Photo by Andrew Gibson

Disclaimer: Two of Beeef’s members – Perry Eaton and Daniel Schiffer – were part of the founding team at Allston Pudding, though they are no longer staff members. We still throw ’em some love every now and then. 

When we talk about “coming-of-age,” are we talking about a specific point in time, or an ongoing process of maturity, one littered with mistakes, failures, disappointments, and hopefully some good times on the way to keep us balanced? When we’re younger, we feel like we can change in a matter of seconds; but as time goes by, we start to realize that maturity comes in increments. Even when you’re staring down the barrel of 30, you’ll probably realize you’ve still got a lot to learn. And, hey, that’s cool. Everyone needs to grow at their own pace.

Enter Beeef, with help from fellow-local Sidney Gish. Unless you’re brand new to the area, you’re probably already familiar with both these acts. For the past few years, both of these artists have maintained a steady stream of releases to cement themselves as local indie staples. 2017’s A Beeef CD and Gish’s No Dogs Allowed found both pushing themselves beyond local status, into the ears of wider audiences.

Bull in the Shade, Cover by TJ Freda

To cut to the chase, if you’ve been waiting patiently for some fresh Beeef, well we’ve got a special delivery. The band is back with a new single plucked straight from their upcoming sophomore LP, Bull in the Shade. To give you a little tease of what to expect from the album, the band’s premiering “I’m So Sorry,” the album’s leadoff single. For the track, they enlisted the help of Gish to sing the song’s second verse.

For Bull in the Shade, the band headed out to Easthampton to work with alternative/indie rock veteran Justin Pizzoferrato – whose credit list includes work with Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., and Speedy Ortiz – at Sonelab Studios. While they’re staying true to their laid-back indie-pop vibe, they used this record to push their lyrical content.

I’m So Sorry, Cover by Perry Eaton

True to form, Beeef’s sound shines through on the single, with breezy, interwoven guitars. It’s a song that feels quintessentially Allston, especially that version of Allston we get in the height of summer: sitting out grilling and drinking on front porches, trying to keep ourselves in the shade, wondering when the MBTA will finally get its shit together (spoiler: not anytime soon). Beeef vocalist Perry Eaton and Sidney Gish trade off vocal duties, delivering lyrics that name drop the North Shore, among other locales.

It’s a song about growing up, but not in that teen movie way. That slow lonely way that comes in your 20s. Beeef waste no time in setting up this imagery, kicking off the song with the line “Teenage minds disappear over time.” Let’s hope so, and make sure the best years of our lives are yet to come.

Bull in the Shade comes out on July 26th. Stream the leadoff single, “I’m So Sorry” featuring Sidney Gish below via Spotify.