The Brattleboro, Vermont trioTHUS LOVEstand together, a bond ce-mented by their experience as outsiders looking in. For THUS LOVE,DIY is an ethos that reflects not only their musical vision but their veryexistence as three self-identifying trans artists. From the band's incep-tion,Echo Mars (she/her),Lu Racine (he/him)andNathaniel van Osdol(they/them)have lived together under the same roof, designed andproduced their own merch, and created their own recording studiofrom scratch. "I realize that most artists don't live this way," says Mars."But for us, it was never really a choice. The art we make is so tied towho we are and the community we're a part of, that this is the onlyway we can possibly do it."The band was just starting to regularly headline renowned localvenue The Stone Church when everything came to a screeching halt.Rather than idly wait, the band decided to take their future in theirown hands. Armed with nothing but YouTube videos and her innatecuriosity, Mars constructed a makeshift studio in their apartment, re-cording during odd hours when their next-door neighbors were outand about.Looking back now, Mars is glad the band decided to forge ahead. "Iobviously would never want to go through a pandemic again, but I'mpretty confident in saying that this album would not be coming outin 2022 if we hadn't had the forced downtime." Their resulting debut,Memorial, is a stunningly accomplished album. The hallmarks will beunmistakable to anyone who has ever obsessed over classic LPs fromindie and post-punk's progenitors-everything from the chiming,Marr-esque guitars on opener "Repitioner" to the pugnacious rhyth-mic punch on lead single "In Tandem". But even more impressive andexciting is how THUS LOVE manage to tap into this celebrated lineageto find their own unique voice and tell their own story.Ultimately, despite the many difficulties and setbacks, the story ofTHUS LOVE andMemorialis one of triumph. Of seeking meaning instruggle. Of embracing community and love. Of finding joy in The Brattleboro, Vermont trioTHUS LOVEstand together, a bond ce-mented by their experience as outsiders looking in. For THUS LOVE,DIY is an ethos that reflects not only their musical vision but their veryexistence as three self-identifying trans artists. From the band's incep-tion,Echo Mars (she/her),Lu Racine (he/him)andNathaniel van Osdol(they/them)have lived together under the same roof, designed andproduced their own merch, and created their own recording studiofrom scratch. "I realize that most artists don't live this way," says Mars."But for us, it was never really a choice. The art we make is so tied towho we are and the community we're a part of, that this is the onlyway we can possibly do it."The band was just starting to regularly headline renowned localvenue The Stone Church when everything came to a screeching halt.Rather than idly wait, the band decided to take their future in theirown hands. Armed with nothing but YouTube videos and her innatecuriosity, Mars constructed a makeshift studio in their apartment, re-cording during odd hours when their next-door neighbors were outand about.Looking back now, Mars is glad the band decided to forge ahead. "Iobviously would never want to go through a pandemic again, but I'mpretty confident in saying that this album would not be coming outin 2022 if we hadn't had the forced downtime." Their resulting debut,Memorial, is a stunningly accomplished album. The hallmarks will beunmistakable to anyone who has ever obsessed over classic LPs fromindie and post-punk's progenitors-everything from the chiming,Marr-esque guitars on opener "Repitioner" to the pugnacious rhyth-mic punch on lead single "In Tandem". But even more impressive andexciting is how THUS LOVE manage to tap into this celebrated lineageto find their own unique voice and tell their own story.Ultimately, despite the many difficulties and setbacks, the story ofTHUS LOVE andMemorialis one of triumph. Of seeking meaning instruggle. Of embracing community and love. Of finding joy in rebirth.rebirth.