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The cover of Night Riots' debut full-length album, "Love Gloom," might be titillating to some, considering the artfully cropped naked couple on it.
But it's the hand in the foreground with the battered pinkie finger that's the more resonant component of the image for vocalist Travis Hawley.
That's his hand, and his pinkie, smashed in the hinge of a door at age 6. And to him, that finger represents the broader message of what "Love Gloom" is all about — finding perfection in imperfection.
"It was hugely specific. I think the way we approached that record … it was all about rawness and vulnerability," Hawley told The Tribune in a phone interview. His finger is "not something I think about all the time, but in my life I've found myself unconsciously covering it up. So when it came down to putting this collection of music together, which is very honest and vulnerable and real, it was sort of the same thing, where instead of hiding it, I wanted to show it all, just put everything on the table. If people connect with it and they like it, then that's wonderful, and if they don't, then at least they saw the real us. That is the theme of the record. We recorded it live, we tried to allow as many flaws and nuances to come in as possible. We were very specific in trying to make something that wasn't perfectly carved out and perfectly tuned."
Night Riots will open for Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Atlas Genius at Friday's sold-out show at The Depot in Salt Lake City.
The band released a full-length album in 2010, "Into the Roaring," while performing under the name PK, after a character in the Bryce Courtenay novel "The Power of One." Fearing eventual copyright-based legalities, they pre-emptively changed the name.
But "Night Riots" spent its first several years issuing shorter releases. It wasn't until last year, with "Love Gloom," that Hawley felt he and his bandmates were ready to fully put themselves out there.
"I think the first two EPs were just kind of sorting out what we were as Night Riots, exploring a little bit," he said. "And then we finally just had a minute to sit down and … I like to say it's like completing a full sentence. We were able to finally get out what Night Riots is. Or what it was at the time of writing the record."
So, what is Night Riots then, exactly?
"I'd say that the title of the album pretty much sums it up, just 'Love Gloom.' We all love pop music, we love music that gets caught in your head, it's easy to digest, but I think with us there's always gonna be the stain of darkness," Hawley said. "We've been likened to bands like The Cure and AFI — some people say it's because of my voice, but there's a part of me that feels like it's the content as well, and the atmosphere that goes along with what we create. And that is that it's yearning and it's in love, but then it's also questioning and it's real."
Salt Lake City is the penultimate stop on this current run for Night Riots.
Hawley said that even though the San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based alt-rockers have been the openers for the openers on this tour, he's proud to have been a part of it, and fans can expect two more great shows.
"What I love about this tour is that every band brings their own unique thing and they hit hard from the beginning," he said. "We're opening up the set, and I think a lot of times you get a package together and the opening band comes out defensively, they come out cautiously, because sometimes it's difficult to open. People come straight off of work, they come from picking up their kids at school, they're still in their regular day, and it takes them the first couple acts to get warmed up and get ready for the headliner. I think that in this case, we come out strong and hard-hitting and we're ready to go, we're ready to transport people to a new world so they can escape their everyday lives."
He's also preparing to transport Night Riots to its next phase.
"Yeah, I'm always thinking a couple steps ahead. We have tons of songs in the pocket. We're gonna get home, we have a couple ideas for touring in the fall. And then it's kind of just getting creative, getting down and just creating again," Hawley said. "We've been out on the road for the last three months, and it's very, very difficult to carve out time for yourself and write while you're out here. So I am looking forward to getting home and just getting in our studio and laying down some tracks and writing some new music to add to what we already have. And then, who knows? I'm always pushing to release music as soon as possible, but I do believe 'Love Gloom' has a lot of legs on it still."
And one meaningful pinkie.
Twitter: @esotericwalden —
Opening for Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Atlas Genius
When • Friday, doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30
Where • The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
Tickets • Sold out