James A.M. Downes, Thrills, Brook Pridemore

Dear reader/listener,

One time this snake pit of a lady spit on me in a Manhattan subway station. Another time I got lucky and married a hopelessly wonderful girl in my hometown of Old Saybrook, CT. In a fever, I've been repeatedly trying to write my favorite song all my life. The only tattoo I have is my deceased dog's name written in Old English across my shoulders. I cried and cried. I have no idea how, but I haven't been arrested yet. The soundtracks to Homeward Bound and Jurassic Park changed my life. Then The Beatles did. Then Weezer did.

If you???re reading this, I imagine you???re trying to decide whether you give a shit about the music my friends and I have created. In the end, it???s up to you. But if you enjoy musical stories of naked insecurity and self-reflection/depreciation in the service of getting someone to crack a little smile, then I think I have half a chance.


Thrills, the brainchild of Michael Mullin of Vacationer, is a Philadelphia-based electro indie rock band since 2014. During years of touring the US and UK, Mullin dedicated his time off to the studio in Philly, channeling his cosmic philosophy into Thrills. The group is a rearrangement of Vacationer, with input from Greg Altman, Kenny Vasoli, and Ryan Zimmaro, in addition to drummer J. Earl Martin. The debut title of the project, "Thrills of Constantly Collapsing," speaks to the concept of creation necessitating destruction. Experimental soundscapes echo this idea through brainy vocal samples, punk guitar, noisy texture, and dimensions of polyrhythm. These themes are artfully explored in the EP Memory Envelope.