Exclusive Interview: The Thing Talk Analog Magic, NYC Grit & Redefining Rock
The Thing aren’t just reviving rock—they’re rewiring it. From their gritty New York City roots to their analog-only recording ethos, this four-piece band is tearing through conventions with swagger, soul, and a sound that feels both timeless and newly unearthed. On their upcoming self-titled album, The Thing—Zane Acord, Michael Carter, Jack Bradley, and Lucas Ebeling—ditch the laptop and dive headfirst into tape machines, instinct, and total musical immersion. With each new track, they balance chaos and clarity, nostalgia and innovation, rawness and cinematic storytelling. We caught up with the band as they gear up to release their latest batch of singles and head out on a world tour to talk about live takes, New York’s influence, and the strange magic that happens when you let the tape roll.
1. You recorded your upcoming album fully analog, live to tape, with no computer—what kind of magic (or chaos) happens when four musicians lock into a room like that, and what did it bring out in The Thing that fans haven’t heard before?
Zane: It made it more of a visual process, the whole writing of it was much more visual, we had to lean on our ears. It allowed us to get to a deeper place, where we lost ourselves
Michael: And you capture the magic of a live take.
Lucas: The flow from consciousness into the music became one thing doing the record analog, like Zane said we were lost in it, it’s hard to even remember writing/recording any of these songs.
2. “Can You Help Me?” features all three vocalists trading verses—it’s become a live staple. How did that track come together, and what’s the energy like on stage when you’re swapping mics mid-show?
Michael: It came together with a couple chords from a sound check and a drum beat that was brought into the studio. We found a chorus and then decided to do all three verses individually for the first time when arranging. Then we played the track a step up and vari-sped back down a step. The energy is palpable.
3. There’s a real cinematic quality to “Family Business”— like a short film packed into under three minutes. Who or what inspired the characters in that song, and do you ever imagine expanding those stories beyond the music?
Michael: We based it off the Royal Tenenbaums movie by Wes Anderson, so it’s no coincidence.
Zane: We always have dreamt of making an album movie, and that was initially the plan for this third album
Jack: It’s fun to put yourself in different perspectives.
Lucas: The band has become in a way, a family business.
4. You’ve drawn comparisons to legends like The Kinks and King Gizzard, but you’re also at the forefront of NYC’s modern rock revival. What does it mean to carry that torch, and how does the city itself shape your sound?
Jack: The city is a really inspiring place because there are so many venues and bands, constantly running into people and going to shows. We listen to and appreciate all decades of music.
Michael: We feel responsibility to do things authentically and create something modern.
Zane: It’s a dream come true to be in the rock and roll scene in NYC.
Lucas: The commotion of the city makes you feel an intense energy that gives the music its raw and unfiltered edge.
5. From schoolmates geeking out over Nuggets comps to recording live in a room like it’s 1972, your story has a rare purity. What’s keeping The Thing hungry, and how are you aiming to push rock & roll forward on your own terms?
Jack: We don’t want to be put in any box, we have a lot that we want to accomplish and try our hands at. We’re just in the early stages still.
Zane: We love making records so this is just the beginning, travelling the world has always been a goal of ours.
Lucas: We’re hungry to elevate our music and ourselves in every way possible whether studying more types of music, travelling and meeting new people and musicians, and putting these unique encounters into a tangible experience of a record. Listen to their latest below:
