They say that if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life. But the truth is that to get to a place where that love is strong enough, you do have to put in the work. There will be ups and downs, moments when all of it feels like a waste of time. But every part of the journey will be worth it in the end. Just you see.
It’s been a long old road for Seattle’s own The Home Team as well. Almost a decade of scraping and scrapping, exploring and inventing, living and loving, to find themselves on the verge of something truly extraordinary. And though they have made their rise to becoming one of the scene’s most celebrated and creative exports, it has sometimes been a challenging ride.
That’s where their third full-length album, ‘The Crucible Of Life’, comes into play. A thorough and thrilling account of what it means to put your all into your passion and experience every high and low in real-time, it is a record that needed life to be lived to have a chance of existing in the form that it does. A chronicle of what it means to have your ambition, motivation and creativity tested by the ebbs and flows of the everyday, it is a testament to what happens when you harness pressure to make diamonds rather than letting it crush you under the weight.
Created throughout the entirety of 2023, in the middle of the most intense touring schedule the band – completed by guitarist John Baran, drummer Daniel Matson and bassist Ryne Olson – had ever been handed, the album details in real time what it means to finally be living out your dream but it perhaps not feeling as fun and freeing as you thought it might be. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, the likes of ‘Love & Co’ and ‘Brag’ detail how it feels to fall out with the thing you’re supposed to adore without question, whilst the double header of ‘Roommates’ and ‘Overtime’ look at the internal fight of head versus heart in the middle of the creative maelstrom. These are songs drenched in self-doubt, anxiety and frustration as much as admiration, gratitude and elation. A balance between loving and loathing where they have found themselves is as real and raw an account of life in the fast lane as you will ever hear.
And musically, it is the most comprehensive example of what The Home Team have always wanted to represent. Taking as many cues from smooth as silk RnB as it does rampant post-hardcore, with spine-tingling soul running through every twist and turn, it is a sound that is as unique as it is undeniable. From the liquid wooziness of ‘All Squeezed Out’ to the ferocious bludgeoning of ‘Hell’, through to the pitch-perfect grooves that bookend the record via ‘Turn You Off’ and ‘Loud’, alternative music has never felt this damn sexy.
In creating this lane of their own, the true essence of The Home Team becomes even more evident. Taking the time to rise through the ranks, learn who they are who and want to be along the way, and feel like every obstacle is a lesson to the learnt rather than a burden to bear, they now know what it takes to be world beaters. And in crafting a collection of songs that shows off everything that has made them fall head over heels for music throughout their lives, they feel even more comfort and confidence in deploying such dominance. But it is a love that cannot be bought or taught. It comes from deep inside.
For Brian specifically, the love he feels for the band and the part it plays in his life can be defined by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. From Psychological Needs at the bottom, Safety Needs, Love and Belonging, and Esteem are piled upon as you get closer to the summit. Then, at the very top is Self-Actualisation, the smallest aspect simply because it is the hardest thing to achieve. And though life in the band absolutely contributes to each step,The Home Team as a whole entity is still the closest that Brian, Daniel, John and Ryne have come to achieving that top pillar of the pyramid. That is true, unashamed love, which has carried the band through every milestone and fork in the road and will continue as they look towards the future. Things have never been more exhilarating and open than they are right now for the band, and ‘The Crucible Of Life’ is just the tip of a truly kaleidoscopic iceberg.
