Say what you will, but Nonagon has always been respectful of your time.

For most of their existence they had resigned themselves to being an “EP band.” Every once in a while they would choose 6-or-so of our songs to record and release in short bursts, but they spent most of their energy on writing, practicing, playing shows, and building community.

As the last collection of “keepers” was coming together, it became apparent that they might finally, after 15+ years as a band, have hit something of a stride. While they are confident that the previous records were good, They Birds feels more cohesive. A record that show-cases what they've been reaching for. More confidence. Wider scope.

The songs blend the personal and political: injustice (“Swing Goat” and “The Holdouts”), the foils of aging ungracefully (“Slow Boil”), the karma of genius (“Family Meal”), the perils of gig-work (“Hack”), and a Venn diagram of “all of the above” with a through-line of “first, don’t be a jerk.”

If you hear any Touch and Go, Homestead, Dischord, SST or Am-Rep here, they'll be flattered. That said, they've always tried to build on the things that inspire us. They hope that They Birds moves the conversation forward... or at least doesn’t set it back.

If all of this seems a little high-minded and you’re thinking “Okay, Exxers,” we won’t argue. But trust this: we’ve never been interested in wasting your time and don’t think we’re wasting your time now. If you like this kind of thing, we think you will like our thing.

Humbly recommended if you like Jawbox, Drive Like Jehu, Scrawl, Fugazi, Chavez, basement shows in the mid 90s, or jumping into water that’s just a little frigid.

Limited to 300 copies.