Episode 41: Dustin Kensrue (Thrice)

Palms.  

On this episode we speak to musician and songwriter Dustin Kensrue. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Thrice

At the end of summer 2017, not long after Thrice had finished up a national tour, singer Dustin Kensrue woke up in the middle of the night and found himself fixated on the mental image of an open hand—a visual that instantly became his touchstone in the writing of Thrice’s tenth album, Palms.

In the spirit of that openness, Thrice created Palms with a free-form and fluid approach to the album’s sonic element. The result is their most expansive work to date, encompassing everything from viscerally charged post-hardcore to piano-driven balladry. To carve out that eclectic sound, Thrice enlisted trusted producer Eric Palmquist for the recording of the percussion and vocal tracks, and self-produced all of the guitar parts on Palms. 

Much like its predecessor—2016’s politically minded To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere—Palms mines a great deal of inspiration from the literary and philosophical realm. In his lyric-writing, Kensrue drew from sources as varied as the lectures of philosopher Alan Watts, the writings of Franciscan friar Richard Rohr, and the process metaphysics of mathematician Alfred North Whitehead. 

Thrice’s first release since signing to Epitaph in early 2018, Palms matches its raw passion with a measured intensity, a rare feat for an album so informed by the volatility of the times. Within that approach, Thrice reveal their profound commitment to making an enduring impact on the listener. 

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