Thrice on Vheissu turning 15, favorite chords and Guitar Center dread

APTV correspondent Gunz recently got an audience with Dustin Kensrue, guitarist/frontman for post-hardcore conceptualists Thrice. The relatively quiet Kensrue was in NYC during the tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of the band’s high watermark album Vheissu. 

From their earliest recordings to the massive gesture that was 2018’s Palms, Thrice has never made any half-measures. Often tagged as “post-hardcore,” they’ve been able to transcend all boundaries, from both within and from fans and critics alike. You could use the shorthand of “Warped Tour Radiohead” to describe their career, but you’d be glossing over the details.

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Kensrue, guitarist Teppei Teranishi, bassist Eddie Breckenridge and his brother, drummer Riley Breckenridge have expanded their vision with each succeeding record. The turning point of that journey was definitely their 2005 release Vheissu. The band incorporated more electronic textures to their heavier sound, creating the kind of atmospheres that made many of their fans pause to consider.

Gunz got random with Kensrue in all the best ways. Ever wonder what the first chord Kensrue would play automatically if someone handed him a guitar? Do you think a person of his talent would actually bum out in a Guitar Center? What band do you think he’d go see play their classic records in their entirety?

Talk also turns to the mission of Kensrue’s Carry The Fire podcast and Gunz reminiscing on the first time he saw Thrice, opening for Midtown and Face To Face. Another point of interest is Kensrue’s conflict between wishing to celebrate this grand chapter in his band’s career, but being wary of having it perceived as a cash-grab.

Check it out. And if you’re reading this from down south, you should get you some tickets for the remaining Vheissu dates, right?

Dates:
02/18 —  Atlanta, GA @ Heaven at The Masquerade
02/20 —  Austin, TX @ Emo’s
02/21 —  Houston, TX @ House of Blues
02/22 —  Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
02/24 —  Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
02/25 — San Diego, CA @ The Observatory
02/27 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
02/29 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo