Vertical Scratchers is guitarist John Schmersal (formerly of Brainiac and Enon) and drummer Christian Beaulieu (ex-Triclops!).

“I love Christian’s drumming because he approaches it like a songwriter, as he is one in his own right,” Schmersal says in a Merge Records press release. “There aren’t really drum fills—more like rhythmic accents that punctuate what is happening at that point in the song itself.”

As for the guitars: “Part of the aesthetic we were establishing when writing Vertical Scratchers songs was to maintain a sense of urgency and raw energy without relying on volume and distortion,” Schmersal says. “I wanted the guitars to sound light and jangly, and most songs were purposefully sung in a soft falsetto.”

The duo’s debut, Daughter of Everything, will see release February 25, 2014.