Battleme - Cult Psychotica (2017)

Perhaps best known as the singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas band LIONS, Matt Drenik explores lo-fi folk and electro with his solo project Battleme. Started in 2009 after he was diagnosed with uveitis, an auto-immune disease that affects the eyes, the songwriter began to find his writing moving in a more expansive and personal direction. Looking for an outlet for all this new material, he relocated from Austin to Portland, Oregon and began writing songs in his basement, eventually churning out over 40 songs before getting the attention of Ghostland Observatory's Thomas Turner, who signed him to his Trashy Moped label in 2010. Drenik continued to build and refine his sound, creating a contemplative blend of lo-fi, folk, and electro that was a serious departure from the giant rock jams of LIONS. His full-length debut under his solo moniker, the eponymously titled Battleme, eventually arrived in 2012 on Trashy Moped. ~ Gregory Heaney