With Red Ants Underneath, Colorado-based artist Mountain Climer ventures further into the shadowy, cinematic edges of alternative rock, pursuing new sonic territory while drawing inspiration from artists as diverse as Echo & the Bunnymen, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and Angelo Badalamenti. The album moves fluidly between atmosphere and intensity, pairing evocative soundscapes with lyrics that examine identity—both within the culture around us and within ourselves—as well as the complicated terrain of personal relationships.

Climer’s musical journey began in earnest around 1991, when he picked up a guitar and began writing songs, combining the earnest storytelling of Americana with the energy of the alternative music he was discovering. A pivotal moment arrived in 1993, when he rode his bicycle to Karma Records and purchased the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols and the Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream. The experience cracked the door wide open. Punk rock didn’t simply influence Climer—it fundamentally reshaped his musical worldview, sending him beyond the confines of mainstream radio and toward a lifelong fascination with independent, underground, and genre-defying music.

On Red Ants Underneath, Climer embraces that restless spirit of exploration. He performed and recorded virtually every instrument himself at his Colorado studio, joined by Niko Albanese on drums and percussion. He then returned to Indiana to work once again with producer Paul Mahern, who contributed background vocals and helped shape the album’s vocal production.

That commitment to experimentation and emotional honesty has already earned Climer critical attention. SPIN praised his ability to “effortlessly shift moods” while exploring love, loss, and mortality, calling the result “a fresh, emotionally resonant album.” AmericanaUK highlighted his vivid storytelling and “deft genre hopping,” while The Big Takeover described his music as a “brilliant reminder” that serious lyrical subjects can coexist with infectious, energetic sounds.

With Red Ants Underneath, Mountain Climer continues to carve out a distinctive space between alternative rock, post-punk atmosphere, and cinematic darkness—proving that challenging ideas and compelling songs can occupy the same space.