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Ethan and Maya Hawke Cover Willie Nelson’s ‘We Don’t Run’

The father-daughter duo of Ethan and Maya Hawke have shared a cover of Willie Nelson’s ‘We Don’t Run’. It will appear on a new compilation celebrating the archival label Light in the Attic, Light in the Attic & Friends, to be released exclusively for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on November 24. The track features Christian Lee Hutson on a number of instruments, including electric guitar and Wurlitzer. Listen to it and find the full tracklist below.

“This song is off Willie’s brilliant album Spirit, which has been a mainstay in our home since it was released in 1996,” Ethan Hawke said in a statement. “Everybody needs a good anthem song. This is one of the best.”

“We believe that an essential component of archival work, aside from simply honoring the music, is to seek ways in which to bring fresh perspectives, context, and reverence to the original artists and their work,” Light in the Attic founder Matt Sullivan commented.

Light in the Attic & Friends Cover Artwork:

Light in the Attic & Friends Tracklist:

1. Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band – Slip Away (Rodriguez)
2. Sweet Tea – After Laughter (Comes Tears) (Wendy Rene)
3. Vashti Bunyan & Devendra Banhart – How Could You Let Me Go (Madelynn Von Ritz aka Lynn Castle)
4. Barbara Lynn – We’ll Understand (The Supreme Jubilees)
5. BADBADNOTGOOD feat. Jonah Yano – Key To Love Is Understanding (Majestics)
6. Iggy Pop & Zig Zags – If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up (Betty Davis)
7. Mozart Estate – Low Life (Public Image Limited)
8. Leslie Winer & Maxwell Sterling – Once I Was (Tim Buckley)
9. Ethan & Maya Hawke – We Don’t Run (Willie Nelson)
10. Gold Leaves – Won’t You Tell Your Dreams (Lee Hazlewood)
11. Swamp Dogg, John C. Reilly, Jenny Lewis & Tim Heidecker – The Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea (The Louvin Brothers)
12. Silas Short – You’ve Become A Habit (Leo Nocentelli)
13. Mac DeMarco – Honey Moon (Haruomi Hosono)
14. Cameron Bethany – Send It On (D’Angelo)
15. Roedelius – Le Chant des Fauves (Tinariwen)
16. Mark Lanegan – Same Old Man (Karen Dalton)
17. Angel Olsen – Something On Your Mind (Karen Dalton)
18. Mary Lattimore – Blink (Hiroshi Yoshimura)
19. Acetone – Plain As Your Eyes Can See (Jim Sullivan)
20. Steve Gunn & Bridget St. John – Rabbit Hills (Michael Chapman)

Why Quiet Luxury is the Ultimate Form of Home Comfort

Ah, luxury. The word itself conjures images of opulent chandeliers, gold-plated everything, and perhaps an actual butler. But let’s face it, not all of us are living the Gilded Age dream. Luckily, there’s an alternative that’s rather more accessible to the likes of you and me. Enter “quiet luxury”, the understated cousin of traditional luxury. It’s all about comfort, quality, and—the key element—personalization. Let’s dive deeper into this fascinating world where less is more, and your unique personality is the star of the show.

The Changing Landscape of Luxury in Home Decor

Remember the days when luxury living conjured up a house that looked like a Versace fever dream? Those days are long gone. Today, it’s all about minimalism, subtlety, and pieces that exude quality without the need to swagger. Think of it as the difference between wearing a beautiful watch and carrying a neon sign that says “High net worth individual”. But where did this trend come from? Well, it’s a combination of changing societal values, a focus on sustainability, and the realization that comfort can indeed coexist with elegance and that a beautiful custom pillow can be just as much of a status symbol as a designer handbag.

What is Quiet Luxury?

Quiet luxury in home decor is akin to a classic novel—assured and deeply satisfying. It rests on three foundational elements: simplicity, quality, and functionality. Let’s delve deeper into these core principles.

Simplicity

The beauty of quiet luxury lies in its simplicity. It’s about choosing a neutral color palette that soothes the soul—think earth tones, pastels, and those ever-versatile greys and whites.

Quality

When it comes to furniture and decor items, quality trumps quantity every time. Opt for pieces made from natural materials like wood, stone, or organic fabrics. These not only last longer but also age gracefully.

Functionality

The last pillar is functionality. Your home should not only look good but also be practical. Think smart storage solutions, multi-purpose furniture, and tech devices that make your life easier without distracting from the aesthetic.

The Psychological Impact of Personalized Home Decor

Source: CANVASDISCOUNT

Returning to a home that reflects your unique tastes and preferences offers more than just aesthetic pleasure; it promotes emotional well-being. Personalized home decor and custom prints elevate your living space from merely attractive to deeply comforting.

The Comfort Factor

The psychology of comfort is fascinating. Studies show that familiar objects and personalized spaces can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. So that custom print featuring your favorite quote or photo can genuinely aid your mental health.

The Aesthetic Dimension of Quiet Luxury

A well-curated space is like a well-curated Instagram feed—it just feels right. Personalized decor and custom prints offer a way to infuse individuality into your home, transforming walls and rooms into expressions of your personal taste.

The Art of Balance

Achieving the right balance is crucial. Going overboard with too many personalized items can make your space feel cluttered and compromise the look you’re going for. The key is to mix and match. Combine custom prints with classic art pieces or family heirlooms to create a harmonious blend.

Cost-Effective Luxury

Believe it or not, quiet luxury can be budget-friendly. You don’t have to empty your wallet to achieve the look in your own home. Focusing on a few quality pieces means you’re investing in things that will last, and adding personalized touches makes those items even more special.

Here’s where personalized printing services come in handy. They let you customize everything from wall art to throw pillows, making it easy to put your own stamp on your space without going over budget. And the best part? Many of these services have flexible pricing, so you can start small and add more personalized pieces as you go along.

Our Top Tips for Personalization

Start Small: If you’re new to home decor, start with small items like cushions, mugs, or photo frames.

Be Selective: Choose designs that resonate with you emotionally. That could mean choosing the right quote, image, or even color.

Mix and Match: Don’t go overboard. Balance personalized items with more generic pieces to create a cohesive look.

Conclusion

Quiet luxury is not just a trend; it’s a lifestyle. It’s the art of living well without needing to shout about it. And with the added layer of personalized home decor and custom prints, your home won’t just be a living space – it’ll be your own little masterpiece.

5 Moving Hacks for Faster, Easier, Less Stressful Moves

It isn’t always as simple as ABC to move to a new house. Suppose you are interested in a long distance moving to San Francisco, CA, what are you going to do? With the help of expert tactics and suggestions from the A2B Moving & Storage company, you will be able to speed up this daunting task and minimize the amount of effort, stress, and labor required to succeed.

If you have no idea how to get started, this list of recommendations will certainly come in handy. Check them in practice and ensure that packing your belongings quickly and reliably is a reality. Mind the gap!

Find a Mover Pronto

To put it mildly, the big day can be hectic, crazy, and chaotic — no matter whether you move across the street or opt for a long distance moving San Francisco CA. It is easy to overlook the need to pack something important or skip your meals at all. That’s why it is better to start your preparations early. Don’t hesitate to consult with seasoned teams and gain more confidence. A2B experts ensure you don’t have to take care of the moving boxes, packing, and so on. In turn, it saves you a lot of time to stay focused and devote your attention to other crucial processes before and during the moving day.

Call the Utility Companies ASAP

Aside from finding the best provider out of numerous moving companies, you have to remember the basic requirements of the relocation. Not only do you have to be attentive to the day your rental agreement is over (or when your house is sold), but also you have to contact your utility service provider and terminate the contract. If you won’t switch to another dealer, you can inform them about your relocation to a new address and set your move-in date to renew the agreement at the next place to call home.

Set Your Budget

Another reason why people are so interested in expert moving tips and tricks is seeking ways to make the experience more cost-efficient. There are two simple strategies customers go for:

  • When they book teams just to move their belongings, they have to be precise with their calculations and predictions, taking care of the necessary boxes and other packages to safeguard their belongings. Requesting moving quotes from a few different companies is a good idea.
  • On the contrary, unlike what popular belief says, it might be less expensive to go through the entire relocation process under the guidance of a seasoned crew. In this case, your budget will be set with the assistance of the team — with unexpected costs included and no hidden charges guaranteed.

Hold Small Items in Pots

Decluttering is exactly what you have to do about your clothes and items. When they just chill on your shelves, they seem harmless. However, once you start gathering your stuff around the house and trying to put the hundredth piece of clothing or kitchen supplies in bags, it is no joke. One of the most crucial packing tips is to take your time and analyze what you require and what can be sold or given for charity purposes — there are several possible variants then.

Contact A2B Moving Services

The DIY approach to relocation isn’t always the best choice. With professional assistance, this experience won’t face hidden pitfalls whatever decision you make. A2B experts stay on the guard of your peace of mind and navigate you through a hassle-free journey from point A to point B. Stay in touch for a free service estimate!

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the quality of your moving process doesn’t depend on the amount of labor to put it. Regardless of the project’s scope, your thorough preparations and decisions to cooperate with the best companies will pay off. With A2B specialists, you will relocate your belongings at any distance and won’t need to worry about their state — customer satisfaction is assured.

6 Highlights From All Things Go 2023 Day 1

After promising one of the best lineups for a festival this year, All Things Go 2023 did not disappoint. On Saturday, fans gathered at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland in perfect, sunny weather to enjoy some of the biggest musicians out right now, including up-and-coming TikTok-propelled hitmakers, legends like Tegan and Sara and Carly Rae Jepsen, and an energetic headline performance by rocker Maggie Rogers. Here’s the best moments from Day 1.


Hemlocke Springs

Credit: ALIVE

Hemlocke Springs’ breakout hit ‘girlfriend’ might have been minted by TikTok, but that’s no reason to shrug off the raw talent in this young performer. Having just released her debut EP going..going..GONE!, she opened the entire festival at the Chrysalis stage at noon — a hard slot to take, but Springs shows promise as a performer as well as a musician. She sang upbeat unique alt-pop hits dripping in personality (‘heavun’, ‘girlfriend’, ‘enknee1’) with a fascinating vocal performance reminiscent of predecessors like Kate Bush and MARINA. It’s hard to get any of her songs out of my head, so it was a treat to see her perform live and be so warmly welcomed by the crowd.

Sudan Archives

Credit: ALIVE

The multi-talented Brittney Parks, also known as Sudan Archives, was (perhaps unjustly) granted only a 30-minute set, but she made every minute work for her. Donning a violin and a sharp voice, she mostly performed songs from her impeccable 2022 album Natural Brown Prom Queen, opening with an odd but mesmerizing choice of ‘Milk Me’, turning up with ‘Freakalizer’, and ending with ‘Selfish Soul’. The best moment came when she sang “NBPQ (Topless)”, and during the iconic bridge, she turned her self-empowerment anthem over to the crowd: “I’m not?”, she posed, “Average!” we all answered; “You’re not?” “Average!”; “We’re not?” “Average!” 

Tegan and Sara

The Canadian duo took the main stage early on Saturday and sang a collection of songs from their more-than-two-decade-long career, including hits like ‘Boyfriend’, ‘Back in Your Head’, and, of course, ‘Closer’. I wasn’t too familiar with the band before this, but they were great live, showcasing a fun performing ability and great energy. It was a special moment for Sara, too, who admitted that because they were on so early, her 15-month-old was able to see her perform. Music for the whole family!

Suki Waterhouse

I’ll be honest, Suki Waterhouse’s 2022 debut album I Can’t Let Go didn’t really move me, but on the stage, it took on a whole new experience. Looking absurdly cool in a two-piece brown suit and sunglasses, the Daisy Jones & the Six star hit songs from that album like ‘Moves’, ‘The Devil I Know’, and covered Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’ and Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” She earned a convert!

Carly Rae Jepsen

Credit: ALIVE

The best set of the night, hands down, belonged to Carly Rae Jepsen. The ‘Call Me Maybe’ star of course sang her flagship hit (and everyone in the crowd knew every single word), but also performed upbeat synthpop from her two most recent albums, The Loneliest and Loveliest Times, respectively. One particular run — ‘Surrender My Heart’, ‘Talking to Yourself’, ‘Shy Boy’, ‘Western Wind’, ‘Kollage’, then ‘Psychedelic Switch’ — showed her prowess of kicking it up, then taking it down with vibey, relaxing hits. Even campy songs like ‘Beach House’, not much when in an album, was extraordinarily fun live. Jepsen is an incredible performer, and you can tell she has a blast on stage — especially with some of her best songs, like ‘Run Away With Me’, ‘Want You In My Room’, and the closer ‘Cut to the Feeling’ (yes, she got a sword with this one!) I’d seen her once before, for the Dedicated tour in 2019, but it was like an entirely new experience. She’s a must-see for a spectacular night if she’s anywhere near your city — the pure joy she radiates is infectious. I left as an even bigger fan of her music and her as a person (if that’s even possible).

Maggie Rogers

Credit: ALIVE

The headliner of the night (there was some debating, in my mind, if this slot should have belonged to Carly Rae Jepsen) closed out Day 1 with some songs from her rock-heavy latest record Surrender, whose massive production and angsty hits lent itself perfectly to the stage. ‘Anywhere With You’, ‘Want Want’, ‘Shatter’, and ‘That’s Where I Am’ were, as predicted, perfect for a large stage like the Merriweather Post Pavillion, and she even took the time to preview two upcoming songs, ‘Sick of Dreaming’ and ‘Don’t Forget Me’. I saw her at the Santa Barbara Bowl in 2019, promoting her folky album Heard It In A Past Life, but touring Surrender is a different animal, one where Rogers feels completely at home.

Chromeo Announce New Album ‘Adult Contemporary’, Share New Single ‘Personal Effects’

Chromeo have announced a new album, Adult Contemporary, which arrives on February 16, 2024. It will feature the previously released songs ‘Words With You’, ‘Replacements’, and ‘(I Don’t Need A) New Girl’, as well as the new single ‘Personal Effects’. Check out its Spencer Ford-directed video and find the album artwork and tracklist below.

“This is the last song we added on the album,” Dave Macklovitch, aka Dave 1, said in a statement. “I was on a flight and the pilot said, ‘please don’t forget your personal effects’ and I was like, ‘wait how come this isn’t a Chromeo song title?!’ We felt like we needed a little breezy funk…something warm and fuzzy to bop to.”

“You notice that long instrumental bit at the end?” he continued. “That’s definitely a motif on the album: extended sections where we let the music ride out. Adult Contemporary is a meditation on modern, mature relationships, which means: if we gotta sing about curling irons, so be it.”

Adult Contemporary marks Chromeo’s first proper LP since 2018’s Head Over Heels.

Adult Contemporary Cover Artwork:

Adult Contemporary Tracklist:

1. (I Don’t Need A) New Girl
2. Got It Good
3. Lost And Found
4. BTS
5. Replacements (Featuring La Roux)
6. Lonesome Nights
7. Personal Effects
8. She Knows It (Personal Effects Pt. 2)
9. Ballad Of The Insomniacs
10. CODA
11. Words With You
12. A Cut Above
13. Friendsnlovers
14. Two Of Us (Friendsnlovers Pt. 2)

Foo Fighters Announce 2024 Stadium Tour With Pretenders, Alex G, L7, and More

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Foo Fighters have announced their first run of tour dates of 2024. The North American stadium tour in support of But Here We Are kicks off next July with two shows at New York’s Citi Field and wraps up a month later at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. It will feature support from Pretenders, the Hives, Mammoth WVH, Alex G, Amyl and the Sniffers, and L7. See the full itinerary below.

Foo Fighters 2024 Tour Dates:

Wed Jul 17 — New York NY — Citi Field *
Frid Jul 19 – New York NY — Citi Field #
Sun Jul 21 – Boston MA — Fenway Park #
Tue Jul 23 – Hershey PA — Hersheypark Stadium #
Thu July 25 – Cincinnati OH — Great American Ballpark *
Sun July 28 – Minneapolis MN — Target Field **
Sat Aug 3 – Denver CO — Empower Field at Mile High *
Wed Aug 7 – San Diego CA — Petco Park $
Fri Aug 9 – Los Angeles CA — BMO Stadium #
Sun Aug 11 – Los Angeles CA — BMO Stadium %
Thu Aug 16 – Portland OR — Providence Park Soccer Stadium %
Sat Aug 18 – Seattle WA — T-Mobile Park %

* Pretenders & Mammoth WVH Support
** Pretenders & L7 Support
# The Hives & Amyl and The Sniffers Support
$ The Hives & Alex G Support
% Pretenders & Alex G Support

A. Savage Releases New Song ‘David’s Dead’

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Parquet Courts’ A. Savage has unveiled ‘David’s Dead’, the latest preview of his forthcoming LP Several Songs About Fire, ahead of its release on Friday. It follows previous offerings ‘Thanksgiving Prayer’ and ‘Elvis in the Army’. Check it out below.

“What can I say about the song ‘David’s Dead?’ Well I can tell you that it’s a portrait of the block in New York City that I called home for over a decade, each line sort of a tally of things that had changed in that time,” Savage explained in a statement. “I can tell you that David’s passing made some of those changes much more evident than they were before. I can tell you that the last time I saw David I bought him both a black coffee and a can of Crazy Stallion, and that we drank a coffee together on my stoop, but I said ‘see ya later’ when he cracked open the tallboy.”

Artist Spotlight: Slow Pulp

Slow Pulp is the Chicago-via-Madison quartet made up of vocalist Emily Massey, guitarist/producer Henry Stoehr, bassist Alexander Leeds, and drummer Theodore Mathew. The band’s roots date back to elementary school; Leeds, Mathews, and Stoehr had been playing in bands together since the sixth grade before Massey was invited to join their new project, contributing guitar and backing vocals to 2017’s EP2.  After relocating from Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois, Slow Pulp released the Big Day EP in 2019 and went on tour with Alex G as they worked on their debut full-length, Moveys, which arrived in the fall of 2020. The pandemic wasn’t the only challenge the group had to face in completing the album: Massey was diagnosed with Lyme disease and chronic mono, then had to move back home to take care of her parents after they were involved in a sreious car accident. They ended up finishing Moveys remotely, with Massey recording her vocals with her dad, Michael. Though they had more of a choice this time, they opted to do the same on Yard, their gauzy, confident, and endlessly comforting sophomore full-length.

With Stoehr once again helming the production, Yard showcases a band capable of switching between loud, intoxicating indie rock songs and soft, quietly affecting ones – what’s remarkable is that they so clearly share the same heart. It’s an album that grapples with anxious isolation as much as it benefits from collaboration, that finds Massey pushing her vocal limits while continuing to express self-doubt around different facets of her life. “Am I wrong?/ Or is it okay to stay inside and out of love?/ Tell me I’m wrong/ I’m just gonna give it a try and hope that it’s enough,” she sings on ‘Broadview’. All over Yard, you can feel the sun burning, and you can feel the love slipping through. Those questions don’t go away, but the feeling is infectious.

We caught up with Slow Pulp’s Emily Massey for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about the making of Yard, writing in isolation, self-doubt, and more.


There were a lot of obstacles in making and releasing Moveys, and you’ve talked about how working on that album was a healing process for you. Were you processing a lot of the same feelings and trauma transitioning into Yard?

During lockdown, I was with my family, and we were kind of on top of each other, as a lot of people were if they lived with other people in their houses. And it felt at times hard to be vulnerable or be able to express more intense bouts of emotion, because you had to hold it together for other people or just didn’t feel like you wanted to exert that energy or let people in to help you through that. Sometimes, I found it’s easiest for me to be vulnerable with myself and my own emotions when I’m completely alone, and I think really benefited the songwriting because I was able to be super open. Even if I’m alone in a house somewhere but I can tell that my neighbors can hear me – like recently, I ran into my neighbour in the hallway, and he was like, “Oh, you’re the singer! I hear you all the time.” And I was like, Oh my god, that’s the worst possible thing I could hear. But I had the privilege to be able to go up to a couple of cabins in Northern Wisconsin and write and be really, truly alone.

I think for sure, there’s probably a lot of residual processing of things that happen during the pandemic. Moveys is so much about my relationship to myself, and it’s very internally reflective. Almost every song on Yard, it’s still a reflection, but about my relationships with other people. It was an interesting juxtaposition – wanting to be alone, but for whatever reason that brought out thoughts of others, which I guess makes sense.

How does that tie into your relationship with your band, which is a different kind of family? Did the isolation allow you to be more vulnerable with them?

We have a very specific relationship between the four of us – we’re friends and co-workers, and we spend a lot of time together – more than probably any humans should spend together [laughs]. But we try to just be really open with each other. For me, it’s always been really easy. Because of our closeness, I trust them so much, I feel like I’m able to be really vulnerable with them. I think we go in phases of how we’re able to do that, but at the end of the day, they’re incredibly supportive of me and really give me a lot of space and create a freedom to work on the songs lyrically and melodically. I really appreciate that in this project so much.

Was that space something you expressed the need for in a direct way?

It started because I used to teach ballet to toddlers. In 2021 or early 2022, one of the kids tested positive for COVID, so they had everybody who is in the the class quarantine just in case, so I couldn’t teach for a week. Last minute, I asked a friend’s family if I could go up to their cabin because I had been wanting to do some sort of writing retreat or isolated thing, just to try it. So when I went up there, it just clicked for me that this was something that is really important for my process, or something that want to continue. And they’re very supportive of that. Already we write a lot of things kind of separate from each other – we have a shared Google Drive that we send things back and forth, even though we’re together a lot [laughs]. Sometimes I think that space can be good to kind of flesh things out some of the stuff that’s a bit more laborious or takes more time. For me, when I’m writing a vocal melody, I’ll just sing for hours and hours and hours and hours to try and find the right thing. I can speak for Henry, too, who is the guitar player and does the production for our records, having that space to push through can be a good thing.

In terms of writing, was it important in ways that were different from writing alone before?

Yeah, that first trip for me personally – what I did was I got there and I cried for a full day straight, just because I felt like I was allowed to do that. I think I find it personally hard to do that kind of emoting when other people are around. I mean, there’s a lot of things I just didn’t expect to happen with that kind of space. And after that, it felt like I was able to open up in a way that felt better. Another thing that was really important about isolation for me was allowing myself to fail more, to make songs that were bad that I knew no one would hear. Something about that really opened up the process for me. I get really in my head about and I’m really self-critical when I make things that I don’t feel are worthy, and I tie that too much to my own self-worth. But having this space, I just felt like it was such a judgment-free zone – even though other people aren’t directly judging, it was just all this preconceived thing that I had built up in my own mind. But being alone kind of squashed that.

Self-doubt is also something you explore in some of the new songs, which is a theme that carries over from Moveys. But you’re also more self-aware about it, like on the song ‘Doubt’, and it’s often more to do with how you relate to other people. How has your relationship with self-doubt changed over time?

It’s one of those things that has been a bit of a constant in my life. It comes in waves; I think I’ve done a lot of work to make it not such a pertinent thing that’s at the forefront of my life and the way I move around in the world. But it’s funny, because I think I’ve gotten through a lot of periods of time recently where I felt really good, and I’m like, “Oh, I’m not doubting myself as much.” But then a week later I’ll be right back where I feel like I started. That’s kind of the frustrating part of growth, is it’s never just this linear path – you have dips, you have valleys. But I think I think I’m just really trying to give myself space to make mistakes, to be imperfect, and trust myself to move forward from that – and trust my relationships with the people that are close to me in my life to work through those things, too. But it takes time, and it goes in and out.

I was thinking about how my self-doubt affects other people, and how sometimes the things that that feel so internal do affect our relationships outside of ourselves. I know personally, I tend to project things or expect things out of people that might be unfair, because I’m doing it to myself, but I’m putting it on other people. But it’s really so much about trust, and that is a hard thing to build up. But it is possible.

On ‘Broadview’, you’re fighting isolation in an effort to embrace this new thing that’s happening. Trust is a key ingredient in that, and there’s also a sense of hope.

Absolutely, hope is a great word. I think that’s something that is a common theme throughout a lot of our music, even if it’s kind of touching on a darker subject. There’s this sense of longing for the other side and believing that there’s there’s some way to get there.

How did that become apparent this time?

I think it actually kind of started in Moveys. When the song ‘New Horse’ was written, that’s pretty directly about that. That song was a big turning point for me in terms of self-trust and belief in myself. I think that was the first song in a really long time that I had a part in writing where I was really proud of myself – having that be a lost feeling for a while, and then having that come back, was really what I needed. And I think that’s kind of propelled me through even now, is being like, “You made something that you were proud of actively, and you can do it again.”

What do you remember about writing ‘Fishes’?

I went to another family friend’s cabin – again, so lucky that I get to be able to do that – and they didn’t have any internet. They were a lot more off the grid than the other one that I normally go to. But I remember feeling really lonely at that time, and having that feel really visceral. They had a CD stand – I had a high school band, and the CD was sitting next to a Lucinda Williams CD. And I was like, “Those shouldn’t even be together, that feels crazy.” But I listened to that Lucinda Williams album Essence over and over again, because there wasn’t any internet. After listening to that album for like the third or fourth time, I just sat down and tried playing guitar a little bit, and that song just came out. And then I didn’t write a song the rest of the week. I tried so hard and nothing else came out, but for whatever reason, that one just shot right out.

I don’t know how many of the songs started out in a sparse form, but it’s interesting that there are couple of more intimate songs – the title track and ‘Carina Phone 1000’ – in the middle of the record. How do they, along with ‘Fishes’ as a closer, fit into the broader vision of Yard?

I think almost all of the songs started in a pretty sparse place. Something that we learned from Moveys was that it was beneficial for me to take the chords, whoever wrote them, and maybe change the key, change up some little minor things, and then write a melody over it – having the song feel good at a space that felt pretty minimal that anything that we added was ideally going to just benefit what already was there. The first iteration of ‘Mud’ was really acoustic, but I think Teddy, our drummer, expressed a desire to work on that one, and we kind of changed the rhythm together and it turned into a totally different thing, which is so cool when something like that happens with a song. I think that’s what’s great about collaboration, is you start something and you take it to other people and it ends up being something you never would have thought of. That’s kind of my favorite part of making music, is seeing how it all ends up. But some of the songs felt really right in that more sparse space, like ‘Carina’.

Can you talk more about that song?

Carina is my best friend in the whole world. We’ve been best friends since the sixth grade as well, which, I feel really privileged to have a relationship like that. As equal as the positives that come out of being isolated, there are a lot of things that are not so romantic about it, and being alone like that – it’s so easy to spiral in your brain when you have no one to pull you out of that. I was up there and really feeling not great, just feeling kind of stuck, both creatively and mentally. My friend Carina called me at just the perfect time. It’s almost like a telepathic connection happened and they just knew that I needed them in some way. We had a really long phone conversation, and they were just so validating about feeling those types of emotions. They’re so good at listening and allowing me to have that space to be sad, or to be, you know, not the best version of myself. So the song ended up being that, and the reason it’s called ‘Carina Phone 1000’ is because they notoriously lose their phone and have to get new phone numbers all the time, so I have like six contacts in my phone that are different Carina phone numbers. The most recent one is Carina Phone 1000, and I thought it would be funny to title the song that.

What have you learned about music and collaboration from working with your dad, Michael?

So, Moveys I recorded vocals with my dad more out of necessity, because we were all separate at that time during lockdown and needed to finish the album. I was a bit nervous to do that, because it’s always a toss-up working with family, seeing how that relationship would translate to a creative one. It ended up going so well that it felt like it would be a good thing to do it again for this record. We’re able to be very open with each other, for better or worse – sometimes we’ll fully fight and argue when we’re recording. But he’s so good at guiding me in delivery and finding the micro things to either change my voice or change in phrasing that really helped bring out the best takes. And he’s really good at telling me to stop, because I’ll just go forever if I could. I feel really lucky that we have that facet to our relationship, it’s very strange and unique. But it really has brought us closer together, and I think having that practice in communication and collaboration has helped us to communicate better in our relationship.

Can you share one thing that inspires you about each member of the band?

Oh, cute! They’re all in the car right now, overhearing my answers [laughs]. I mean, I love them to death. They are my brothers through and through. I’ll start with Alex, he’s to my left. He is one of the funniest people I know and keeps things so positive. It’s so easy to laugh with all of them, and it’s so easy to laugh especially with Alex. I think he has such a good nature of allowing things to be silly, and I really appreciate that. Sometimes things can be so serious, and I think he’s really good at finding the positive in a lot of things. Henry produces all our records. He shreds, he rocks [laughs]. Him and I started working on music before I joined Slow Pulp, and I feel like he was one of the first people to really believe in me and have a sense of trust in me that I had never felt in a creative collaboration with anybody before. It felt like one of those instant things, and throughout all of this he’s been a big supporter of not just me, but everybody. I think he champions his friends in such a big way. Teddy, who’s the drummer, he is so caring and so kind. He’s like Dad – he’s gonna laugh at me saying that – he keeps us together in so many good ways and is open and vulnerable and really easy to talk to. I feel like when I’ve had really hard times in in my life, he’s been a great crutch and very understanding. He’s helped me through a lot of things. I mean, all of them have. I couldn’t say enough good things about this group of guys. They rule.


This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Slow Pulp’s Yard is out now via ANTI-.

This Week’s Best New Songs: Armand Hammer, Sweet Pill, Maria BC, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.

On this week’s list, we have Armand Hammer’s dense, frenetic new single ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’, which was produced by El-P of Run the Jewels; ‘dawn service’, the glitched-up, wonderfully layered pop song that leads Katie Dey’s next album; Sweet Pill’s pensive yet fiery new single ’Starchild’, their first for Hopeless Records; Maria BC’s hauntingly gentle, gorgeous new track ‘Still’; and Helena Deland’s calm, wistful new song ‘Strawberry Moon’.

Best New Songs: October 2, 2023

Song of the Week: Armand Hammer, ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’

Katie Dey, ‘dawn service’

Sweet Pill, ‘Starchild’

Maria BC, ‘Still’

Helena Deland, ‘Strawberry Moon’

Hellessy Joins Forces with French Bloom in Support of Cancer Cartel

New York fashion label HELLESSY has joined forces with French Bloom, a Paris-based alcohol-free sparkling wine innovator. The goal is to launch an exclusive capsule collection in support of Cancer Cartel on the occasion of Octobre Rose. The partnership represents a powerful union of creativity and compassion, as both brands work together to raise awareness and support cancer patients.

Paris-born Sylvie Millstein and French Bloom’s co-founders Constance Jablonski and Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger joined forces on a 3-piece capsule collection. Hand-embroidered embellishments on denim and striking sculpted silhouettes harmoniously merge feminine grace with laid-back glamour, highlighting the designers’ attention to detail and commitment to craftsmanship.

The limited edition capsule collection comes in 3 unique styles, all of which are distinctive to the HELLESSY aesthetic, with touches of pink emblematic of French Bloom’s debut, Le Rosé and Octobre Rose. The Constance Shirt, named after French Bloom co-founder Constance Jablonski, is a fitted denim shirt with hand-embroidered rose crystals. The Janelle Jeans slim jeans are adorned with blush satin bows on leg slits. And the Maggie Bustier – named after French Bloom’s second co-founder Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger – is a black and fuchsia pink stripe cotton bustier with a signature trompe l’oeil “men’s shirt falling off the shoulders” effect.

Talking about the collaboration Silvie Millstein said: “This collaboration felt so natural to me – from design to concept. Constance and Maggie are exactly the women I design for – one who is on the go and invests in heirloom pieces that feel effortless. I’m so happy to be sharing such a special moment with French Bloom, whilst also benefiting an amazing cause – Cancer Cartel.”