Jon Mckiel - Benedict Sinister - Lip Talk

Jon Mckiel - Mourning Dove.

By Jesse Locke · April 29, 2020: In 2015, cult Canadian indie-rocker Jon McKiel purchased a Teac A-2340 reel-to-reel recorder from a stranger online. After setting up the machine, he discovered one of the 30 tapes it came with contained recordings made by a previous owner. These included snippets of single instruments, vocals, and one nearly fully formed song. 

Four years later, McKiel teamed up with producer Jay Crocker (Constellation Records’ experimental electronic artist JOYFULTALK) to transfer all the material they could excavate from the reels to a hard drive. McKiel then chopped the sounds into 10-second loops, and used those samples as a foundation for a series of eerie, psychedelic pop songs. The project was credited to a character who was partially McKiel, and partially the stranger who sold him the machine: Bobby Joe Hope.

If Bobby Joe Hope has a predecessor, it’s the 2009 album Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age. That hauntological project features British art-rock group Broadcast working with samples from horror films, TV broadcasts, and nursery rhymes. Though McKiel’s record shares Broadcast’s tumbling drum fills and dusty ambience, Bobby Joe Hope feels more intimate. Tranquil loops provide a soft bed over which McKiel’s gentle voice hovers on songs like opener “Mourning Dove” and the gorgeous “Deeper Shade.” 

The strolling, melancholy pace of “Management” will appeal to fans of Chris Cohen, while the video game tribute “Secret of Mana” might just be the nerdiest song of 2020. Perhaps the record’s most apt contemporary comparison are the ramshackle home recordings of Sub Pop artist Chad VanGaalen, as well as his production work for the spindly, post-punk group Women. The influence of both can be heard strongly on Bobby Joe Hope’s standout track “Object Permanence.” As McKiel’s lulling delivery floats over chiming guitars and a stately bass line, he raises spirits in more ways than one.

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Benedict Sinister - Going Away - Extended Club Mix.

Club hit “Going Away” by Benedict Sinister (which has already reached the top ten in the UK MusicWeek Club Charts) is poised to cross over to the pop charts with a new video combining a sexy video game aesthetic with a cold evocation of a relationship break-up.

“Going Away” is the best example yet of Sinister’s extraordinary combination of house lounge music with adult alternative vocal style and subject matter: break-ups and the great art they have inspired, from Verlaine to Hemingway to Gainsbourg, Jimmy Webb, Jeff Buckley and Lana Del Rey – who are all quoted in the song.

Gigsoup says Sinister’s music is “like Leonard Cohen warped into EDM in the coolest way possible.” Artistrack says: “His smart, sexy, sharply-observed songs are a fusion of adult alternative and chill house.” Wonderland magazine call Sinister a “boundary-pushing revered musical veteran.” Cool Husting reports: “something beautiful has been born.”

Sinister teamed up with LA DJ and tastemaker Christian B on this track. Their last collaboration, “16 Lines from Bryan Ferry” hit the No. 5 Breakout spot on Billboard’s Dance Club chart.

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Lip Talk - HD.

LIP TALK–the solo moniker of Sarah K. Pedinotti (Kalbells, Hayley Williams, Okkervil River, The Secret Machines) has just announced her upcoming album Laughing & Eating Cake is releasing August 4, 2021 via Northern Spy. 

In the lead up to the album’s release, LIP TALK will share a new single every Tuesday, beginning today with the curious and vibrant track “HD” and accompanying music video by Haoyan of America. 

Pedinotti explains further about the track which was written the week after US Election Day 2020: "After a traumatic week of increased television consumption I started having dreams in HD. The highly defined quality of the news anchorʼs skin painted perfectly with make-up and the fly on Mike Penceʼs head seemed to loop inside my head. I let myself get psychedelic in the verse and in the chorus I pretended I was Dolly Parton, for the sake of America."

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Premiere: Warp Trio & Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez - The Well

Warp Trio & Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez - The Well.

A collaboration between Warp Trio, and the rising sensation Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez, “The Well” is a sweeping and epic tour de force that depicts the story of how isolation during the pandemic forces one to confront one’s self-identity, deal with their demons, and conquer them. The music video features the talents of amazing New York City dancer Emily Houghton with original choreography.

Taken from their forthcoming album due out August 20, 2021, the new six track collection came about against the following background. "Like musicians all over the World, New York City’s Warp Trio entered the Fall of 2020 with a full instrumental record ready to go, but no tour to play it on. In light of their forced hiatus from road life, and in efforts to make something positive out of these dark days, they decided to get to work on a new record that would not only signify the times, but also one that they would purposefully not be able to feasibly take on the road. Rick threw down some beats and bass, Mikael added his keys and synths, and after Josh & J.Y created a lush Disco-esque orchestra of strings, they reached out to some of their talented and inspiring vocalist, filmmaker, animator, and dancer friends to collaborate on a project that aims to show a small glimpse of the roller-coaster of feelings and experiences lived by folks in this time of tumult.

After many hours of home recording, “Zoom-Jams”, and a few All-Night film shoots, Warp Trio’s Pandemic Disco Fantasy was born. Clocking in at a little over half an hour, P.D.F. is a six-track video concept album that musically posits the Warp Trio alongside several guest vocalists (Likwuid, Mirah, Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez, Daniel Henri Emond, and Claire Wellin) as soloists with an orchestra. Each track is accompanied by a video chapter that tells the fantastical stylized story of the narrative. Visually, the movement talents of Emily Houghton, Sophia Qin’s psychedelic animations, and the film making prowess of Andrew Wells Ryder bring the music to life".

From Beehive Candy's point of view this is a superb song and one that set's expectation for the album rightly high. The musicianship is both dramatic and skillfully delivered, the vocals demanding equal attention and the video adds another layer of thoughtfully crafted art. As for the rest of the collection, well let's just say if you like this piece, you will love the rest.   

Alice Hubble - Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin - Dude Safari - Royal Wood

Alice Hubble - My Dear Friend.

Alice Hubble has announced her new album Hexentanzplatz will be released on September 10th, 2021 via London-based electronic-pop label Happy Robots. Described as the work of ‘one lady at home with her enormous collection of synthesisers’, Alice Hubble mixes melancholic pop, layered vintage synths and elegant vocals, reminiscent of Ladytron, Jane Weaver and Goldfrapp. Her debut album Polarlichter was released in September 2019 to much critical acclaim.

Lead single ‘My Dear Friend’ was inspired by the discovery of a collection of love letters written by Hubble’s mother to her father around the time that they first met. “My mother passed away when I was in my teens and these letters gave me a real insight into who she was as a person, her ‘newly in love’ giddiness jumping off the page,” she says.

Her new album Hexentanzplatz, named after the German mountain steeped in magic and legend, translates literally to mean Witches’ Dance Floor. An apt title for an album that dances its way through themes of illusion, love, feminism and protest whilst maintaining glistening, 80’s synth-pop sensibilities. Whilst Hubble was driving around the Harz Mountains last summer, the song ‘Beautiful Madness’ by Michael Patrick Kelly was on regular radio rotation. She repeatedly misheard the lyrics, thinking Kelly was singing “Oh what a beautiful mountain”, a sentiment which had much more resonance given their surroundings. The misheard line made Hubble smile and became the basis of her new record’s title track. “Being an eternal optimist I felt the need to write something in 2020 that was full of hope and positivity,” she says.

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Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin - Waltzing With Charley.

Take a wistful railway journey with Petunia as she tells you about a man who used to be, and come waltzing down the dusty tracks of the forgotten American dream.

Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin is an escaped ghost from an old coloring book that was left out in the rain at some point in the 20th Century. Waltzing With Charley is the 11th video taken from her second album (I Left My Heart in Uncanny Valley).

She also recently curated a remix album entitled All My Friends Live In Uncanny Valley, featuring the likes of Renaldo & The Loaf and Toxic Chicken gleefully rearranging her songs into strange new forms.

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Dude Safari - Maybe It's A UFO.

As the dust settles on the recent single ‘Big Worse’, Dude Safari have shared another self confessed Grunge-Pop number in the form of new track ‘Maybe It’s A UFO’.

Previous single ‘Big Worse’ featured heavily on BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio & Total Rock shows, and made it onto Spotify & Deezer Editorial playlists. All with no management, label or paid PR.

‘Maybe It’s A UFO’ is made up of the very fibres of what Dude Safari wanted to extrude. Big & heavy powerhouse instrumentals with a poppy vein running straight down the centre. Reigning in on the influences, Weezer inspired bubblegum vocals with a heavy grunge backbone that channels the likes of Dinosaur Pile-Up & Nirvana.

Due for release on July 2nd 2021, ‘Maybe It’s A UFO’ is Dude Safari’s fourth single. It follows their debut ‘Bug Hunter’, ‘Lead Balloon’ & more recently ‘Big Worse’ which came out last month. For a band that started in the embers of 2020, a single a month in 2021 is the kind of routine firepower the band plan to extend for the coming months...and beyond.

Recorded & written from each member’s abode, Dude Safari ran a tight ship & even future proofed the way the band recorded...even after Covid. The drum tracks for all singles were recorded remotely in Audio Beach Studios in Brighton & the tracks were Mixed & Mastered by Jake Day at North Acre Studio in Cambridgeshire.

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Royal Wood - Say You Will.

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Royal Wood has established himself as a true musical talent. Since being proclaimed Songwriter of the Year by iTunes, Royal Wood has continued to evolve and hone his musical craft – maintaining an unmistakable identity while uncovering and reinventing his sound.

Royal Wood has three albums that have debuted in the Top 30, multiple JUNO nominations, multiple Canadian Folk Music Award nominations and a #1 added song at Hot AC Radio. His songs have been heard on high profile sync placements like Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. He has headlined all over the world including iconic venues like Massey Hall in Toronto and has performed his music with major symphonies and opened national tours for legendary artists like Bonnie Raitt and David Gray.

Now with this new single “Say You Will,” Royal Wood once again goes at the heart of the matter with love front and centre.

I’ve always been drawn to writing and singing love songs. And honestly I’m not embarrassed to admit it either. Love songs make the world go round.

“Say You Will” is about choosing to invest in the relationships that mean the most to you and hoping the love you give comes back in equal measure. Sometimes cynicism abounds, and right now we are either sheltered at home with those closest to us or, like many, we are far removed from the ones we hold dear and miss them like crazy. As a result I felt like we needed to celebrate and remember the most important reason we live now more than ever – to love and to be loved. That’s really what inspired the song.

Royal Wood · Say You Will

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ChrisLee - The Foreign Films - Unspoken Tradition - Jessicka

ChrisLee - Leave Your Light On.

Pop singer-songwriter ChrisLee has just released his newest single, “Leave Your Light On,” along with a stirring music video. An emotional anthem for his advocacy toward mental health, the song is a reminder that finding the strength to live every day may be a struggle, but it’s all worth it because there is light at the end of the tunnel. He is donating a portion of the inspiring song’s proceeds to NAMI -- National Alliance on Mental Illness -- an organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. “Leave Your Light On” is available to download, stream, and watch on digital music platforms worldwide.

MentaI illness can still be a very taboo topic and scary to open up about; that’s why it’s crucial to open up conversations around it -- just like ChrisLee did. With playful beats and uplifting guitar accompanied by heartening lyrics, “Leave Your Light On” encourages listeners to find the courage to keep living and not give up. Co-written by Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis (Whitney Houston, Justin Beiber, Shakira) and co-produced by Marty MARO (Jessie J, Salena Gomez, Jacob Banks) the track features the ideal mix of soulful instruments, including the violin played by Ash Myers and the piano played by Jon Sprott. Through the catchy lyrics and nostalgic rhythm, “Leave Your Light On” is a hopeful reassurance that brings light through the drawbacks in life.

The music video, directed by Mike O’Brien, perfectly fits ChrisLee’s affectionate and compassionate nature. “I hope that when people hear this song, they realize how important they are to this world and that we need them,” he explains. “Everyone’s light is unique and adds value to this collective human experience. I want us to unite under our commonality as opposed to fighting over our minor differences.” The warm color tones and powerful dancing by Laura Faith Ksobiech and Madisyn Maniff flawlessly communicate this message.

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The Foreign Films - All The Love You Give.

In the darkest nights, stars shine the brightest; The Foreign Films create stargazing melodies to illuminate the heart. Bill Majoros is a Canadian singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist who releases music under the name of The Foreign Films.

Majoros has played hundreds of shows spanning North America and the UK, from infamous clubs such as CBGB’s in NYC and The Legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool (of Beatles fame), to packed stadium shows and festivals supporting many well-known artists.

A native of Hamilton Ontario, Majoros has been nominated for and received several prestigious Canadian music awards. Under the name The Foreign Films, he has released four critically acclaimed studio albums and an EP, including an elaborate triple vinyl box set The Record Collector.

The most recent release, Ocean Moon, topped indie charts on over 60 stations internationally, and earned a spot on “The Best of the Year” on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, Sirius XM (Bill Kelly show). Blogs and magazines were also very kind, with both The Record Collector 3LP set and the Ocean Moon LP having been honoured with top spots and raving reviews.

Bill Majoros, aka The Foreign Films, continues his musical journey with the upcoming release of Starlight Serenade, a follow-up LP that blends classic and creative elements to reimagine the sonic future; musical retro-futurism. The album aims for even greater heights, creating dazzling songs that sparkle in a galaxy of sound.

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Unspoken Tradition - Irons in the Fire.

If you think bluegrass songs are all about looking back at an idealized past, get ready to have your mind changed by the latest single from western North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition. Recorded in the middle of the pandemic year, “Irons In The Fire” captures the corrosive effects of dreams deferred and the anxiety and urgency that surround their — and our  — emergence from the enforced idleness of quarantine.

For the group, the moment is particularly significant, as they grapple with the suspension of a touring career just on the cusp of new growth when the concert industry shut down.  As a group, their response was straightforward enough: settling into the recording studio, they issued 4 charting singles over the course of the past year (with still more yet to be released) that documented their musical growth.  In the meantime, the opportunities for reflection left their own mark on the quintet’s members — and hit songwriter Aaron Bibelhauser, too.

“In the bluegrass world,” he notes, “many of us juggle much more than just a career as a professional musician. Some of us have full time day jobs, side gigs as a session musician, radio host, songwriter, etc. — and there’s always behind-the-scenes music business work to be done as well. That sentiment is strikingly obvious within the top shelf delivery of ‘Irons In The Fire’ from Unspoken Tradition. Ironically, my co-writer and uncle, Steve Guenthner, retired from his own career in the business world shortly before I asked him to lend a hand with this song. He certainly provided some contrasting wisdom to bring the song full circle in recognizing that, no matter how much work there is left to do, or how challenging the road ahead appears, freedom lies in the path forward... the journey, not the destination.”

Though its musical drive is squarely in the bluegrass wheelhouse, “Irons In The Fire” takes level aim at a thoroughly contemporary state of mind in its insistent refrain, “Where’s the freedom I’ve been hoping for so long?” — and the result is, as lead singer Audie McGinnis notes, quintessential Unspoken Tradition: “This song spoke to me on first listen; there was no ‘break in’ period to allow it to grow on me. Early on in the band's life, we started using the slogan ‘working class bluegrass’ as an attempt to brand ourselves and connect with our audience. I still think we hold true to that slogan today.  With that in mind, it just feels like this song was written for us.”

Syntax Creative · Unspoken Tradition - "Irons in the Fire"

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Jessicka - Mirrorball Midnight.

To say it’s been a year of change could be considered quite the understatement. But for Vancouver-based musician Jessicka, it’s been the perfect time to truly realize who she wanted to be as an artist.

While her past work has been said to be anchored by heady and dark lyrical content, her new project has taken the artist in a somewhat different direction, evoking a kind of electric energy and exuberance much needed in the current social climate. “I want to get the crowd as pumped to be up and moving as I am when I’m on stage,” she explained. “I just want them to have a more elevated experience. To feel that power and that intensity.”

Having already taken the Canadian pop world by storm with three previous lauded EPs, as well as standout tracks “Wake Up,” and “Broke and Drunk,” Jessicka has continued to move forward – evolving her sound into something she hopes continues to maintain its intense relatability, but in a whole new way.

“It was all about writing songs about the most fun we’ve ever had,” she recalled. “I want to release a record that’s going to slay in a club, and everyone will get sweaty and dance-y. I want to invoke that energy.” The result is a project steeped with the kind of trance-like beats and melodic lyrics meant to conjure positivity, and an infectious sense of rhythm, peace and genuine joy.

New music is indeed on the horizon, boasting some of the musicians most beloved tracks to date — ones she knows will not only tell personal stories, but hopefully elicit lost feelings and happy memories for audiences far and wide. And the best way to get that message out there is through the power of pop music. “I feel like there’s a lot to connect to, and I hope people will sit down, really listen, and get more out of it each time. As an artist, you really can’t hope for more than that.”

Light Organ · Jessicka - Mirrorball Midnight

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Ålesund - Trunky Juno - Reb Fountain - Ebony Buckle

Ålesund - Rhythm.

Following up on the 2020 release of their second EP ‘All Hail To Your Queen’, Bristol-based atmospheric Alt-Pop quartet Ålesund return with upcoming EP ‘A Thread In The Dark’, due for release July 9th.

After the untimely curtailing of their European Tour in Spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ålesund traveled back to the UK feeling uncertain. Although things were going so well with a new offering and an extensive touring and festival schedule to get stuck into, the timing of the unplanned hiatus was less than ideal. Rather than take it to heart, the group’s vocalist and songwriter Alba Torriset retreated to her hometown of Hastings to try and reconnect with music in a positive way.

 “With all the negativity in the world, I wanted to create something uplifting and optimistic,” she says, and so the four track EP ‘A Thread In The Dark’ was created. Alba and guitarist Lloyd Starr started to put together demos with a euphoric and festival-tinged edge. They then engaged with long term collaborator and producer Jake Bright to help build the record.

This is the first time that a batch of songs have been created in this way for the band. Due to the inability to all be in the same room, Alba tried her hand at Logic and demoed her ideas to send to the others. She went back to basics creating rhythm and texture by layering up clapping and even using wooden spoons to get the percussive sounds she was after. She also layered up lots of backing vocals to flesh out her ideas. These all became features within the record and the rest of the band liked how the lockdown restrictions had actually pushed the sound forward in ways it perhaps wouldn’t have if they had all been able to jam the ideas in the same room.

Throughout the EP Alba’s intoxicating vocals take on totally different auras that interchange based on the musical landscapes they’re placed against; soaring atmospheric synth-laden soundscapes, shimmering guitars and tantalizing grooves.

Lyrically, the songs were inspired by being so still and so quiet in lockdown and being able to hear and see things that would have previously passed you by. “The usual hustle and bustle of life can drown things out, but with everything and everyone stopping, it brought a magnificent clarity. Hearing the birds sing, watching the trees blossom, following the cycles of the full moon. Thinking more about what is real, what is important, human instincts, human interactions, the natural world and how we all work together within it”, states Alba.

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Trunky Juno - Hawaiian Pizza.

Trunky Juno is back with latest buoyant single Hawaiian Pizza.  Showcasing his trademark melodic hooks, kaleidoscopic sonic palette and wistful lyrics, the track is the perfect pizza-themed accompaniment to the start of summer, and a high point off the also-released Good Dog EP.

In Hawaiian Pizza, Trunky celebrates the friendships we make in spite of (and often because of) our differences, using the context of a controversial pizza topping to point towards a more fundamental and universal message. Through the lyrics “I’ve got Hawaiian pizza in the oven coming soon, the fridge is full of cold ones, enough for two”, Trunky highlights the joy found in sharing the simpler things in life with others and in so doing sounds like the type of friend we all need.

As he explains, “Hawaiian Pizza is a song about tuning out people who shit all over everything you like. I like Hawaiian pizza, you like Hawaiian pizza so let's be friends and eat Hawaiian pizza together."

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Reb Fountain - Beastie.

This week Reb Fountain announced her new album IRIS is out October 1st, plus she dropped what we think might be one of best videos (called Beastie) video. As well as the regular vinyl and CD formats, we have a limited edition transparent turquoise vinyl available. Also, a reminder that Reb won the 2021 Taite Music Prize, was shortlisted for the Silver Scroll Award for her song ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’, and the album Reb Fountain was nominated for five New Zealand Music Awards.

In May 2020, Reb Fountain released her self-titled album via New Zealand label Flying Nun Records to much critical acclaim. Reb Fountain won the 2021 Taite Music Prize, was shortlisted for the Silver Scroll Award for her song ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’, and the album Reb Fountain was nominated for five New Zealand Music Awards; Album of the Year, Best Alternative, Best Solo Artist, Best Album Artwork and Best Engineer.

Award-winning songwriter, Reb Fountain, is a consummate recording artist and performer; spell-bounding audiences with her music and artistry alike. Throughout 2020, Reb and her all-star band (Dave Khan, Karin Canzek and Earl Robertson) astounded audiences around the country on her sold out album release tour, joined Crowded House on their 13 date ‘To The Island Tour’, performed at Splore, and honoured the great Nick Cave at the sold out Auckland Town Hall shows ‘The Boy Next Door’.

Reb was born in San Francisco and immigrated with her family from North America to Lyttelton — the quiet port town out of Christchurch that’s been fundamental to New Zealand’s alt-folk scene, raising artists like Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding, and Delaney Davidson.

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Ebony Buckle - Wild Women.

Ebony Buckle is a London-based singer/songwriter, originally from her tropical seaside home of Townsville, Australia. Writing and performing with her husband, musician Nick Burns, who also produces her music, Buckle uses captivating stories to hold a mirror up to herself and the world. Reflected in these songs is our humanity - our wants and needs, our struggles to fit in or break out. Throughout all of this is the hope that we can connect, that we can see the magnificent beauty of our universe and that we can grow and learn and evolve without fear.

From a poem to a song, the whimsical “Wild Woman” makes a minimal, haunting entrance giving off a timeless, magical aura. The choir of layered vocals emit an angelic echo, while moments of opera displayed in a fluid, godly arrangement, mirror a dance as her powerful wild woman takes center stage. The instrumentation carries a tense and powerful drum beat, folk-glowing guitar and a selection of affecting strings that cradle the soundscape.

After being struck by a quote in the book “Women who run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Buckle wrote the song as a plea to her inner “Wild Woman”. She shares, “The one who has taught me to tend to my inner power, to keep me on the path that is truest to myself, to trust my own intuition and to take up space in the world.” Often struggling with confidence, Buckle cherishes what makes her feel most like herself and wishes to never let that part go. Focusing on staying true to herself and releasing music that is reflective of her authentic creativity, “Wild Woman” symbolises the next part of her creative venture as a musician and keeping her autonomy over what she creates.

“Wild Women” is the sixth track from her upcoming album Disco Lasers. The album is a collection of audio-visual stories celebrating the wonders of our universe and how we as human beings make sense of our existence through folklore legends, science and our imagination. Buckle reveals, “The album as a whole is very atmospheric, almost cinematic. Each song is arranged to tell that specific story. For this one we wanted to make it more of a folk song that might be sung around a fire. Or dance to under a full moon. It’s a much more grounded side of me...I’m not always up in the air with aliens and space whales!”

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