Hazlett – Cabin Fever
Following the first part of Goodbye to the Valley Low released in late 2023, Australian musician Hazlett releases its ‘Side B’ follow-up, bringing both EPs on his first UK headline tour this winter.
Recorded in an off-grid cabin in the middle of Scandinavian nowhere, the first part of Hazlett’s Goodbye to the Valley Low was released towards the end of last year. It’s a stripped-back collection of delicate indie-folk songs brimming with personal anecdotes told through the Sweden-based artist’s polished introspective songwriting, and produced by longtime collaborator Freddy Alexander.
It resonated with listeners everywhere and Hazlett was soon inspired to revisit the cabin, knowing there was more to explore. This new EP completes this project, six brand new songs, which together with the first EP, makes one cohesive album. The songs are once again exquisitely layered and the tracks are timeless, yet the musicality is richer, and Hazlett’s vocals soar across the 6 tracks. Out October 4th, vinyl fans will also be able to purchase Goodbye to the Valley Low on vinyl in its final form as a 12-track album.
Hazlett – ‘Truth be told there was never meant to be a Side B to Goodbye to the Valley Low. I actually wanted to move onto something else, but the more that I tried moving on from it the more I kept getting pulled back. I realised just how many deeper questions my time in the cabin had raised, I thought I had unpacked it all but there was more digging to be done and somewhere deeper to go with it all. If Side A was the curiosity of the cabin, then Side B is working through all the questions that it left behind.’
Opening with lead single ‘Bones Shake’, its haunting background of broken guitars and candid lyrics are grounds for a coming-of-age folk song, culminating in a thumping but ethereal chorus justifying the large space between home and somewhere, anywhere else. As Hazlett explains, ‘Whether it’s time or distance, sometimes the further you get away the clearer it all becomes to piece things together and make your comeback.’
With a similar theme of seeking distance and an ever-so-slight twang of country, ‘The First Train Home’ is delivered as softly as a lullaby, yet the lyrics come from a place deep in thought: ‘I’m nobody’s problem if I never go home… Can you come on over and just fill up the space?’ Also attempting to untangle complex emotions is ‘Do You Haunt Me’, a soft beat pulsing throughout the track as Hazlett’s crystal-clear vocals yearn for something certain among the haziness. And on the gently lilting ‘I’m Not Ready to Go’, there’s a darker and almost desperate air lyrically, despite the barely-there guitar strums – ‘I’m not ready to be done with my time… got too much to see.’
With standout track ‘Shiver’, its sweeping arrangement and gently philosophical lyrics delivered with a plaintive vocal sees the songwriter pondering over the difficulty of making the right choices in life – a feeling most of us can relate to. Hazlett describes it as ‘this tug-o-war in my head of how much control do I really have of my life? Do I have to be petrified of every decision I make? Or do I just say whatever will be will be and sit back? I think to some extent whatever path we take life has a funny way of taking us to our destination anyway.’
Closing out Goodbye to the Valley Low is the hypnotic ‘Old Salt’, with enthralling vocals delivering one more expansive set of harmonies, and bringing an end to a journey that has taken the best part of a year. This was never meant to be a two-sided project, but Hazlett acknowledges that sometimes the right time and the right place inspires more than what was bargained for, and embracing the unknown can ultimately be a good thing:
‘Even without consciously thinking about it, Scandinavia is where I’ve done all my growing up musically. And I think whenever we grow up, the place where we did it affects us more than we know. I’d say the main theme for both sides of the album are about learning myself and changing the thoughts I had, as well as the influence that time and place has on someone. I guess that’s why there is a Side A and a Side B.Time and place is all it takes. I’m very thankful that both came my way to make Goodbye to the Valley Low.’
Based in Sweden since 2019, Hazlett has been able to amass a solid fanbase throughout the years, currently with over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The musical path hasn’t always been linear for the Australian folk dynamo however, from being a bass player in a band in Germany to completely quitting music while making the move back to Australia. Needing to pay the bills while starting a new life interning at an advertising agency, Hazlett started to perform in local pubs. This is where his old music publisher found out about his singing abilities and introduced him to now longtime collaborator Freddy Alexander, a turning point that reignited his passion for music and set him on the path to success.
2023 was a busy year for Hazlett, as he released his debut album Bloom Mountain to positive support from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Atwood Magazine, having previously received acclaim from CLASH, NME and When The Horn Blows. Going on to support Wild Rivers and Josiah & The Bonnevilles across the UK and Europe, he ended the year by releasing the first part of Goodbye to the Valley Low. This year is also shaping up to be a monumental one for the artist – with new music out and having opened shows for LANY, Calum Scott, Passenger and Ocie Elliott, Hazlett will be embarking on a lengthy run of headline shows across North America (as well as a stint supporting John Vincent III), the UK and Europe, some of which are already sold out. More details and full dates below.
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – An Iconic Celebration
Riding the triumphant success of their 50th Anniversary celebration, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT is rolling into the release of ’50th Anniversary Live – Third Night,’ the final installment of the live album celebrating the band’s 50th Anniversary.
This electrifying performance, which includes the band’s third album ‘Secret Treaties’ performed back-to-back, is set to hit the shelves on December 13, 2024 and promises to be a spectacular follow-up to the band’s historic three-night stint at Sony Hall in NYC.
Now, in anticipation of the album’s release, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT share a new live performance video for “The Alchemist”.
In September of 2022, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT enthralled fans with a unique trilogy of sold-out shows, each dedicated to one of their first three albums. Founding member Albert Bouchard made a special appearance on all three nights, adding a nostalgic touch to the historic milestone.
For nearly three hours each night, the band delivered a spellbinding set, weaving through the entirety of their now-classic initial trilogy of albums and treating fans to a mix of favorites, deep cuts, and classic hits. The atmosphere was electric, and Frontiers Music captured the magic, releasing each night as a special individual package.
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT’s legacy spans over five decades, captivating fans with intelligent hard rock loaded with classic songs. Hailing from Long Island, NY, the band is renowned in the hard rock and heavy metal scene for their pioneering work, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.
Cited as a major influence by acts like Metallica, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT boasts a timeless catalog, including iconic tracks like “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Godzilla,” and “Burnin’ for You.” The creative vision of the original core duo, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and Eric Bloom, is complemented by Richie Castellano, Danny Miranda, and Jules Radino, forming a powerhouse lineup.
As the band embraces its status as a ‘classic rock’ phenomenon, they continue to create vibrant work, offering a refreshing alternative to mainstream trends. With a relentless touring schedule and the critically acclaimed album ‘THE SYMBOL REMAINS’ released in 2020, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT remains an enduring force, ready to ignite the stage once
again with the upcoming release of ’50th Anniversary Live – Third Night’ on Frontiers Music Srl.
Pre-Order ’50th Anniversary Live – Third Night’ HERE
’50th Anniversary Live – Third Night’ Track List:
(side A) 1 CAREER OF EVIL
(side A) 2 SUBHUMAN
(side A) 3 DOMINANCE AND
(side A) 4 M E 262
(side A) 5 CAGEY CRETINS
(side A) 6 HARVESTER OF EYES
(side A) 7 FLAMING TELEPATHS
(side A) 8 ASTRONOMY
(side A) 9 STAIRWAY TO THE STARS
(side A) 10 GOLDEN AGE OF LEATHER
(side A) 11 TAINTED BLOOD
(side B) 1 BURNIN’ FOR YOU
(side B) 2 SHOOTING SHARK
(side B) 3 BLACK BLADE
(side B) 4 TRAIN TRUE (LENNY’S SONG)
(side B) 5 BUCK’S BOOGIE
(side B) 6 GODZILLA
(side B) 7 TENDERLOIN
(side B) 8 SINFUL LOVE
(side B) 9 (DON’T FEAR) THE REAPER
(side B) 10 THE ALCHEMIST
(side B) 11 I LOVE THE NIGHT
(side B) 12 JOAN CRAWFORD
(side B) 13 CITIES ON FLAME WITH ROCK AND ROLL
CD 1 time: 1.00.25
CD 2 time:1.15.42
Total time: 2.16.07
DVD/BLURAY – DETAILS:
Sound: Stereo – 5.1 Surround
Picture: 16:9 widescreen
Region: 0 Free
Language: English
Subtitles: No
These live releases follow ‘Ghost Stories’ – a captivating collection of reimagined and completed songs from 1978 to 2016. These musical treasures, long considered the ‘lost gems’ by BLUE ÖYSTER CULT enthusiasts, were originally recorded between 1978 and 1983, except for one track from 2016, “If I Fell.” Some material is from workshopping albums, some from performance rehearsals, and all were recorded once in the hopes that someday they’d see the light of day.
George Geranios, the band’s original audio engineer and an integral part of the band’s golden years produced the tracks along with BÖC and all were originally recorded on reel-to-reel analog tape. He transferred them to digital audio which is when modern AI and magical musical talents meet and the collection of vintage multi-track recordings was de-mixed, re-mixed, and produced by Steve Schenck and Richie Castellano to become ‘Ghost Stories.’
Richie Castellano completed work in the studio for the album along with remaining original members Eric Bloom and Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and both Albert Bouchard and Rick Downey appear on drums with additional overdubs recorded by Joe Bouchard. All these original lineup members appearing on ‘Ghost Stories,’ create a musical journey that traverses decades and promises easter eggs for days.
‘Ghost Stories’ celebrates the recording legacy of one of rock’s most iconic fixtures from the past 50 years.
Order ‘Ghost Stories’ HERE
LINE-UP
Eric Bloom – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser – Guitars, Vocals
Richie Castellano – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Danny Miranda – Bass, Vocals
Jules Radino – Drums
Special Guest:
Albert Bouchard – Drums, Percussion, Guitars, Vocals
Kaitlin Butts (Live Review) – Drying Those Tucson Tears
The Maverick bar in Tucson has hosted its share of honky-tonk heroes and desert dreamers, but on Sunday, November 3, 2024, Kaitlin Butts swept in like a desert storm—wild, electrifying, and utterly uncontainable.
Following a rain-soaked All Souls Procession—a deluge that left the crowd drenched in both rain and reverence—Butts delivered a set as raw and electric as the tempest outside. Her performance felt like both a release and a celebration, a perfect counterpart to the solemnity of the night.
Opening with a mesmerising version of “Bang Bang,” Butts launched into a performance that was equal parts grit and grace. Her voice—soulful and commanding—cut through the room like the lightning striking the Saguaro desert, capturing the attention of every cowboy and cowgirl in attendance. Transitioning seamlessly into tracks like “White River,” she demonstrated her storytelling prowess, painting vivid landscapes of heartbreak and resilience.
“Roadrunner” followed, its rollicking tempo igniting the dance floor. Couples spun and twirled, the storm outside forgotten, as Butts shifted gears into the emotional depths of “What Else Can She Do.” This heart-wrenching ballad silenced the room, leaving couples in quiet embraces and everyone else hanging on her every note.
The playful “Wild Juanita’s Cactus Juice” provided another moment of levity. Butts’ infectious charm and humor had the crowd feeling, as she put it, “loosey-goosey.” But by the time she hit “Other Girls,” her defiant anthem of self-empowerment, the audience was utterly enraptured, swept up in her magnetic stage presence.
For us, a standout moment came with “Blood,” a haunting exploration of familial bonds that felt almost sacred in its delivery. She followed this with “It Won’t Always Be This Way,” a slow-burning anthem that showcased her ability to blend aching vulnerability with soaring vocal power. Let’s not overlook the exceptional lead guitar work here, which added an extra layer of emotional depth.
That traditional Appalachian lament “In the Pines” brought a ghostly hush to the room, its mournful melody perfectly reflecting the evening’s rain-soaked solemnity. Butts then lifted the energy with the no-nonsense “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead to Me)” and the spellbinding charm of “Marfa Lights,” both of which demonstrated her ability to keep the audience guessing and utterly captivated.
The fiery “Hunt You Down” added a biting outlaw swagger to the set, followed by her barn-burning cover of The Chicks’ “Sin Wagon.” The crowd erupted in whirls, stomps, and hollers, their energy matching the ferocity of her delivery.
Just when it seemed the night had reached its peak, Butts closed with “Red Wine Supernova.” A perfect summation of her artistry, the song’s poignant lyrics and cosmic imagery spoke to those who have ever chased something beautiful and fleeting, only to watch it slip away like stardust burning out in the night sky.
Kaitlin Butts delivered a performance that perfectly balanced tradition with modernity, vulnerability with strength. For those of us damp from the rain and tearful for the departed, her set was a cathartic moment of shared release. Tucson may have been sodden, but inside The Maverick, Kaitlin Butts proved herself a force of nature—one we’ll not soon forget.
COMING TO THE UK SOON….
Ginger Evil – A New Kind Of Twist
Finnish female-fronted rock sensations Ginger Evil are excited to announce the release of their debut album, “The Way It Burns”, out on February 14th, 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl.
To coincide with the announcement, the band have released today the EP “Hands Move To Midnight”, digitally available now. The title track and accompanying music video are also out now.
Guitarist Tomi says:
“The main reason for forming Ginger Evil was to have a safe place as a band, where the song is the boss. Not the production, not the so-called perfect sound, not the number one single. Keith Richards said once “Smile is the boss”. For me, that is the ground rule; to make yourself feel good. If someone else likes the song, it’s an added bonus. I guess that pretty much sums up Ginger Evil”.
“We have released singles throughout the year, and we wanted to wrap this year up as an EP. We added one of the first songs we’ve ever recorded together, “Hands Move To Midnight”, to tie the EP together. It’s fast, it’s hard, it’s almost heavy, but still has layers of harmony which now seems to be the thing in our songs. The melody is always the main thing”, adds bass player Veli.
Ginger Evil began as Moonshine Inc. in 2005, in a rehearsal room in Helsinki, Finland. After a couple of years of rehearsal and composing, a fruitless search for a singer meant the songs were put on ice.
Meanwhile, guitarist Tomi Julkunen and bassist Veli Palevaara continued gigging in Finland with The Milestones, including arena shows with Deep Purple and Whitesnake. In the aftermath of their fifth album, those Moonshine Inc. songs from a decade back emerged from hibernation, so the search began again for a vocalist.
The powerful voice of Ella Tepponen was known to Tomi and Veli from many theatre and music projects, and drummer Toni Mustonen was already familiar to everyone. Jamming together found a shared musical passion, and a group creative process soon flourished. Ginger Evil was born.
“From Foo Fighters to Fleetwood Mac” is how the band hears their music, with singer Ella bringing a whole new kind of twist to their rock expression. Everything was coming together. Music producer and film director Richard Stanley, known for his work with The Who heard demos of Ginger Evil and was inspired to write lyrics.
In early 2022 Ginger Evil signed a deal with Deadfall Artist/Band management and a half year later with Frontiers Music Srl. (Def Leppard, TOTO, Whitesnake, Journey). For the recording of their debut album, “The Way It Burns”, Ella brought in Teemu Aalto (Insomnium) as a producer, who also handled the final mixes with final mastering by Grammy-nominated Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers (Rammstein, Volbeat, Sunrise Avenue, Apocalyptica).
“The Way It Burns” Tracklist:
1. Rainmaker
2. Dead On Arrival
3. Shame Old
4. Flames
5. Hands Move To Midnight
6. Arrowhead
7. Better Get In Line
8. Black Waves
9. Whispers
10. Not Your Fool
11. Last Frontier
12. Wake Me
“Hands Move To Midnight” EP Tracklist:
1. Rainmaker
2. Dead On Arrival
3. Shame Old
4. Hands Move To Midnight
5. Arrowhead
6. Flames
Line Up:
Ella Tepponen – vocals
Tomi Julkunen – guitars
Veli Palevaara – bass
Toni Mustonen – drums
LOVE GHOST x SKOLD – When Universes Collide
On a hot and heavy trail of singles ‘Nightshade and Cocaine’, ‘Payback’ and their latest offering ‘Ski Mask’, alternative rock maverick Love Ghost and industrial legend Tim Skold (SKOLD, Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson, Motionless in White) are geared up for their debut ‘Love Ghost x SKOLD’ album.
The 13-track offering will be released through iconic American label Metropolis Records, continuing the label’s long relationship with Tim Skold.
Mixing fire with brimstone, these two innovative artists have joined forces, forging the raw energy of grunge with the driving rhythms of industrial rock, taking us through an adrenaline-filled journey that Finnegan Bell dubs “literally musical storytelling”.
“We very deliberately tried to not have a specific “sound” for this album and instead make music that is genuinely honest and pure in that sense. We both have stylings and character so we didn’t feel that was something that needed much attention and instead focused on making a rad collection of songs that we felt are really cool. I think real and true diversity come from making sure you don’t stifle the raw creativity,” says Tim Skold.
Finnegan Bell adds, “I would agree with Tim, we made music that we felt was from the heart and stimulated our imagination. The music sounds like multiple universes coming together to create something unique and we are proud of that. I’ve also always felt that art should be in the eye of the beholder, because it means something different for every individual person that is experiencing it.”
Swedish musician and record producer Tim Skold is best known for his work with KMFDM, Shotgun Messiah, Marilyn Manson, and Motionless in White, as well as performing as SKOLD and half of Not My God (with Nero Bellum). A full-fledged band member of Marilyn Manson for several world tours, Skold produced the band’s #1 Billboard US charting album ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’, cover versions of ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Personal Jesus’, and the controversial album ‘Eat Me, Drink Me’. He later co-produced two Motionless in White albums. As SKOLD, he has released several albums and toured extensively with Front Line Assembly and Motionless in White, among others.
Based in LA, Love Ghost is an enigmatic indie band dishing up a distinctive blend of grunge, alt-rock and post-punk, informed by the Seattle tradition as much as Soundcloud-era fearlessness. Founded by vocalist-guitarist Finnegan Bell, the band quickly garnered attention for their raw, energetic sound, mature lyrics and numerous collaborations. Having toured internationally, they’ve also earned plaudits from such publications as Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, American Songwriter and New Noise.
“For me, writing is something that has always been so intuitive – like it clicks or sometimes it doesn’t click. But for this project, we just kind got into the studio and had really good chemistry. Now you know that a lot of songs came from that. Sometimes Tim would have an idea or sometimes I would. It just felt like electricity. Every single time that we would get together, we would have a new idea and we would have a new song basically,” says Finnegan Bell.
In his turn, Tim Skold notes that, in a fleeting and constantly evolving music industry, this project presented unique opportunities that differ from his collaborations with such high-profile artists as Marilyn Manson and Ye, where heightened fame and media attention can significantly complicate the creative process, not to mention logistics.
‘Ski Mask’ and ‘Nightshade and Cocaine’ are out now everywhere, including Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music. The ‘Love Ghost x SKOLD’ album, which is now available for pre-order, will be released on November 22.
ALBUM TRACK LIST
01. Intro
02. Nightshade and Cocaine
03. Great White Buffalo
04. You Are The Gun (Valhalla)
05. Cemetery
06. The Star of the Show
07. Spacedust
08. Hold On
09. Ski Mask
10. The Heavy Weight
11. Payback
12. Level Up
13. Less Than Zero
ALBUM CREDITS
All songs written and performed by Finnegan Seeker Bell & Tim Skold,
except for ‘Payback’ – Written by Finnegan Seeker Bell, Tim Skold & Daniel Matias Alcala
Produced by Tim Skold
Additional Production by Daniel Matias Alcala – tracks 03, 05, 11
Additional Production by Corin Batchler – all other tracks
Recorded at Seeker Studios (Glendale, CA) & The Una-Bomber Shack (Studio City, CA)
Mastered by Tim Skold
Intro features the voice of Jeff Daniel Phillips
Cover artwork by Tim Skold
Released by Metropolis Records
Artist photos by Jim Louvau
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
‘SKI MASK’ VIDEO CREDITS
Directed by King Zabb
Drummer – Jon Siren
Bass Player – Tiffany Lowe
The Self – Erin Skold
The Othyrs – A Finely Tuned Organic Live Group
The Othyrs are built around the family unit of Andy Golding (guitarist of indie-noise pop mainstays The Wolfhounds) and his children Alice and James Golding, plus bassist and brother/uncle Richard Golding and violinist Paul Warwick. The latter two are also members of The Wolfhounds.
‘Science Sunday’ is their third album, with much of it written and recorded when Andy, Alice and James found themselves living under the same roof after Alice completed her psychology degree and James returned to the UK after a year living abroad.
With an enforced lockdown also in place at that time, James and Andy recorded everything in their home studio, the majority of instrumentation and arrangements provided by James ahead of Paul adding his signature violin lines and Alice her lead vocals. The family vocal harmony style is highlighted in songs such as ‘Roses’ and ‘The Gulf of Ewe And Eye’. The album has been mixed by engineer Ant Chapman, a long term recording partner of Andy’s.
The Othyrs have become a finely tuned organic live group in the years since lockdown ended. In the studio, this has helped turn them into a highly driven outfit, highlighted on songs such as ‘Nobody Knows’ and ‘Mustard Buzz’. By contrast, the likes of ‘Pure Adrenalin’, ‘Skimming Stones’ and ‘Helper’ showcase a gentler, acoustic side to this family unit truly making the most of their time, and in doing so creating an album of which they are justly proud.
Released on CD in mid-October, ‘Science Sunday’ is available digitally now.
SCIENCE SUNDAY
TRACKLISTING
1 Forming
2 Nobody Knows
3 Pure Adrenaline
4 The Gulf Of Ewe And Eye
5 Helper
6 Mustard Buzz
7 Out Of Self Control
8 Roses
9 Skimming Stones
10 Invite Me
Dwight Yoakam – Timeless and Timely
21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner and country superstar Dwight Yoakam’s first new album in nine years, Brighter Days, is out now on ViaRecords/Thirty Tigers. Listen HERE.
Leading up to the release Yoakam unveiled three new songs: “I’ll Pay The Price”, “Wide Open Heart”, and “I Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)” with Post Malone (along with a music video).
Written and recorded over the last three years, Brighter Days features 12 brand-new songs written/co-written by Yoakam, as well as three seemingly disparate covers—“Keeping On The Sunny Side” by the Carter Family, “Bound Away” by Cake and “Time Between” written by Chris Hillman of The Byrds—artfully woven into the same body of work in the unmistakable style that could only be Dwight Yoakam.
At once timeless and timely, Yoakam self-produced Brighter Days, infusing a modern appreciation for country music’s history with the trailblazing rock and roll spirit of California. The result is an album that reflects a sense of craftsmanship and immediacy, capturing the quintessential Dwight Yoakam “cool” that has set him apart from his country contemporaries since the beginning of his legendary career. As always, Yoakam’s lyrics throughout the album are both deceptively effortless and profoundly poignant. The album was mixed by world-class engineer Chris Lord-Alge.
Brighter Days tracklisting
1. Wide Open Heart
2. I’ll Pay The Price
3. Bound Away (Cake cover)
4. California Sky
5. Can’t Be Wrong
6. I Spell Love
7. A Dream That Never Ends
8. Brighter Days
9. I Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom) (with Post Malone)
10. If Only
11. Hand Me Down Heart
12. Time Between
13. Keep On The Sunny Side (The Carter Family cover)
14. Every Night
We Are Bodies – Luxurious and Atmospheric
We Are Bodies is the British duo of Dave Pen and Robin Foster. They create anthemic electro-prog soundscapes that combine guitars and electronics with lyrical subjects inspired by love, loss, paranoia and….robots.
Dave Pen is a south coast-based vocalist and guitarist who is also one half of the alternative/electronic group BirdPen and co-frontman with the experimental trip-rock collective Archive, who have built a huge continental fanbase during three decades of activity that has seen them sell out arenas and achieve significant album chart success in multiple territories.
Based in north-west France since the late 1990s, Robin Foster is a composer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for creating brooding soundscapes packed with lush cinematic textures, underpinned with his signature guitar sound. He has written scores for award nominated movies, Netflix and Amazon Prime dramas, numerous TV commercials and has released several acclaimed solo records with guest vocalists that have included Pen.
pre-save/add | Burning Shed (ltd col LP) | Bandcamp
The duo began collaborating in 2011 and released an eponymous debut as We Are Bodies in 2015. Its long-awaited follow-up, the genesis of ‘The Love Was All We Had’ was as a pandemic project with ideas emailed back and forth across the Channel themed around what was occurring in the world at that time. Its focus then switched to the present, with the lust for power and war taking centre stage. The album finally took shape, its songs primarily concerned with love and loss, both on a personal level and for mankind as a whole.
The music is a mixture of the stridently luxurious and atmospheric, with Pen’s lyrical subject matter describing love from different perspectives. This includes new single ‘Dancing In The Midnight Howl’, a song about a pair of lovers torn apart, with the male protagonist having a recurring image in his mind of his partner dancing and longing to escape the mess of modern society to be with her. It follows ‘Lost’, an upbeat earworm about a twisted relationship that was released in early October.
THE LOVE WAS ALL WE HAD
TRACKLISTING
1 World Is Out
2 Lost
3 Shallow Time
4 Runaway
5 Lose The Fear
6 Before The Blackout
7 Dancing In The Midnight Howl
8 The Things We Can’t Control
9 As We Implode
10 The Love Was All We Had
Camille Schmidt – Laying It Bare
As a child, Camille Schmidt would sit at the kitchen table with the models who posed nude in her parents’ art studio.
She occasionally wondered why, at the end of these life drawing sessions, paintings of the female body in its most vulnerable form would be given an impersonal title like “Girl with Dogs #3” or “Woman Sleeping #7.”
On her debut album Nude #9, Schmidt renders revealing and personal portraits—of herself, her family, and former and future lovers. Seamlessly blending the sounds of synth-pop, folk, and punk, Schmidt’s debut album is a rapturous portrait of a songwriter realizing her full potential.
The Brooklyn-based singer and songwriter cracked open the folk-rock songbook on her debut EP Good Person, released this past June. While breakout single “Your Game” was a queer kiss-off set to the rollicking sound of alt-country legends like Lucinda Williams and Alison Krauss, there was a soft power in her wistful approach to heartbreak on “Bumblebee Drinks Lavender.” These six songs, which showcased Schmidt’s hallmark ability to balance an innately wry sense of humor with moments of quietly devastating self-reflection, hinted at something greater than the sum of their folk-rock parts.
On Nude #9, despite growing her ensemble, Schmidt sounds more present than ever before, the unflinching honesty in her lyrics front and center. Broadening her palette to include starry-eyed ambient soundscapes and thrumming post-punk rhythms while digging deeper into romance, sexuality, friendship, and her own sense of self, Nude #9 is sincere and whimsical, hilarious and deeply felt.
One listen to “XOXO” reveals an exhilarating new side of Schmidt’s vocals: The song opens with a drum machine and a featherlight synth, before introducing her voice, distorted with vocal processing but somehow stronger for its digital warps. These layers of electronic manipulation are like armor, a protection as she reveals the crevices of her inner thoughts, whether about raising a child with her best friend or the “demon in my room” she faces when she’s all alone. “RIP the girl I was playing,” she sings as the instrumentation behind her starts to twist and double on itself, half-woman, half-machine, as she annihilates the ghosts of her former self.
The songs that would become Nude #9 began to take shape last December. Working with LA-based producer Ben Zaidi, Schmidt would write at least a song a week; by the end of a few months, she had quickly amassed over 45 new songs. But realizing these songs in the studio was a new process for Schmidt, who recorded Good Person with a live band, “no headphones, and basically no overdubs,” she recalled. For Nude #9, she brought in a group of equally talented musicians—bass from frequent collaborator Eli Heath, sound sculpting from Michael Haldeman (Mk.gee), additional guitar from Sam Acchione (Alex G) and Jacob Drab (Allegra Krieger), and additional percussion from Kane Ritchotte and W. Alexander.
On album standout “Cult in Denver,” Schmidt traverses the expansive range of her voice, a staccato and slight flutter in one moment and a textured low hum in the next. “How could anyone be like you are to me?” she sings over the meditative beat of a kick drum, the verve of an electric guitar peeking out between her verses, a hint at what’s to come.
The album’s next track, “Stanley,” wields her guitar like a blowtorch, setting her words ablaze with riffs that shoot out like fireworks amidst her voice. Perhaps the sharpest example of Schmidt’s writing, “Stanley” evokes an absurd and poignant image of a woman “going nowhere,” finding strange comfort in the oddballs who seem just as lost as her. Steeped in dream logic—“I walked the plank I mean I went to the bank/ I had a hot matcha and a heart attack”—the song reflects Schmidt’s keen balance of the insane and the quotidian, honed over years of writing fiction and a prior career in comedy television.
“A lot of these songs were written completely stream of consciousness,” she said of the album. Writing without self-editing was freeing, allowing thoughts to unspool before she had a chance to doubt her intuition. The result is an album that feels at once familiar and completely new at every turn.
From the witch doctor with questionable cures on the riotously fun “Fish Pills,” to the proper names of exes and friends that mark songs along the album like dates atop diary entries, the thrilling and occasionally heartbreaking lyrics on Nude #9 are culled from Schmidt reflecting on her experiences. “I spent so much of my life not being honest with myself or other people,” Camille said of her writing process for the album. “I thought, what if I stop trying to get good with myself? With anyone else? What if I just reflect the truth of what I’ve seen? What if I just say what happened?”
Nude #9 is as indelibly strong as it is revealing. In creating such a candid self-portrait, Schmidt invites us to look directly at our own shame, her gaze warm but unflinching, honest but playful, cutting but just as forgiving.