Bought to Rot

Bought to Rot is the debut solo full-length album by Laura Jane Grace, best known as founder and leader of Against Me!. The record was released under the pseudonym Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers, referring to the group's members: Grace herself, Atom Willard (current drummer of Against Me!) and Marc Hudson (long-time sound engineer and collaborator with Against Me!). The album was released on November 9, 2018, on Bloodshot Records, a Chicago label that Grace approached when she discovered the label's headquarters was a few blocks from her residence.[10]

Bought to Rot
Studio album by
Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers
ReleasedNovember 9, 2018
RecordedMay–June 2018
StudioRancho Recordo
GenrePunk rock,[1] indie rock,[2] heartland rock[2]
Length38:21
LabelBloodshot
ProducerLaura Jane Grace, Marc Hudson
Laura Jane Grace chronology
Heart Burns
(2008)		 Bought to Rot
(2018)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Line of Best Fit[2]8/10
Exclaim![5]8/10
The Guardian[6]
Paste[7]7.5/10
Under the Radar[8]5/10
NME[9]

The album's title refers to the difficulty of Grace having written the album's songs, but feeling that they were not suitable for an Against Me! record, which was expected to be the album Grace would release in 2018.[11]

Background and recording
I went in and asked if they’d consider giving the songs a home. They were cool enough to hear me out and oblige. I couldn’t be more happy about the work we’re going to do together and sharing it with the world.[10]

—Grace, on partnering with Bloodshot

Laura Jane Grace announced in July 2018 that the band she had performed previous solo tours with since 2016,[12] The Devouring Mothers, had recently completed Grace's second solo record together, to be released on Bloodshot Records in Autumn 2018. The band's members since its inception have been Grace and Willard from Against Me!, as well as long-time producer and collaborator Marc Hudson.[13] The album is said to be heavily influenced by the works of Rowland S. Howard[14] and Tom Petty,[10][15] and includes collaborations with other artists.[16]

Despite Bought to Rot being announced and released as the first record with The Devouring Mothers, it is in fact the second album the trio have recorded together.[17] The first album recorded by the three was done so in 2017, and was entirely made up of the Mountain Goats covers, which approached record labels refused to release due to its lack of originality.[18]

Following a period of turbulence in Against Me!, the songs were recorded quickly in order to have them finalised before Grace underwent surgery shortly after the record's release, so as not to have the songs "rot" like surplus groceries bought.[19] Grace later confirmed in January 2019 that she had undergone facial feminisation surgery as part of her transition.[20]

The album was announced for preorder on 29 August, with an immediate release of "Apocalypse Now (& Later)" (the fourth track on the album) on streaming services.[21] On 11 October, "The Airplane Song" began streaming online,[22] followed by "Reality Bites" on 25 October.[23]

Before being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Against Me! covered the song "Reality Bites" as a full band in two live shows in March 2020.[24]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Laura Jane Grace except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."China Beach" 2:04
2."Born in Black" 3:10
3."The Airplane Song" 2:30
4."Apocalypse Now (& Later)" 2:15
5."Reality Bites"Grace, Sabrina Ellis[25]2:11
6."Amsterdam Hotel Room" 2:07
7."The Friendship Song" 3:04
8."I Hate Chicago" 3:03
9."Screamy Dreamy" 2:05
10."Manic Depression" 3:48
11."The Acid Test Song" 3:06
12."The Hotel Song" 2:49
13."Valeria Golino" 3:15
14."The Apology Song" 2:54
Total length:38:21

Personnel

Band

Additional musicians

Production and design
  • Laura Jane Grace – producer
  • Marc Hudson – producer, mix engineer, recording engineer, photography
  • Atom Willard – producer
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Stewart Whitmore – mastering
  • Steak Mtn. – artwork concept and layout[26]
  • Bryce Mata – photography[27]
  • Mikaela J Palermo – merchandise concepts[28]

References
  1. "Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers' 'Bought to Rot' Proves Empowerment Is Eventually Obtainable". PopMatters. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  2. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers - Bought to Rot". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  3. "Critic Reviews for Bought to Rot - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  4. "Bought to Rot - Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  5. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers Bought to Rot". Exclaim!. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  6. "Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers: Bought to Rot review – nihilism and tenderness". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  7. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers: Bought To Rot Review". Paste<. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  8. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers: Bought To Rot (Bloodshot) Review". Under the Radar<. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  9. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers - 'Bought To Rot'". NME<. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  10. "Bought to Rot". 23 August 2018.
  11. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter".
  12. "Live Review: Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers at the Sinclair in Boston". 24 February 2016.
  13. "Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace Announces Solo Album With Devouring Mothers". 31 July 2018.
  14. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter". Twitter.
  15. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter".
  16. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter".
  17. Bernstein, Jonathan (29 August 2018). "Laura Jane Grace on New Band Devouring Mothers and the Future of Against Me!".
  18. https://youtube.com/11GZjbaVrQI&t=660
  19. Bernstein, Jonathan (29 August 2018). "Laura Jane Grace on New Band Devouring Mothers and the Future of Against Me!".
  20. "Laura Jane Grace on Instagram: "A month ago I had FFS. Now I have a mesh screen of titanium permanently screwed into my forehead. Being trans is a trip y'all, a wild, wild…"". Instagram. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  21. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers 'Bought to Rot'".
  22. BSHQ. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers "The Airplane Song" (Audio)". Retrieved 6 January 2019 – via YouTube.
  23. BSHQ. "Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers "Reality Bites" [Audio]". Retrieved 6 January 2019 – via YouTube.
  24. https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/laura-jane-grace-and-the-devouring-mothers-13c87155.html?song=Reality+Bites
  25. "BMI - Repertoire Search". repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  26. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter".
  27. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter".
  28. "Laura Jane Grace on Twitter".
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