Mathcore band Rolo Tomassi to make first tour stop in Albuquerque

Jun. 2—James Spence is always up for the adventure of touring around the world.

Yes, it takes a lot of work to get there, but the pay off is worth it.

Spence is a member of the British mathcore band Rolo Tomassi. The band is heading out on a month-long tour in the United States and the tour makes a stop at Launchpad on Wednesday, June 7.

"This will be our first time in Albuquerque," Spence says. "This will be our fourth time in the states. We seem to play somewhere new each time we get back on tour."

Rolo Tomassi was formed in 2005 in Sheffield, England. It has released six studio albums including "Where Myth Becomes Memory" in 2022.

Spence says the album serves as the final part in an unintended trilogy that began with 2015's "Grievances" and continued with 2018's "Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It."

He says every Rolo Tomassi album shows signs of growth but "Where Myth Becomes Memory" serves as a culmination of a period of creativity that has raised the band's profile.

Spence says the most recent album was completed at the start of 2021 and the band decided to sit on it for a year.

"We didn't want to release something that we couldn't tour," he says. "On the back of tour, we want to put that energy into playing new music. We're focusing on the newer material on this album."

Spence says the band does work on music while on tour, but tries to keep the focus on the live shows.

"We want to be present for each show," he says. "People have come to our shows to see us. We want to give them our all. With a new market like Albuquerque, it's a way to let people know what we've been up to."

Rounding out the band with Spence is Eva Korman, Chris Cayford, Nathan Fairweather and Al Pott.

Spence says the band is spread out between England and the United States.

"We all live apart from each other, so we've had to pivot to something more rigid when it comes to making music," he says. "There are a lot of back and forth emails. We have organized Dropbox folders. Chris is the driving force and our new music has been more guitar driven. Then we all find our space to contribute. We're careful to strike that balance and know when to hold off."

Spence says the band is almost 20 years in and his excitement continues to grow.

He's come a long way from when he heard "All The Small Things" by Blink 182 at the age of 11.

"This is when I knew I wanted to be in a band," Spence says. "I searched to find people to make music with. When I was 16, I went all in and music has been central to my life for the last 25 years. It's hard to imagine me doing anything else."

Rolo Tomassi

With The Callous Daoboys, Pound

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7

WHERE: Launchpad, 618 Central Ave. SW

HOW MUCH: $17, plus fees, at holdmyticket.com