By Simon Vozick-Levinson
New York is home to a thriving underground of edgy, experimental noise bands right now, and Brutus VIII, the conceptual project led by musician Jackson Katz, is one of the best. He’s made some unforgettable appearances in the city opening for buzzy acts like Model/Actriz and Godcaster; his live act, which combines stomping no-wave grooves with aspects of deadpan comedy and modern dance, was a standout at this year’s SXSW music festival. If all that sounds intriguing, get ready to go even deeper: Brutus VIII just announced a new EP, Do It for the Money, out July 11.
The EP announcement comes with a new single called “My Eating Disorder,” featuring a bruising industrial beat and some of Katz’s most personal lyrics. “What about the part where I get my way?” he growls. “I’ll run the fastest minute mile, and each step will pave a path to a brand-new face.”
It turns out this song’s title is not a metaphor or a joke. “My literal eating disorder, it’s something that I’ve always thought about addressing somehow,” Katz said in a new interview with Paste published today. “It’s something I fucking deal with every day and it’s exhausting.”
He added that he hopes the song helps encourage men to be more open about their experiences with disordered eating: “You know how us boys are, we don’t always talk to each other about these sorts of things. And it can be a little lonely, so anyone who wants to talk to me about it, reach out, baby.”
Brutus VIII was recently featured on “Have a Nice Time Life!” from the latest release by rising New York art-pop act Fantasy of a Broken Heart. The recording of “My Eating Disorder” was mastered by Model/Actriz drummer Ruben Radlauer, and the new Brutus EP is coming out on a small label run by members of fellow SXSW 2025 breakouts Dutch Interior. They have no tour dates announced right now, but keep an eye out — this is not a band to miss.
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