Name: Müscle Wörship
Members: Sean Bergman (vocals, guitar), Anthony Piazza (bass), Nathan Wilder (drums)
From: Lawrence, KS
RIYL: Bastro, Polvo, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Cursive, Panel Donor, Zoom
Genre: Post-Punk
MUSIC
PHOTOS
ALBUM ARTWORK
PRESS
Müscle Wörship are fantastic…they blew the crowd away. – Kris Poland, Ghettoblaster Magazine
Incredible…Distorted bass lines. Powerful screaming vocals. Some of the best live drumming I’ve seen in years…my favorite band of the evening. – Austin Town Hall
[Müscle Wörship] fucking rules…The music is complex without being too full of itself. – Ian Hrabe, The Pitch
The general effect is a sort of visceral whoa feeling. But Müscle Wörship’s sound is also fiercely controlled, the result of a lengthy songwriting process in which more ideas are thrown out than kept. – April Fleming, The Pitch
It seems you can’t swing a dead cat in town without hitting some exciting chatter about [Müscle Wörship]. Every single member of this band is talented. Extremely talented. This is some of the finest guitar playing you’ll see in Lawrence, and it’s fronted by the powerful, growling vocals of Sean Bergman. The drummer, Nathan Wilder, is absolutely thrilling…Equal parts rock and beautiful melody. – Fally Afani, I Heart Local Music
There isn’t a single thing in Müscle Wörship’s music that I completely understand, but I know it is incredible…They completely blow me away every time I see them…Müscle Wörship’s sound is unmistakable. – Nicholas Stahl, I Heart Local Music
Meticulously arranged, obliquely analytical rock. – Greg Stitt, Riot On The Plaza
BIOGRAPHY
Wild and angular post-punk powerhouse Müscle Wörship will be on a 2-week tour throughout the eastern U.S. this month. After spending last summer on the road supporting The Appleseed Cast (Graveface Records) and 2 weeks on tour this winter in celebration of last year’s debut release, the Lawrence, KS favorites are heading back out on the road for a spring tour in preparation for entering the studio to record their follow-up album. Müscle Wörship, comprised of singer/guitarist Sean Bergman, bassist Anthony Piazza, and drummer Nathan Wilder (who also plays drums in The Appleseed Cast), delivers a mesmerizing live show full of accessible hooks that spill out of deceptively complex song structures. Performances build to a full-bodied crescendo – Larryville Chronicles crowned the trio the loudest band in Lawrence, and Austin Town Hall describes the band as “incredible,” identifying their sound as “a mix of Cymbals Eat Guitars (1st non crap album) and early period Cursive sans the cello.”
Müscle Wörship draws inspiration from deep regional roots. “We wanted to [create] melodic, angular, and challenging music that we grew up around in the Midwest of the late 90’s and early 2000’s and weren’t finding anymore in our local scene. We pay homage to the bands we loved from our area during those times, like Panel Donor and Zoom” says Bergman, “and even to earlier influences from Bastro and Polvo. We like to make music that sounds very challenging at first, but still has the hooks that make you want to repeat listens until the weird stuff sinks in. This is what we loved about certain records we discovered growing up. The ones that grow on you with every listen.”
The longtime friends have opened for Maserati, performed at SXSW 2012, and contributed to a Replay Records compilation. Müscle Wörship adds unpronounced umlauts to their name in the tradition of bands like Motörhead as a point of differentiation from the fetish that their Google-landmine of a moniker evokes – plus, as Bergman tells The Pitch, “I’ve always been a fan of the uncomfortableness of punk names…like Pissed Jeans or Circle Jerks…It’s easy to make fun of power worship.”
Müscle Wörship is heading east this spring. Expect to experience what April Fleming of The Pitch describes as “a visceral whoa feeling.” Expect to hear rich textures, intense vocals, heavy guitars, powerful distorted bass, and thrilling beats. Expect to see singer/guitarist Sean Bergman’s glasses repeatedly traversing the length of his nose. Expect to need earplugs.
2014 SPRING TOUR DATES
5/23/14: Minneapolis, MN – 331 Club
5/24/14: Milwaukee, WI – Frank’s Power Plant
5/25/14: Champaign, IL – Error Records
5/27/14: Dayton, OH – Canal Street Tavern
5/28/14: Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
5/29/14: Detroit, MI – TBA
5/30/14: Grand Rapids, MI – Mulligan’s Pub
5/31/14: Chicago, IL – Quenchers
6/1/14: Chicago, IL – Do Division St. Fest
6/2/14: Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
6/3/14: Iowa City, IA – Trumpet Blossom Cafe
6/4/14: Kansas City, KS – House Show
6/5/14: St. Louis, MO – Schlafly Tap Room
6/6/14: Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
2013 DECEMBER TOUR DATES
12/5/13: Lawrence, KS – The 8th Street Tap Room
12/7/13: Champaign, IL – The Velvet Elvis
12/8/13: Champaign, IL – Error Records
12/9/13: Pittsburgh, PA – Howlers
12/10/13: Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
12/11/13: Washington, D.C. – The Velvet Lounge
12/12/13: Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
12/13/13: Columbus, OH – Kobo Live
12/14/13: Wyandotte, MI – The Rockery
12/15/13: Chicago, IL – Quenchers
12/16/13: Moline, IL – Blackhawk Room
12/19/13: Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
THE TEMP AGENCY publicity 