Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross Join Drummer Antonio Sánchez on New Song ‘I Think We’re Past That Now’
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have linked up with celebrated drummer Antonio Sánchez — who helmed the acclaimed percussion-heavy score for Birdman — for a new song, “I Think We’re Past That Now.”
Sánchez’s drumming guides the multi-faceted track, beginning at an off kilter lurch. rising to a monumental arena-rock boom, then settling into an energetic shuffle before one last explosion. Reznor provides lead vocals on the song (and wrote the lyrics), bellowing over Sánchez’s dynamic drums and the song’s bruising blend of industrial synths.
“I Think We’re Past That Now” will appear on Sánchez’s new album, Shift (Bad Hombre Vol. II), which will arrive Aug. 26 via Arts Music/Warner Music. It’s also the only new original song on the album, as Shift primarily features Sánchez partnering with some of his favorite artists to deconstruct and reimagine their songs through the “Bad Hombre” persona he introduced on his 2017 album of the same name.
The project was actually facilitated a bit by the pandemic, which made it easier for Sánchez to collaborate remotely with all the other artists on the record (though he still largely crafted the album himself, playing not just drums but guitar, bass, mandolin, oud, and more). Along with Reznor and Ross, Shift features Dave Matthews and Pat Metheny, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kimbra, Lila Downs, Ana Tijoux, Becca Stevens, Silvana Estrada, MARO, and Thana Alexa.
“My anger transformed,” Sánchez said in a statement of the change between Bad Hombre and Shift. “And the fact this material did not originate with me changed the equation. It helped me to bring a fresh perspective and a sense of wonder to ‘What else can this be?’ And as a result of pandemic-related delays, I keep joking about my having been pregnant for a couple of years…and now there is a really epic baby.”
Shift (Bad Hombre Vol. II) Track List
1. “Opening” (feat. Ignacio López Tarso)
2. “Eh Hee 2.0” (feat. Dave Matthews & Pat Metheny)
3. “Mi Palabra” (feat. Ana Tijoux)
4. “The Bucket” (feat. Becca Stevens)
5. “I Think We’re Past That Now” (feat. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)
6. “Alambari” (feat. MARO)
7. “Doyenne” (feat. SONICA)
8. “Risa de Mujer” (feat. Lila Downs)
9. “Trapped (Red Room)” (feat. Thana Alexa)
10. “Comet, Come to Me” (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)
11. “Waiting”
12. “Risa de Mujer (Interlude)” (feat. Lila Downs)
13. “El Agua y la Miel” (feat. Silvana Estrada)
14. “Suspended Animation” (feat. Kimbra)
15. “M-Power” (feat. Rodrigo y Gabriela)
16. “Closing” (feat. Ignacio López Tarso)