Get to know 7-11 Jesus

On May 1st, 7-11 Jesus released their third studio album, White Noise after a nearly five year hiatus. The eleven track LP was recorded in New Hampshire and mixed in Massachusetts. The now three piece band actually formed in San Francisco, California in 2018 by current members August Darula and Will Bryan, along with Kieren Gill and Emma Jacobson, who are no longer in the band. Their debut album, Nothing Feels Right Anymore, was released the following year. Tree Dream, the band’s final release before their hiatus, came out in 2021.When 7-11 Jesus decided to take a break, Darula pursued another project under the artist name Trash Sun. 

White Noise takes inspiration from classic alternative rock sounds with moments of shoegaze. This is the first release including bassist Adam Rioux. About the album, Darula shared, “the songs on this record all deal with overcoming negative situations, perspectives, and people. It’s about choosing to not succumb to the weight of dread, evil, and anxiety.” This LP becomes their first self-release under their new record label, Trash Sun Records. 

Lead vocalist and guitarist Darula discusses the history of 7-11 Jesus, the meaning behind their new album’s title, how they prepare for tour, and more.   

Tell us about White Noise..

This is the first 7-11 Jesus record in roughly 5 years. Our last record, Tree Dream, was released February 12th, 2021. While on hiatus I turned my recording project Trash Sun from into a live band and played quite a few shows/released some music between 2023-2024. Then, in 2025, we decided 7-11 Jesus is truly a more fitting name for our rock n’ roll quest.    

Also, when we (Adam Rioux/bass and Will Bryan/drums) shifted to being 7-11 Jesus, we became a 3-piece. I love being a 3-piece. I think every instrument sharing an equal weight forces you to be creative.

This album came together in the winter of 2025. Personally it feels like a record where I was trying to connect with my core inspirations musically which is very much the mid 2010’s Boston scene. Bands like Pile, Vundabar, Speedy Ortiz; the list goes on. I grew up trying to copy those bands musically. I love poppy but weird guitar playing.

I was quite burnt out on whatever I was doing musically before that. I think that, as a band (Will, Adam, and myself) were really just down to play whatever excited us in the moment and we followed that till we had 11 songs.

We are also self-releasing this record on our label Trash Sun Records. Vinyl, tapes, and cd’s are available at 711jesus.com. 

What’s your songwriting process like as a band?

This was a much more spontaneous and collaborative album than anything else we’ve put out before. Out of the 11 songs I think 8 of them were written while we were at practice. I’d play some random riff and we would just organically shape it into something. I would do a little bit of tinkering at home with sections but ultimately this was a very organic and collaborative process. All of us shaped these songs together.  

I did write and demo “Dying Horses,” “Heart,” and “Wake” by myself,  but the band (Adam and Will) played a huge role in how they ended up sounding in a band arrangement. 

I think this album is extremely riff driven; like they are the seed of what became actual songs. And those riffs really just came out of us getting together in a dingy practice space in Billerica, Massachusetts on a Wednesday night after working all day and sitting in traffic. That’s where most of the energy comes from. I think we had a ton of fun writing these songs. 

We all let each other do our thing. Adam is a great bassist that understands space and Will is naturally a monster drummer. We all just do our thing and share ideas. We don’t stress a ton over details, we just play a lot till it feels right and maybe verbalize a few things.

Are there any non-musical inspirations behind your recent work?

Absolutely. I work a very stressful job and almost every lunch break at work I sleep in the staff lounge and blast “white noise” into my headphones to try to relax. I also really enjoyed Don Delilo’s book White Noise. It’s a great book and I would do an injustice explaining it. But I think lyrically this record is very much about working a job, being kind of anxious, fearing death, and the weird darkness that is pervasive in modern life. Just everyday stuff. I don’t want to paint this as a negative album; making the record collaboratively was a lot of fun and brought a respite to whatever negative or mundane aspects of life that were happening at the time.

Any memorable moments from the White Noise recording sessions?

I don’t want to promote an energy drink brand for free but I did drink the most caffeinated energy drink brand each day and it felt crazy. We also got Eric Sateur - who recorded it at Black Heart Sound in Manchester, NH - to replace every instrument on one of the songs with the sound of the snare on Metallica’s “St. Anger.” We didn’t end up going with that mix though. I love recording live in the studio with a band and Eric didn’t hold us back from doing anything we wanted to, which was awesome. I would be in the studio every day if I could. 

How do you prepare for a tour mentally and physically?

I try to be as ahead of things as I can be before touring. There’s a lot of logistics like backlining, fliers, merch stuff, where you’re gonna sleep each night, etc. that I try to line up well before we tour, it just makes it easier. Because, with pretty much every tour, some issue will 100% come up so being prepared is good. 

We try to get some food at grocery stores because it’s cheaper and healthier than gas station food. But hitting Taco Bell or a 7-Eleven after shows is still a spiritual experience. We haven’t done a month-long tour yet so I feel like we haven’t truly been tested yet. Trying to still be marginally healthy like trying to do some stretches, exercise, eating kinda normal all make it easier.

What’s your hot take on the indie music scene?

Pile is the greatest band of all time. I have no opinion on Goose. I think the shoegaze wave will be done soon but a lot of cool stuff came from it. Anyone can and should play in a band if they want to. 

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White Noise is out now. Follow 7-11 Jesus on Instagram. This summer, Darula will be embarking on a solo tour, performing the album without Rioux and Bryan. The tour dates are as follows:

7/8 - Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Longue
7/9 - Madison, WI @ The Gamma Ray Bar
7/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Kochanski’s Concertina Bar
7/11 - Iowa City, IA @ Trumpet Blossom Cafe
7/12 - Omaha, NE @ BFF Omaha
7/14 - Des Moines, IA @ Locals Bar and Stage
7/15 - Chicago, IL @ The Burlington Bar

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