The Party After
Dopamine Machine
The Party After’s story is messy, loud, and unpredictable, exactly like their music. Frontman and guitarist Jared William Gottberg first met drummer Derek Talburt back in high school, playing their first gig together at a school event in 2008. By 2011 they’d formed a band, and not long after, bassist and backing vocalist Tony Bates joined to complete the trio. Since then, they’ve survived more than most bands ever do. From being robbed on tour in San Antonio, dealing with bad management, and even fighting legal battles over their own name. Through it all, they stayed together, stayed a trio, and finally began releasing music in 2018.
Now, after years of singles and setbacks, Dopamine Machine marks their first full-length album, a record that’s been over a decade in the making. Tracked in Mexico City at the legendary Topetitud Studios (co-owned by Tito Fuentes of Molotov), the album was co-produced by Jared and David Montuy Robles. It’s an album that blends their wide-ranging influences, from Pink Floyd’s atmosphere and Deftones’ weight to the groove of 311 and the dark theatrics of Ghost, into something they call “dystopian party rock.”
Now, after years of singles and setbacks, Dopamine Machine marks their first full-length album, a record that’s been over a decade in the making. Tracked in Mexico City at the legendary Topetitud Studios (co-owned by Tito Fuentes of Molotov), the album was co-produced by Jared and David Montuy Robles. It’s an album that blends their wide-ranging influences, from Pink Floyd’s atmosphere and Deftones’ weight to the groove of 311 and the dark theatrics of Ghost, into something they call “dystopian party rock.”
The songs hit from multiple angles, Blast Off digs into the darker side of chasing fame, while One For All flips the mood, delivering an anthemic reminder that unity is everything. Across the album, themes of excess, self-loathing, ambition, and survival run deep, but there’s always a wink and a wild spark underneath it all.
Every riff, groove, and lyric feels lived-in, because it is. Some tracks were first written in 2011, carried through years of touring, false starts, and personal battles before finally being committed to tape. It’s the sound of three best friends who refused to quit, reshaping every setback into fuel for something bigger.
With Dopamine Machine, The Party After aren’t just releasing an album, they’re throwing open the doors to their strange, chaotic, defiant world. And the party’s just getting started.
Every riff, groove, and lyric feels lived-in, because it is. Some tracks were first written in 2011, carried through years of touring, false starts, and personal battles before finally being committed to tape. It’s the sound of three best friends who refused to quit, reshaping every setback into fuel for something bigger.
With Dopamine Machine, The Party After aren’t just releasing an album, they’re throwing open the doors to their strange, chaotic, defiant world. And the party’s just getting started.