Swirling Sci-Fi Meets Southern Roots in the Band’s Most Ambitious Record Yet
Ever since they rumbled out of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Bask have stood apart from the typical Southern heavy crowd. Gritty but cosmic, rooted but forward-thinking — the Asheville-based band has always carved their own trail.
“It’s really exactly what you want from a musical artist,” wrote Heavy Blog Is Heavy of their last album. “A group of people creating their own sound that isn’t aping anyone.”
Now, after five years of hardship, heartbreak, and unexpected detours (including a hurricane and, of course, a pandemic), Bask are ready to unveil The Turning — their fourth studio album, arriving August 22 via Season of Mist. It’s an album that doesn’t just walk the line between country grit and spacey exploration — it kicks the fence over and drags you along for the ride.
💿 Pre-order & Pre-save The Turning
https://orcd.co/basktheturning
A Long Road from the Mountains to the Stars
“We’ve been through so many trials and tribulations together over the past five years,” the band reflects. “COVID hit. Then Hurricane Helene. It felt like the world had other plans for us. But we held on, and The Turning is what came out of the storm. It’s our most cohesive and heartfelt effort — an ode to our mountain home in the sky.”
If that sounds poetic, the music backs it up. “Dig My Heels” kicks off in familiar territory — rugged riffing and sunbaked swagger — before veering suddenly into shimmering pedal steel and cosmic keys. That turn? It’s no accident. It’s the influence of Jed Willis, the band’s newest official member, who takes Bask’s “Heavy Americana” and launches it into orbit.
Tour Dates – The Turning 2025 East Coast Tour
Aug 20 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
Aug 21 – Savannah, GA @ El Rocko
Aug 22 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Aug 23 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones
Aug 24 – Richmond, VA @ Fuzzy Cactus
Aug 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ MilkBoy
Aug 28 – Searsport, ME @ Starboard Lounge
Aug 29 – Providence, RI @ Parlour
Aug 30 – Wallingford, CT @ Cherry Street Station
Aug 31 – Boston, MA @ O’Briens
The Sound of a Band Evolving
“The Turning” was recorded with producer Kenny Harrington (Manchester Orchestra) at Echo Mountain Recording — a hometown studio with mountain views and serious vibes. But don’t expect a laid-back album.
“This song started when Scott called me out,” says guitarist Ray Worth, laughing. Instead of sticking to straightforward riffage, drummer Scott Middleton pushed for something more exploratory — and “Dig My Heels” became a mission statement: grounded, but reaching.
“There’s nothing wrong with 4/4,” says Middleton, “but if you’re not exploring, you’re missing a world of opportunity.”
That world blooms in real time on The Turning: folk melodies sprout from psychedelic soil, and pedal steel drips like sunlight through pines. For all its heaviness, this record breathes.
Bask’s Best Yet — By Design and By Fate
For Zeb Wright (vocals/guitar), the addition of Willis was a turning point. “We were already friends. He toured with us, sold merch, drove the van. But when he added that steel part to ‘Dig My Heels,’ I thought, ‘Why stop here?’ Suddenly, these twangy, spacey songs made even more sense. Jed just… fit.”
And Willis? “These guys are family,” he says. “Our musical paths intertwined years ago, and this album was the next step.”
There’s a bigger story here, too. The Turning isn’t just about band chemistry or sonic shifts — it’s a conceptual piece, tracing a cosmic gunslinger’s journey through time, memory, and mortality. Think Appalachian sci-fi. Think death on horseback — but make it intergalactic.
Yes, it’s a little out there. But Bask have always lived between worlds. They’ve just built a home there now.
🎧 Tracklist – The Turning
Chasm (1:30)
In the Heat of the Dying Sun (4:57)
The Traveler (4:06)
The Cloth (4:12)
Dig My Heels (5:33) (Watch Video)
Unwound (7:02)
Long Lost Light (6:52)
The Turning (6:33)
📍Origin: Asheville, NC
🎸Genre: Heavy Americana
🔊FFO: Elder, Cloakroom, Pallbearer, My Morning Jacket
Praise for Bask
“If someone were to ask me if it’s possible to be heavy without being brutal, I’d refer them to Bask.” — Invisible Oranges
“This is the kind of band you want to see grow. Join the party now.” — Heavy Blog Is Heavy
“Such a knack for expressive music is Bask’s bread and butter.” — Angry Metal Guy
“…a remarkable demonstration of melodic genius by a shrewd horde of big-footed giants…” — Outlaws of the Sun
