent passing, Grace — who is joined by Against Me! drummer Atom Willard and ultimate punk-rock utility guy Marc Jacob Hudson on bass — was motivated to pay homage to one of her lifelong heroes.
UPDATE: It gets better — see this Twitter reply from Laura Jane Grace.
For the record I actually used a guitar and Amp that I bought off Stan Lynch from the Heartbreakers
— Laura Jane Grace (@LauraJaneGrace) August 29, 2018
Not everyone was initially sold a new band, though.
"When I was arguing with my manager for this new record, my manager was like, 'It’s a terrible idea. It will split attention between the bands,'" Grace said. "I was like, 'Fuck that. That’s what Tom Petty did! He released Full Moon Fever when he was 37 years old and was still in the Heartbreakers. And the Heartbreakers still went on to do many Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers records after that."
"It doesn’t mean I’m quitting Against Me! and don’t want to do it," she added. "I just need to do this thing. "
Leading the showcase is the album’s first single, “Apocalypse Now (& Later),” a touching track about witnessing the end of the world with the person you care about the most. Stream it below, and call your local record store to see if it will carry the release.
This article appears in Aug 23-30, 2018.