Silversun Pickups – Tenterhooks

November 6, 2025 Alex Teitz

Today, Silversun Pickups, the multiplatinum, GRAMMY-nominated Los Angeles quartet announce their seventh studio album, Tenterhooks, which will be released on February 6th via their label, New Machine Recordings.

For the album, the band —Brian Aubert [vocals, guitar], Nikki Monninger [bass, vocals], Christopher Guanlao [drums], and Joe Lester [keys]—reunited with producer Butch Vig to create an emotionally charged and unapologetic collection of ten tracks appropriate for the times, yet as timeless as anything they’ve done. “We wanted to make a tight record that could fit on one vinyl with five songs on each side,” says Aubert. “To me, it’s an impatient, apprehensive, and more aggressive album. We started recording when the world was changing again. You invariably wonder, ‘What are we headed towards?’ Even if you’re not necessarily writing about it, it bleeds into how you’re feeling and approaching life. We stripped things down and went louder and rawer.”

Today Silversun Pickups also share “The Wreckage,” the first single from the album.

“I saw it as a ‘bass song’ in the vein of The Cure or Jane’s Addiction,” shares Aubert, “I wanted Nikki to have a signature bassline. I played it for her, she played along, and I began singing. The big guitars and the piano give it space to breathe. The lyric, ‘You get what you give’, is so true. You meet people and you live in a world that reflects what you put in.” Watch the lyric video for “The Wreckage” here.

The band today also announce their 30-date 2026 Tenterhooks Tour in cities including Santa Ana, Baltimore, New Orleans, Providence, Albuquerque, Edmonton, Oklahoma City and more. Tickets for these dates will go on general on-sale here on Friday, Nov 14 at 10am local time.

Silversun Pickups had finished touring in 2024 and enjoyed a rare break. During the downtime, Aubert saved voice memos, riffs, and other ideas as they came to him. Before he knew it, he found himself back in the studio with his bandmates and longtime producer Butch Vig [Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage]. After two records together, they had perfected a real-time exchange of ideas. The musicians grabbed their instruments and jammed live as the producer listened and recorded. The album took shape seamlessly, but life intervened. Butch had commitments on the road with Garbage, taking him away from the studio. Aubert meanwhile went through one of the worst nightmares imaginable for any artist: he lost hearing in one ear. During a seven-day stay in the hospital, he even received a blood transfusion. “I had a hole in my ear drum,” he recalls. “They couldn’t figure out why I was losing blood, so they gave me the transfusion. We found out there was a rupture in my stomach lining due to the ibuprofen I was taking for the pain. That’s why I had been losing blood. One day, I was finally hearing again.” Eventually, the band regrouped with Vig and concluded the sessions. The title referenced the phrase, “On Tenterhooks.” “There was something in the air,” he observes. “It seemed as if everyone was on Tenterhooks waiting for whatever was next. The music has the same feeling.”

The opener “New Wave” alternates between heavenly and hard-hitting. A massive palm-muted riff carries the harmony on the chorus. Its sublime chug dissolves in the wake of an evocative solo soaked in reverb.

“Au Revoir Reservoir” revolves around a snappy groove, ethereal keys, off-kilter horns, and a lush vocal from Monninger.

Then, there’s “Long Gone.” Frantically strummed acoustic chords rush ahead at the pace of a late-night escape. Strings echo in the distance, and Aubert assures, “I’ll be long gone before we break it.”

The finale “Hot-Wired” offers a fitting bookend. Feedback cackles and buzzes, increasing the voltage with kinetic synths.

Tenterhooks represents both a full circle moment and a natural step forward for Aubert and band. Silversun Pickups cut their teeth on the East Side of Los Angeles, honing an inimitable style by playing nonstop. Their full-length debut, Carnavas [2006], went Gold and spawned the Platinum staple “Lazy Eye.” On its heels, they logged two back-to-back Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 with Swoon [2009]—featuring the Gold-certified “Panic Switch”—and Neck of the Woods [2012]. “We’ve been a band for 25 years,” Aubert says. “I never would’ve imagined we would’ve been able to do this for so long. Somehow, we’re here. I’m thrilled we’re a band that people still find. When you listen to us, I hope you feel like after all of these years we still give a shit.” In the end, Silversun Pickups sound as urgent and undeniable as ever on Tenterhooks.

#silversunpickups

Leave a Reply Cancel reply