A Place To Bury Strangers have released “Song For Girl From Macedonia”, the closing single ahead of their rarities set Rare and Deadly, issued via Dedstrange. The track carries particular weight: frontman Oliver Ackermann says it is dedicated to a young fan they met while touring in Macedonia who later died after being struck by a drink‑driver.
Band archives opened, formats deliberately fragmented
The new collection draws from an archive spanning roughly 2015 to 2025 and aims to present material in its raw state — demos, B‑sides, abandoned attempts and fragments from Ackermann’s private late‑night recordings. Rather than a conventional compilation, the release is conceived as an intentionally unstable document: each physical and digital format contains its own unique sequence of tracks.
This approach turns each edition into a distinct listening experience and emphasises the material as artefact rather than a single canonical album. It also foregrounds the band’s creative process — unfinished ideas, malfunctioning pedals and blown‑out tapes sit alongside clearer prototypes of songs that later evolved for studio records.
Tribute and video
Ackermann has explained the personal story behind the single directly. He described the encounter with the fan and the loss that followed:
“We played a show in Macedonia and met this girl who deeply connected with the music. Her brother helped us load gear, pure kindness, no ego. She was killed by a drunk driver crossing the road. This song is for her. A small attempt at honouring someone who deserved more time.”
The video accompanying the track was created by the band’s original projectionist, Spencer Bewley.
- Release name: Rare and Deadly
- Final single: “Song For Girl From Macedonia”
- Label: Dedstrange
| Format | Release note |
|---|---|
| CD | Unique tracklist |
| Cassette | Unique tracklist |
| Vinyl | Unique tracklist |
| Digital | Unique tracklist |
For listeners and collectors, the fragmented format strategy will present a practical question: which edition to buy if they want the fullest picture of the band’s decade‑long process. For fans drawn to the band’s heavier, experimental tendencies, the archive promises snapshots of ideas in progress — sometimes audible as near‑finished songs, at other times as experiments and discarded avenues.
Locally, the release reminds listeners of the continuing appetite for alternative and noise‑inflected music and the role small labels and independent formats play in preserving and repackaging artistic process. The dedication at the heart of the single also underlines how touring and the connections forged on the road can have lasting and tragic human consequences, which bands sometimes address through music.
