Robber Robber – Watch For Infection
Robber Robber Burlington, Vermont quartet of Nina Cates (guitar/vocals), Zack James (percussion), Carney Hamler (bass), and Will Krulak (guitar) — present “Watch For Infection,” the new single from their anticipated new album, Two Wheels Move the Soul, out April 3rd via Fire Talk Records.
Two Wheels Move the Soul collects a series of pressurized compositions to assemble Robber Robber’s thrillingly explosive sophomore album. “Watch For Infection” arrives in a blaze, a gnarled exhibit of piercing guitars, nimble percussion, and Cates’ signature “cool-headed delivery” (Alternative Press). “I caught you making fun of me,” she confesses atop a blaring backing, “I didn’t take it all too well.”
“Real emotions and moments inspired the feelings of ‘Watch for Infection,’ but the story is made up,” Cates says of the track, continuing: “Internal dialogue, ‘Watch for Infection’ as a reminder to take care of your shit and don’t let it bring you down in perpetuity. Don’t get bitter.” Accompanied alongside a visualizer, “Watch For Infection” follows Two Wheels Move the Soul lead single “The Sound It Made,” which received a wealth of praise from The New York Times, NPR Music, CREEM Magazine, Under The Radar and more.
Pinpointing the specific catalyst for an avalanche can be slippery — any combination of classic elements, human interference, or freak accident can trigger disaster — and documenting these precise moments rests on serendipitous impulses. On Two Wheels Move the Soul, Robber Robber offer themselves as ignition and capture every sound in the wake. Two Wheels Move the Soul was written and recorded throughout the winter of 2024 and 2025, a season of Cates’ life characterized by near-constant upheaval following the demolition of her and James’ longtime home. In a moment’s notice — and amidst a particularly brutal Vermont winter — Cates and James were left to fend for themselves. Luckily, the two were able to tap a deep well of support within their community, finding respite on the couches of Lily Seabird, Greg Freeman, and Thus Love’s Echo Mars. An unused attic provided their longest arrangement.
Robber Robber’s personal and economic chaos redirected into a hyperfocused attention on Two Wheels Move the Soul. Returning to Little Jamaica Studios — one of the sites for their acclaimed debut Wild Guess — Cates, James, Krulak, and Hemler hunkered down with their trusted engineer Benny Yurco. The familiarity between the cast of characters allowed the studio to become a sanctuary, and foregrounded Two Wheels Move the Soul’s constant foray into sonically adventurous terrain. “Everywhere else that we had to be, we were very much visitors,” James recalls. “When we were working on the record, it was nice because it felt like this is our space.” Still, an overwhelming sense of imminent disaster hangs over Two Wheels Move the Soul. Every scribble on the guitar thins the air, each stab of percussion and wave of distortion makes it that much harder to breathe.
Working through the discomfort of catastrophe and class is a central philosophy on Two Wheels Move the Soul. “You can leave it, but it follows you home,” Cates buries beneath incendiary bursts on “It’s Perfect Out Here in the Sun.” Easy to miss, it is a possible catalyst nonetheless. In the midst of the avalanche itself, the sparks ignited throughout Two Wheels Move the Soul fall by the wayside, and all that’s left is the wreck. “Upend, upend,” Cates intones atop kinetic and relentless instrumentation. Then the pressure cracks again. “So we dance.”
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