Providence’s own Deer Tick just unleashed their newest single, “ACI,” and it’s everything fans love about the band—raw, warm, and built like a classic rock anthem with a story at its core. Frontman John McCauley explains that the track was inspired by Rhode Island’s Adult Correctional Institutions and follows a neighborhood hoodlum whose robbery goes sideways. It was the first song he wrote for Coin‑O‑Matic, and it set the tone for the entire album.
A Music Video Made From Pure Creative Chaos
The single arrives with a video directed by Colin Devin Moore, who describes the process as “structured surrender.” Instead of a traditional shoot, the band handed individual frames to friends, fans, and family to reinterpret however they wanted. The result is a collage of styles—unstable, imperfect, and intentionally human. It mirrors the song’s themes of pressure, identity, and memory, and stands out as one of the band’s most experimental visuals to date.
More Glimpses Into the New Album
“ACI” follows earlier singles “Everything Born” and “Mary Singletary,” which introduced the album’s themes of impermanence, nostalgia, and the messy realities of everyday life. Coin‑O‑Matic digs deep into Rhode Island’s hidden histories—where working‑class families, mafia lore, and personal struggle collide. The band calls it a “complicated love letter” to a way of life slowly fading from memory.
A Self‑Produced Album Rooted in Rhode Island Stories
This is Deer Tick’s first fully self‑produced album, recorded in their home studio with guest appearances from Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin and former member Rob Crowell. The band says the process gave them total creative freedom, resulting in a record that feels immediate, lived‑in, and unmistakably theirs. The album’s title comes from a cigarette‑vending‑machine company once used as headquarters by mob boss Raymond Patriarca—one of many real‑life Rhode Island characters who inspired the record’s storytelling.
A Massive North American Tour Kicks Off June 5
To celebrate the release, Deer Tick are heading out on a huge North American tour starting June 5 with three shows in South Kingstown, RI. They’ll hit Brooklyn on June 9, Los Angeles on October 9, and dozens of cities in between. They’re also officially returning to the Newport Folk Festival on July 24—one of the band’s most iconic stages. The tour runs through November, wrapping with a stop at District Music Hall in Norwalk on November 21.
The 203local Take
Deer Tick’s new era is a win for music lovers across Fairfield & New Haven Counties. With a Norwalk show on the calendar and Brooklyn just a quick train ride away, locals get front‑row access to one of New England’s most beloved indie‑rock bands. Their storytelling—rooted in gritty Northeast history—hits especially close to home for anyone from this region. It’s another reminder that our corner of Connecticut sits right in the middle of a thriving, ever‑evolving music scene, and Deer Tick’s return is one more reason to get out and experience it.
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