Photo courtesy of Terrorbird Media

By all accounts, New York indie-pop five piece Ravens & Chimes’ new album, Holiday Life, should’ve been out awhile ago. They recorded the first half three years ago, but a host of problems prevented completion: In-band fighting. Working day jobs after spending long months on the road. No money. All logical speed bumps that would stifle creativity. But at the same time, Ravens & Chimes principle Asher Lacks says that the writing process reflected all these notions. “We came so close to falling apart on this record,” he tells Hive. “As a result I think loss and expectation are big themes on this album; musically the playing is a lot darker and moodier.”

The first single “Night” reflects that temperament. At its core, the song’s about trying to bed someone after a night out. But a proud conquest song this is not. “I’m not sure if it worked but I was hoping this song would convey something slightly sadder and more uneasy than the lyrics by themselves,” Lacks says. “I think everyone’s been in a situation where they’ve represented themselves as honest while their motives were less than. I was hoping to give a bit of that to this song.”

Holiday Life arrives April 3 on Better Looking Records.