Misophonia is a rare anxiety disorder which causes those who suffer from it to be particularly sensitive to certain sounds. It’s more than a mere irritability when provoked by harsh noises—extreme cases are triggered by the sound of chewing, or even by the absence of a sound, and sometimes the responses are physical, even violent.

It’s no surprise, then, that this is the focus of Jono Diener’s debut record with Baggage, which sees the songwriter wrestling with the disorder as someone passionate about creating sounds. The first single from Life in Misophonia introduces the band’s sound as a vexed take on pop rock, Diener longing for pleasant sights (“It’s kind of nice seeing stars in your eyes”) while cursing irritating sounds (“Though my ears will ring / Wish I couldn’t hear a thing”).

“‘Misophonia’ was the turning point when writing our album,” Diener notes of the track. “It’s half about the condition, and the other half is about how being in a band for most of my life has made me a jaded, bitter person. I’m doing my best to fight both, and I think writing this song and album were very therapeutic for me—well, that, and going to finally see an actual therapist to help me navigate through all of the dark clouds I’ve been dealing with.”

The video for “Misophonia” articulates this irritation with images of food mockingly being masticated and forks and knives dragging across plates intercut with Diener doing his best to animate medical stock photos of the disorder. “When we were working on the video I wanted to capture the overwhelming feelings I get when I pick up on a trigger,” he explains. “I honestly wasn’t sure if we should have a trigger warning for other misophoniacs, but this video is mostly for everyone who doesn’t have the condition.”

Life in Misophonia is out August 2 via Smartpunk. You can pre-order it here.

UPCOMING SHOWS

6/23- Counter Culture – Saginaw, MI

8/16 – The Loving Touch – Ferndale, MI (Life In Misophonia Release Show)

8/30 – The Sanctuary – Detroit, MI w/ Typesetter

10/30 – Pre-Pre-Fest – Orlando, FL

11/1-11/3 – THE FEST – Gainesville, FL