Listen to unreleased Abilene songs with Doug McCombs of Tortoise

Abilene (members of Hoover, Regulator Watts, June of 44, Just A Fire and Bloodiest amongst others) quietly dissolved in 2004 but not before opening yet another chapter in their sound with these final songs written with Doug McCombs on bass.

Abilene Demos, Unreleased and Comp Trks cover (Art by Damon Locks)

Shortly after releasing their 2nd LP Two Guns, Twin Arrows in 2002 bassist Craig Ackerman (formerly of Lustre King and later Sterling and Bloodiest) made the decision to leave the band:

I had to drop off because I was having my first child. At the time I didn’t know how to make both of those things work (but I know that people do it every day). I loved the band and I was still dedicated to making that music but I had to re-examine what was important to me. I didn’t want to have to compromise what they wanted to do versus what I felt like I could do. That seemed disingenuous so I was very straight with them and luckily it all worked out at that time. — Craig Ackerman

Abilene had two 2-week tours booked and after weighing their options (one being having trumpeter Fred Erskine move to bass. The significance of which would not be lost on fans of Hoover, The Crownhate Ruin or June of 44) they asked Doug McCombs of Tortoise to join them.

Before and after those final tours the band wrote two songs with Doug.

What I remember about those new ones is that we were definitely trying to write more kind of unison or harmony lines together. Some of that was loosely based on an afropop influence that I had at that time. That was just something that was kicking around on our turntables and we were seeing if there was a way to marry that world into this weird Abilene aesthetic. Which is just kind of a strange marriage of sounds but everything was just changing fast — I know I was — and everybody I was around was always looking for new and different ways to apply your creativity — to push in different directions. — Fred Erskine

“Last #1” shows a side to Abilene not seen since “Camellia” — the first song they wrote after Erskine joined the band in 2001. McCombs and drummer Scott Adamson supply a bright and jumpy rhythm section with Alex’s guitar and Fred’s trumpet trading lyrical lines back and forth. I’m willing to bet that this song will be a shock to fans of the albums but having listened to it regularly for 5 years I just think of it as one of Abilene’s finest moments.

The second track “Last #2” will be more familiar to fans with its darker tone that echoes the post-rock sounds of Abilene but the emphasis on repetition and Alex and Fred’s interplay really does seem like the band was on its way to somewhere new.

These songs will be streaming 10/3 on the Endee Burial discography but we’re pleased to present them for you today.

Order Abilene’s Endee Burial boxset featuring remastered versions of their two full-lengths and a 3rd LP of unreleased and rare material like these songs now at Landland Colportage.

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