GIFT Finds Ultimate Freedom With ‘Momentary Presence’

MusicReview

Nov 2

☆ By JANET HERNANDEZ ☆

TJ FREDA’S LONG-TIME VISION OSSIFIED — Momentary Presence is the newly-released debut album from psychedelic rock quintet GIFT. It’s expansive, made to get lost in, and doesn’t quite fit into a single genre. That’s what bandleader Freda sought to make with the album and the band: an antithesis to the sadness, stress, and restraint he once felt from the music world.

“I was having a lot of trouble with anxiety and feeling bummed out that something I love so much, which is music, made me so sad,” Freda says. “I was jaded.”

Before he knew the band’s name or gathered its members, the ethos of GIFT was breathing. Inspired by therapy and the book Be Here Now by guru Ram Dass, Freda was intent on letting go. “I wanted a no-pressure outlet to record music,” he shares. “That's kind of where the [album] name comes from: sharing the present, sharing the moment.”

With bandmates Jessica Gurewitz, Kallan Campbell, Justin Hrabovsky, and Cooper Naess, the group has dreamt up a debut that is sonically ethereal and lyrically affecting. Freda is well-aware of transience and the beauty of living in the moment. Time is the album’s dominant trope.

Freda’s vocal delivery is soft and his lyrics are sparse, complementing the expansive soundscapes on the album. Punchy guitars on the “Gumball Garden” effortlessly flow into the cosmic track “Share the Present.” Freda explains that “When You Feel It Come Around” is like a mantra — much like the path from statement to blooming sentiment, the track starts with one shimmering synth that leads into a swell of instrumentals. Melding psych-rock, shoegaze, and even pop influences make for many striking details and intricacies. Freda asks listeners to take a moment to follow along.

“That temporary feeling of stillness among chaos is the way I wanted everyone to feel when they listen to it,” he describes.

To deal with regular anxiety attacks, Freda would listen to music alone, with his eyes closed and headphones on. Albums took on a new level of intimacy, and he found comfort this way. He hopes others can feel the same with his work.

Momentary Presence is two and a half years in the making, but Freda says it feels like five. It’s the hardest he’s ever worked on something, and the group is preparing to bring the album on the road. “We're stoked on the live set right now,” Freda says. “The energy is there, and it’s been a whirlwind since the pandemic broke.”

The release show for the album was a sold-out event, but only a glimpse into the fervor surrounding GIFT. “Knock on wood, but we've never had a not–extremely packed show in New York, just from the beginning,” Freda shares. “Having been in bands before, that's very rare.”

The group went months without seeing each other, let alone rehearsing, when New York’s pandemic lockdown took effect. Limited resources and opportunities for collaboration left Freda on his own to build out his studio and take on the album’s production from his Brooklyn apartment.

“I felt so restless,” he recalls. “I had all this pent-up energy — we just started this project. I was like, ‘I'm going to make the record and pick up right where it got halted.’”

Turning what may seem like limitations into motivation to try something new, Freda chose to explore, play, and learn. Listening to a wide range of music, from Spiritualized to Dua Lipa, Freda was studying production and setting benchmarks for himself. But to fully allow himself the freedom to create, Freda had to strip away any hesitance he had around tackling the full album, taking on sound engineer duties.

“For so long I told myself, ‘No, you're not an engineer, you're not this,’” he shares. “After this record, I have engineer friends coming to me, like, ‘How did you get that guitar sound?’ I did that, you know. Most people probably think this is done in a big studio. But realistically, it was just done on a laptop and in my bedroom using what I had at the time.”

As a songwriter and producer, Freda is feeling confident as of late. The band is gearing up for shows in the Northeast and is working on new music. Whether he’s recording snippets with his Notes app on the city streets or improvising with the band, Freda enjoys the work that goes into making art.

“I love creating things, and I feel like I'm creating things every day,” he shares. “That's the peace that this project and this album have brought.”

Sept 13 – Troy, NY – No Fun (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)

Sept 14 – Boston, MA – Rockwell (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)

Sept 15 – Portland, ME – Oxbow Brewing (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)

Sept 17 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)

Sept 20 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (w. Catcher, Public Circuit) *Record Release Show*

Sept 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy (w. Catcher)

Sept 22 – Washington, DC – DC9 (w. Catcher)

Sept 25 – Chicago, IL – Schubas (w. Catcher)

Oct 10 – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin

Oct 11 – London, UK – Moth Club

Oct 12 – Manchester, UK – YES (Basement)

Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds

Oct 15 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (w. BODEGA)

Oct 16 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club (w. BODEGA)

Oct 17 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2 (w. BODEGA)

Oct 18 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – The Cluny (w. BODEGA)

Oct 19 – Cardiff, UK – SWN FEST

Oct 21 – Cambridge, UK – Junction 2 (w. BODEGA)

Oct 22 – Sheffield, UK – Crookes Social Club (w. BODEGA)

Oct 23 – Bristol, UK – Lantern Hall (w. BODEGA)

Oct 24 – London, UK – Earth Hall (w. BODEGA)

Oct 26 – Amsterdam, NL – LONDON CALLING @ Paradiso (w. Chanel Beads, STRKFR, English Teacher)

Oct 27 – Appeldorn, NL – De Gigant

Nov 1 – Utrecht, NL – DB’s

Nov 4 – Paris, FR – SuperSonic

Nov 5 – Dijon, FR – Club La Vapeur

Nov 6 – Nantes, FR – La Lune Froide

Nov 7 – Lorient, FR – Les Indisciplinées (L’Hydrophone) (w. Corridor & Cucamaras)

Nov 8 – Saint, Lô, FR – Les RDV Soniques Festival (Ateliers Arts Plumes)

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫