thisworldisnotkind
Photo Credit 📷 : @ghostfinder.jpg
Hidden between the unending rows of corn and soybeans lies Iowa City, Iowa — home base for an outfit who seem to effortlessly meld the sonic qualities of first wave screamo alongside a more unconventional approach with regards to instrumentation. That’s right, folks, today we’re dropping a new track from the latest EP, grief by thisworldisnotkind: “I Think We're Gonna Have to Kill This Guy, Steven.”
Opening with quietly plucked strings and fingers sliding across guitar frets; low, dulcet bass notes; and quickly accompanied by the sounds of Laela’s somber trumpet; “I Think We're Gonna Have to Kill This Guy, Steven” is a track where the sonic juxtaposition of quiet/pretty and loud/punishing mimics the duality of humankind — the exploitive capitalistic society where society’s upper crust continues its manipulation of the working class to continue stretching the wage gap to its furthest extremes. On the origin of the song, guitarist Jackie tells us, “‘Steven’ was written during a long period of unemployment where I felt the weight of capitalism crushing down on me, trying to afford rent and basic necessities with the pocket change I made off doordashing while getting rejected by countless job applications and waiting months for unemployment checks to process.”
thisworldisnotkind draw inspiration from a variety of influences and when those bits and pieces come together they are an evocation of that cornucopia. The sum of their parts, a sprinkling of American Football (trumpets, y’all) and Orchid (those heavier, dissonant, off-putting and ugly sections) help paint the picture. Yet the nostalgia of bygone eras pulls me, too. Shades of “Postlapsaria” by Saetia — not only from the jazzier, quiet bits, but also the sonic quality of distorted “bedroom” screamo, characterized by the distinct lack of sheen and polish. Simultaneously I can’t help but to recall the experimental I Would Set Myself on Fire for You, with thisworldisnotkind and their use of trumpet, but also in the multi-person refrain: “this house is on fire, and they hold the matches / they’ll be crushed beneath the weight of our masses.”
“THE QUESTION OF THE ‘GREATER WHY’ BEHIND THIS BAND IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN CONSIDERING. IN A BROADER SENSE, MY HOPE IS THAT BY SPEAKING ON THESE TOPICS WE CAN FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT OF RADICAL OPENNESS AND EMPATHY WHERE PEOPLE CAN TAKE THEIR MASKS DOWN AND BE SEEN AND ACCEPTED IN ALL THEIR DAMAGED, BEAUTIFUL HUMANNESS. I WANT PEOPLE TO THINK OF US AS A BAND THAT HELPED THEM FEEL LESS ALONE IN THEIR DARKEST MOMENTS.”
-BRANDON, @THISWORLDISNOTKIND
The EP grief is released this week, and features three tracks in total, and each in its own way explores the shared experience of one of life’s only guarantees, death. When discussing the exploration of the subject matter, Laela writes, “For lyrics, almost all my writing is based on the process of catharsis. I take something that is weighing on me heavily (such as guilt after a friend’s suicide) and write about it in very literal terms and scream it until I feel better. Vocal rhythms are designed to play well with or against the instrumentals. Vocal stylings are based on emotions and how I want the songs to flow.”
The instrumentation is strong, here, as the band takes its myriad of influences and blends them alongside their formal and informal training. Laela’s time spent with the trumpet is obviously demonstrated in our feature track (screamo needs more horns), and Brandon’s approach to not only drums, but in the feel and timbre of tracks is ever-present: “I think in general for me the really dramatic use of dynamics is something I'm pulling from my orchestral experiences. I also listen to a lot of extreme metal - mainly avantgarde black metal and dissodeath lately - and I’m always trying to find ways to incorporate that stuff without us going fully into the blackened screamo trend.” Those dynamic are showcased all over the EP, punctuated by Jackie and Glab (guitar and bass respectively) and their approach to quiet/loud dichotomy.
“IT ALSO SIGNIFIES THE BILLIONS OF LIVES LOST IN KEEPING THIS CAPITALIST MACHINE RUNNING -- FROM THE MILLIONS KILLED BY IMPERIALIST FORCES AROUND THE WORLD TO SECURE LAND AND CHEAP RESOURCES AND LABOR FOR THE FIRST-WORLD, TO THOSE WHO ARE LITERALLY WORKED TO DEATH BY EMPLOYERS WHO DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THEM…”
-JACKIE, @THISWORLDISNOTKIND
grief was recorded by Tyler Cieck of R.I.P. in Peace Records and mastered by Lotte Rosøy at Cellophane Recording Co. The songs were tracked live, and you can feel it. The cohesive approach lends itself nicely to the style, and feels to capture the spirit of the records which make up our screamo origin stories. Vocals, trumpet, and additional guitar parts received a layer of overdubs.
This is the sound of a band absolutely locked in, and it speaks to their writing process, which Brandon describes: “Generally we do it old school, someone brings in an idea or two and we develop it as a band, though lately Jackie has been killing it, writing out full songs on guitar. For me specifically on drums, I generally am trying to avoid just playing “beats” and am trying to think more about dynamics and composition, how I can compliment the rest of the instrumentation, and how one part progresses to the next.”
thisworldisnotkind is Laela on vocals and trumpet, Glab on bass and backing vocals, Jackie on guitar and backing vocals, and Brandon on drums.
Follow them on bandcamp here : thisworldisnotkind
Writer : @garevthistle
Editor : @just_reidz
11/19/2025
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