Today we release the new Afternoon Bike Ride LP entitled ‘Running With Scissors’
Running with Scissors is the third full-length album from Canadian trio Afternoon Bike Ride. Residing in Montreal, the group is made up of Lia (vocals, guitar, programming), David (vocals, guitar, drums, programming), and Éloi (vocals, keys, drums, programming). Since their formation in 2019, the band has released numerous projects where indie rock blends with acoustic pop, ambient field recordings, and lofi folk.
Following two EPs in 2019 (sugarbloom & Family garden) and another in 2021 (Skipping Stones), Afternoon Bike Ride released their debut full-length in 2021, a self-titled project featuring numerous close collaborators. It was their debut, yes, but it was also a creative social gathering amongst friends. Artists Middle School, Ryan Hemsworth, imagiro, Sleepy Fish, Kogane, Naji, Eli Bishop, santpoort, Aso, and Park Bird all came along for the ride. Two years later, ABR released their fourteen song album Glossover. While it was their sophomore LP, it felt, in some ways, like a debut. Like the band being a band for the very first time. Recorded largely in person, Glossover was more succinct and rehearsed. You can hear the trio finding their voice and their chemistry throughout every track. The laughs, the cries, the comforts, the feels.
Now, two years later, after touring as a band, after having LED billboards promoting their name, after each artist has had their own individual successes as solo acts, Afternoon Bike Ride is back for their third album, Running with Scissors. With each track on the new album, the three artists explore the rollercoaster ride of life’s most profound lessons—falling in and out of love, embracing grief, and navigating the complex spectrum of human emotion. The album feels like a series of journal entries, capturing moments of vulnerability, self-discovery, and personal growth. A lot has changed since their formation in 2019 but their hearts are still in the right place. Lead singer and songwriter Lia reflects on the bittersweet realization that life is an ongoing journey and we’ll never have all the answers, but we can still find meaning through love, meaningful connection, and the lessons that shape us. If life is one big lesson, then according to Lia, "I guess these songs are some classes I've taken."
The twelve song soundscape blends raw, emotional acoustic elements with subtle electronic layers and indie rock grunge, creating a textured blend that feels as vast and intimate as the album’s themes. It’s an immersive record that shifts perspectives, from the micro to the macro, zooming out to explore the universe and zooming in on the personal experiences that define our lives. Throughout the album, ABR explores the beauty of feeling deeply while embracing both the intensity of emotion and the struggles of finding purpose. "I'm finding my way through this world now," says Lia, "with the comfort of knowing I'll never know it all."
Running with Scissors is a cathartic heart ache and, ultimately, a therapeutic exploration of what it means to be alive—to love, to grieve, to regret, and to grow. It pulses with rawness and authenticity, sincerity and honesty, offering both solace and strength to anyone navigating their own emotional journey. Life can be difficult and overwhelming, but the members of Afternoon Bike Ride are experiencing it in the purest way they know how: by making art, by connecting with their listeners, and by leading with love.
"Sometimes," says Lia, "you feel so much at once, you really realize how alive you are." This is an album about that aliveness, about finding clarity within the chaos and learning to embrace every lesson, no matter how challenging. A coming-of-age soundtrack for those who seek depth and connection around every corner. It can be found throughout this LP. In every drum kick, every guitar riff, every vocal flutter, every hum.