Brittany Howard has released ‘Red Flags’, the latest preview of her forthcoming album WHAT NOW. After announcing it with the title track, she’s now also shared the details of the follow-up to her 2019 solo debut Jaime, which lands on February 2 and was co-produced in Nashville with Shawn Everett. Listen to ‘Red Flags’ and find the album cover and tracklist below.
“In my past relationships, I’ve had a tendency to see red flags as part of some parade just for me — something for me to run right through without paying any attention,” Howard said of the new song in a statement. “To me, ‘Red Flags’ sounds very dystopian, which makes sense for a song that feels like end-of-times as far as me emotionally maturing. It’s like a big tower fell and now I have to create something new.”
WHAT NOW Cover Artwork:
WHAT NOW Tracklist:
1. Earth Sign
2. I Don’t
3. What Now
4. Red Flags
5. To Be Still
6. Interlude
7. Another Day
8. Prove It To You
9. Samson
10. Patience
11. Power To Undo
12. Every Color In Blue
Daneshevskaya is the project of singer-songwriter Anna Beckerman, who grew up in a musical household; her father is a musicologist, her mother studied opera, and her brothers played various instruments in the house growing up. Now working as a social worker for preschool kids in Brooklyn, Beckerman started releasing music on Bandcamp in 2017, using her middle name, also her great-grandmother’s last name, as a tribute to her familial roots. Her debut EP, Bury Your Horses, came out in 2021, and last week, she followed it up with Long Is the Tunnel, which was co-produced by Ruben Radlauer of Model/Actriz, Hayden Ticehurst, and Artur Szerejko, and features contributions from Lewis Evans (of Black Country, New Road), Maddy Leshner, and Finnegan Shanahan. Both playfully enchanting and hauntingly poignant, its seven tracks toe the line between traditional and patchwork songwriting, blending memories, diary entries, and dreamy images in ways that hold a mirror up to her own life, those around her, and beyond. They’re haunted by the past but possess a childlike curiosity that seems to drive them down unpredictable paths, artfully arranged but pure in its emotional expression. You may not be able to pin it down to a single thing, but Beckerman holds battling emotions at once, hoping you get closer to the truth somewhere in the middle.
We caught up with Daneshevskaya for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about her musical upbringing, working around children, Long Is the Tunnel, and more.
How do you look back on your musical upbringing?
It was always such a huge part of my family and the way I interact with the world. In some ways there was some pressure to learn how to do things the right way, but in a lot of ways, when you just have a lot of instruments around – like, how many kids get to have a piano in their house growing up? When I got older and was left alone, I feel like being able to wander over to a piano and just play, even if I didn’t necessarily know what I was doing, is a very unique thing that I feel very lucky that I got to do. It was both that everyone around me was playing music, but also, there was so much music accessible to me. It was before iPads or whatever, so if I was really bored, I would just plunk around on the piano or the accordion or whatever – my dad loves to collect random instruments, so just whatever was around. I’ve taught music here and there, and the way it’s usually taught is so regimented and practiced. I think there that has so much value, but just the value in encouraging a child to not know what they’re doing and go up to an instrument and just be silly and play, in the way that they would play with toys, is cool, too. I feel like I got to do that, with also the framework of lessons and having someone to give some of the language that you need to interact with music.
And then, just so much singing. It’s one of those things where you don’t realize how special it is until you leave and go form your own life, and then coming back to my house and staying the night and waking up to my dad playing a beautiful piece on the piano and be like, “What? I grew up with this? I’m the luckiest kid on earth.” [laughs] Having a guitar in the living room, and whoever’s around it will just pick it up and start playing – it’s involved in the house, but it’s not about, like, “Everyone look at me, I’m performing.” It’s about, “This is just a part of our house.”
So much of it sounds based around community, but did you crave that time to be alone with music? What else did that unlock for you?
I mean, so much of it is just being bored as a kid and having access to the right things when you’re bored. Our family computer had GarageBand on it when I was like 11, and I would just spend hours making songs about, like, the TV show Lost. I must have had three songs on GarageBand about Lost. [laughs] If I were to listen to them now, I’m sure I’d be like, “That’s so horrible, I can’t believe I made that.” But the expectation wasn’t like, “I’m gonna make something for someone.” It was just like, “I need to make something right now, and I have access to these tools.” Boredom’s a very big thing that I try and remind myself is a blessing.
I always think about, there are so many great breakup albums, and I definitely think it’s because there’s a lot of emotion and feeling and ideas that come with a breakup. But I also wonder how much of it is just – there’s so much space in your life all of a sudden. I know so many people that have a breakup and they’re like, “I’m going to learn guitar,” or, “I used to play piano, I’m going to try that again.” When this space opens up in your life, things come in to fill it, and it’s about being open to just letting stuff happen.
Was there a moment when the reason you made songs, or the weight that they had, started to change?
I think as I started working with more people and had certain expectations surrounding music, it went from just being something that was purely for fun and joy, to something like, “Oh, I have to get this done.” I’m not great with deadlines – the feeling of having to do something is challenging for me, but I think I’ve tried to maintain the feeling that you have when you’re a kid on GarageBand or whatever, that curiosity. I try and keep that at the heart of what I’m making, because I do think you can hear it when someone has to make something. They lose completely the part of it that is fun and exciting and is a discovery.
The titles of both of your EPs reference car games one might remember playing as a kid, like guessing how long a tunnel will last. That also feels like an invitation to talk more about the importance of this kind of childlike playfulness in your music.
I love the idea that when you’re in a car, I can’t really be on my phone or be reading because of car sickness, but I always loved car games because I feel like they were this way to fill space. But yeah, I really enjoy spending time around children, and being around other people who find joy in children. It was kind of a random thing where I went back to school to get my social work degree – I wanted to work in harm reduction, and then I got placed in a daycare. I was like, “This is not what I want to do,” and then I just went to one day of work, and it was the first day of any job I had ever had where I was like, “Wait, I’m happy. I’m leaving work happy and excited to go back tomorrow.”
When the world is so new and discovery is such a big part of every day, it kind of rewires your brain – even though you’re an adult and you’ve already been through that, I feel like it does kind of change the way you think about things to just constantly be interrupted by joy and curiosity, but also extreme sadness and despair. When you go hang out with a bunch of adults or go to work with a bunch of adults, very rarely is someone going to say something that you’re just like, “Wait, what?”But I feel like that happens to me like 40 times a day, situations I would have never imagined myself in or conversations I would never imagine myself having or ways of seeing the world that I feel distant from. I feel like being around that makes my brain more flexible and open to new ideas. It interrupts all the thought cycles of adulthood and feeling like you have to xyz, which is another reason why I think it’s such a good balance for the music world, which can feel so set and impossible.
Can you talk more about that balance?
I feel like really great artists and really great producers can have an understanding of the right way to go about something, and I think those people are really important and necessary. ButI just know that that’s not going to be the way for me, so I always try and maintain the other side of it, which is a little bit more chaotic. It’s still really important to respect people who have an idea of the right way to do things and have a more structured understanding of music, because I definitely know that I need that, but if you have all that and no chaos – it’s a very interesting interaction between the two that makes stuff that I’m interested in and stuff that I would be excited to create.
You’ve said that hearing stories about your grandmother, who passed away while you were writing these songs, made her feel like a version of you in the past. What did understanding that lineage mean for you as a songwriter in the present moment?
I had access to a lot of her words and her letters, and similarly to being surprised and being flexible with language and having curiosity with language, she was someone who really thought about words. She was a poet and she wrote so many letters, she had boxes and boxes, and she’d saved every letter she’d ever received. Sometimes when I think of the past, I think of it in like black and white, devoid of all these things that my life has. But it was very illuminating for me to read all of her poetry and look through her pictures and her letters, because I think she did have this flexibility and charm with language that reminded me of myself and the way that I want to use words and create things using words. I look back on conversations that I had with her growing up; she was so careful with the way that she picked every single word she would say. A lot of people I’ve talked to have a family member who they would see pictures of when they were younger and just be fascinated by, and she was an actress when she was younger, so there are all these amazing pictures of her in Joan of Arc or Shakespeare, all these different plays. I always found myself so entranced by them, but also part of my everyday imagery for a while was just going through her stuff. You know, part of death is stuff figuring out where stuff goes, so I was physically processing a ton of stuff, and that imagery just made its way into my brain.
Listening to Long Is the Tunnel, it sounds like nurturing that curiosity often requires a kind of peace or a moment of pause. One of my favorite lines is from ‘Pink Mold’: “I need the stillness to grow/ It’s all I know/ Forgive me just one long look into the sun.” Do you feel like that’s kind of how creativity works for you, too?
Yeah, I think you said that really nicely. Also with the titles of the albums, those in-between moments that aren’t necessarily, like, intentional space, but there’s so many moments of peace where you are able to take in all the things happening. I think those moments have always been interesting and exciting to me, like everyone looking at a bird or playing a game in the car, because that is also kind of a moment of pause. All these little moments in life where you get to not only reflect, but also just see and take in are of interest to me, and something that I find that I keep returning to when I write songs.
Some of the songs here and on your previous EP also have to do with saying goodbye, which is also a weird in-between moment. Does it ever feel like a challenge to wrap that up in a song that’s supposed to have a certain structure, a beginning, middle, and end?
I always think about my dad, he teaches music and musicology, but he did a whole class on the middle of songs. He was like, there’s so many rules about what has to happen at the beginning of the song, and there’s so many rules about what has to happen at the end of the song, and the middle of the song is where people kind of get to freak it and do what they want to do. Sometimes I’m like, what if the whole song is just the middle? [laughs] The structure can be very comforting, but finding that balance of having the right things happen at the end of a song and feeling like I’m not forcing it too much– I’m definitely still figuring that out.
Although the nature of the songs feels personal, you don’t always reveal how they’re related to your life. Are these connections clearer to you now than they were when you were in the process of writing?
I feel like ‘Pink Mold’ and the lyrics to that one – I liked writing those and it felt like such a natural thing. And then when I looked back on it, I was like, oh, yeah, I was really thinking about taking space and being frustrated by other people when they need space and time to grow, but also realizing I need that for myself. But I didn’t realize as much what I was saying until someone said it’s like a breakup song or a goodbye song, whereas the whole time I had thought of it as kind of a love song. I always felt uncomfortable with those types of labels in a relationship where you’re like, “You’re mine, I’m yours,” so I thought that song was me trying to be like, “Look, we escaped that world of possessive love and ownership, we get to have this relationship where we choose to spend our time together.” But I didn’t really realize that’s what I meant until someone had been like, “Oh, so it’s a breakup song.” Sometimes hearing other people’s reflections can help me realize I did really mean something very specific, I just didn’t realize it until someone reflected something else. And if someone hears it as a breakup song, I think that’s cool too, it’s not like they took the wrong thing away. It’s cool, once I can get far enough away from it, that it just can be what it is, and everyone can have a different reaction to it.
I read that some of the material dates back to 2017. How does it feel to have this stretch of time captured in a record?
It feels great. I think it’s nice because you write a version of the song in 2017 and then you completely forget about it. Me and Maddy [Leshner] wrote ‘Bougainvilia’ – it must have been 2017 or 2018, and then we didn’t think about it for a long time. When we were thinking of songs for this record, we were like, “That song would be good,” but it didn’t have lyrics in certain parts, it was completely unfinished. And then you get to make it new again by adding all these pieces to it. Once we showed it to Ruben Radlauer, there was a whole other wave of newness that was added by them coming in and adding their instincts and different pieces to it. So even though the heart of the song is five years old, each step along the way, I feel like it’s gotten to grow and become what it is now. And then going on tour and performing all the songs, I didn’t ever want it to feel like we just had to play exactly how it sounds on the record. I feel like I couldn’t do it if I was just playing the same song for six years. But because like this it gets to grow, it’s really nice.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Yesterday, Drake announced he would be releasing the third entry in his Scary Hours EP series at midnight. Instead of an EP, he’s shared a new edition of his latest album For All the Dogs, featuring six extra songs. Producers on these tracks include Lil Yachty, the Alchemist, Boi-1da, Vinylz, Ovrkast, and Conductor Williams, while J. Cole makes an appearance on the song ‘Evil Ways’. Take a listen below.
One of Drake’s new songs, ‘Red Button’, includes a shout-out to Taylor Swift: “Taylor Swift the only n—a I ever rated/ Only one could make me drop the album just a little later/ Rest of y’all I treat you like you never made it/ Leave your label devastated even when you pad the stats period I never hated.” The same song also features bars about Kanye West: “Every time that Yeezy call the truce/ He had my head inflated/ Thinking we going to finally peace it up and get to levitating/ Realized that everything premeditated.”
In a trailer released alongside yesterday’s announcement, Drake says, “I feel no need to appease anybody. I feel so confident about the body of work that I just dropped, I know I could go disappear for, whatever, six months, a year, two years – even though I’m not really into the super lengthy disappearances for the sake of mystery. But, you know, ultimately, it’s coming to me in a way that I haven’t experienced maybe since, like, If You’re Reading This, where I feel like I’m on drugs. I feel like I’m in that mental state without doing anything. I did those songs in the last five days. I didn’t have one bar written down for those songs on the night that For All the Dogs dropped. It’s not like I’m picking up from some unfinished shit. You know, this is just happening on its own. And who am I to fight it?”
Are you looking to add some new and exciting activities to your Sims 4 experience? Then look no further! We know that playing the same game all the time can get tiring, so today we’re presenting a variety of creative ways you can take your Sims 4 gameplay up a notch.
Whether it’s finding ingenious ways to utilize in-game tools or getting inspiration from other players, we’re here to make sure you have an amazing time with your Sims. With our tips and tricks, you’ll be able to explore plenty of new possibilities for both solo-play and multiplayer adventures. So let’s dive right in and find out how to have the best ever experience with The Sims 4
Design custom homes for your Sims – don’t be afraid to get creative!
Designing custom homes for your Sims is an exciting creative challenge that allows you to unleash your inner architect. With endless possibilities and no limitations, there’s no reason to hold back on your imagination. From grand mansions to cozy cabins, you have the power to bring your dream home designs to life.
Experiment with different layouts, colors, furniture, and decor to create a personalized space that reflects your Sims’ personalities. The satisfaction of seeing your Sims thrive and enjoy their new homes will make all the effort worthwhile. Therefore go ahead and let your creativity run wild, there’s no right or wrong way to design a custom home for your Sims!
Take your Sims on adventures – explore new places and make memories
The world is full of possibilities and adventures waiting to be discovered. Imagine taking your Sims on a journey to explore new places and create unforgettable memories. The thrill of traveling to a new destination, interacting with locals, and discovering hidden treasures can be an exciting experience.
With a simple click, you can take your Sims on an adventure to explore the vibrant culture of a new city, the stunning beauty of a tropical island, or the charm of a small town. Watch as your Sims immerse themselves in new environments and embrace new experiences that will shape their lives.
Have your Sims go camping or take a road trip
There’s nothing quite like hitting the open road and seeing where it takes you. Some people think it’s all about the destination, but with a road trip, it’s truly about the journey. And with your Sims, you can experience that journey without ever having to leave your couch.
Whether you’re hitting the dusty trails for a camping trip or cruising the highways in your trusty RV, your Sims will love the chance to explore new places, meet new people, and have a few adventures along the way. So pack your bags, load up the car, and get ready to hit the road with your favorite Sims. The possibilities are endless, and the memories you make will last a lifetime.
Check out the new expansion packs to try out different activities in the game world
If you’re a fan of Sims 4 and are looking for ways to switch up your gameplay, then you’re in luck! The game recently released new expansion packs which introduce a wide range of activities to participate in within the game world.
From vacation destinations to magical lands full of spellbinding creatures, there’s plenty to keep you entertained for hours. But why stop there? With the help of Sims 4 custom content, you can enhance your gameplay experience even further by adding unique items such as clothing, furniture, and hairstyles to your Sims’ world.
Create relationships between your Sims
In the world of The Sims, creating relationships between your virtual characters is just as important as designing their homes or picking out their outfits. Building friendships through shared activities, conversations, and even playful pranks can lead to lifelong bonds that your Sims will cherish. And who knows, maybe those bonds will turn into something more. Finding love is a classic Sims goal, from first dates to wedding bells and beyond.
And if your Sims are really ready for commitment, they can start families together and raise their own little virtual humans. Whether your Sims are looking for a soulmate or just some new friends, nurturing relationships is a key part of the gameplay experience.
Try The Gallery for new content from other players’ creations
Are you a Sims fanatic looking for some fresh new content? Look no further than The Gallery. Your one-stop shop for the latest and greatest creations from fellow Sims players.
From stunningly designed homes and charming neighborhoods to unique households and intricate lots, there’s no shortage of inspiration to be found in the Sims community. Whether you’re seeking to shake up your own Sims world or simply appreciate the impressive skills of your fellow players, The Gallery has something for everyone.
Compete in challenges
When it comes to testing your skills and earning rewards, nothing beats competing in challenges. If you’re a Sims player, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of opportunities to flex your creative muscles and earn bonuses for your hard work.
Regardless if you’re participating in a building competition or completing tasks to unlock achievements, there’s always something to keep you on your toes. The best part? You’ll feel a sense of pride and accomplishment each time you finish a challenge, which can make your overall Sims experience even more rewarding.
Sims can be whatever you want them to be and there is no wrong way to play. Let your imagination run wild with all the possibilities your Sims have for customization, exploration, relationships, and competition. Whether it’s camping in an outdoor paradise or competing in building competitions, the world of The Sims can offer endless hours of fun! So why not get creative and start customizing your own living space today?
For additional content, try checking out The Gallery from other player creations. With so much to discover, don’t forget to take screenshots of your favorite moments and share them on social media with #SimsLife! Show off the amazing experiences you create and inspire others to join this vibrant gaming community. Together we can make every day a new adventure with The Sims!
On the heels of releasing his latest single, Vintage Culture, the Brazilian sensation invites us into his creative process behind the track Come Come. This club-ready banger, crafted in collaboration with Tube & Berger and Kyle Pearce, marks another milestone in Vintage Culture’s impressive discography. With a series of singles and an eagerly anticipated debut album on the horizon, Vintage Culture takes a moment to reflect on his musical journey.
Hi, how are you and how is the music world treating you?
Great to be here with the Our Culture family. My team and I are currently preparing for a North American tour, so I’m enjoying a few minutes of quiet time with friends, family and of course, Bentin (my Corgi.) Summer is just beginning in Brazil. Here, it’s the calm before the storm.
Can you take us through the creative process behind Come Come? What drove the collaboration with Tube & Berger and Kyle Pearce, and what inspired the track?
I wanted to capture the energy and atmosphere of Ibiza and infuse it into our track Come Come. This song was born from a spirit of creativity and collaboration. I believe we’ve created an innovative sonic landscape.
Tube & Berger are talented producers. I believed blending our sounds would be a musically interesting combination of styles. The collaboration came about very naturally. We are mutual fans of each other’s work. Also, Kyle Pearce is a talented singer with a wide vocal range. I knew that his lyrics would add an essential layer of emotion to the song.
You’ve had a remarkable year with a string of head-turning singles. How does Come Come fit into the broader narrative of your musical journey and upcoming debut album?
Even in my more atmospheric, quiet tracks you’ll find there is an edge to the music. Come Come grabs the audience’s attention with the first Kick drum. We used driving rhythms and solid melodies to create a sense of momentum in the instrumental. This musical momentum is combined with a sense of quiet desperation which is a common thread through my music. Beneath the surface there is always a sense of urgency to my songs.
Kyle Pearce’s lyrics are very strong. Lyrics have always been important to me when working on a top line. For me, the lyrics for a song have to be original and say something in a unique way. These are passionate lyrics with emotional depth. I think they perfectly capture the feeling of wanting something so badly that you’re willing to do anything to achieve it…. something just out of reach.
The production process and creativity surrounding Come Come was refreshing and inspiring. Each artist was very open to new ideas; And these ideas flowed between the artists freely. Even while we were in different cities we sent each other updates and creative ideas. I also experimented with a variety of sounds and musical textures until I found the perfect combination. I’m particularly drawn to the dark overtones of the track. They add a degree of drama and intensity to the song. I believe this compliments the performance of the vocals.
My forthcoming debut album will be a culmination of everything I’ve learned and experienced as an artist and a person who has, for all intents and purposes, grown up in public. I began making music while still in my teens. In a way, the album is about this journey with all its highs and lows. It’s an indescribable feeling to hear the album transform into one cohesive body of work. Curating this sonic experience is a challenge and also very satisfying. Come Come fits perfectly into the narrative of the album. It’s a track that celebrates perseverance within an album whose central theme is about achieving goals, and striving to reach a place of peace in one’s life. We’re all searching for that promised land, too few of us find it.
Your residency at Hï Ibiza and performances at various festivals have been noteworthy this year. How has your live performance experience influenced your approach to producing music?
My residency at Hï Ibiza is one of the highlights of my career and is one of the best experiences of my professional life. This iconic Ibiza landmark allows me to curate a unique experience for my fans each week. I’ve made lifelong friends in Ibiza and the audience shares my passion for music. Ibiza has become my second home.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve played at?
I’ve played in so many awesome venues around the world this year that it is a challenge to choose just one. In 2023 Hi Ibiza is definitely at the top of my list. This venue has made me feel completely comfortable and at home during my residency in Ibiza. The staff there have become friends. They are one of the most professional, courteous teams I’ve worked with this year. I also miss the people at PrintWorks. That was a classic venue. I’ve had experiences at PrintWorks that I’ll always remember — PrintWorks is another highlight from 2023.
I’ve met so many great people along the way and I am very grateful.
Lastly, where do you see yourself within the electronic music industry, and where do you hope to be in the near future?
What you’ve seen or heard is only a clue to what the future will bring. I’ve only touched the surface of my music production. Each day I’m developing as a songwriter and music producer. The last few years have been a period of immense artistic growth. I’ve certainly entered the next phase of my career. Reaching my goals is a combination of hard work, a loyal team supporting my creative decisions, and relentless efforts. Never giving up is the key to success. My goal is to create a lasting impact. I want to leave a legacy of great music.
New Blue Sun, André 3000’s new album of flute-centric instrumentals, is out today. Announced earlier this week, the 87-minute record was co-produced alongside Carlos Niño and features contributions from Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, Deantoni Parks, Diego Gaeta, Matthewdavid, V.C.R, Diego Gaeta, Jesse Peterson, and Mia Doi Todd. The opening track of the album is titled ‘I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a Rap Album But This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time’. “It’s not like I don’t try or it’s not like I have a lot of these songs just sitting – I have songs but it’s not like rap things that I really feel happy about sharing,” André 3000 told NPR. “And really, that’s the most important part. I have to feel happy about sharing it. That’s why New Blue Sun was something that I realized, whoa, I really want people to hear it. I really want to share it.”
Danny Brown has released his new album, Quaranta. Out now via Warp Records, the follow-up to 2019’s uknowhatimsayin¿ features guest appearances from Bruiser Wolf, Kassa Overall, and MIKE, as well as production from Quelle Chris, Paul White, and SKYWLKR, among others. The 11-track LP was previewed by the singles ‘Tantor’ and ‘Jenn’s Terrific Vacation’. “It’s almost like that was my way of just getting shit out,” the rapper told Rolling Stone about the album. “I was so fucking caught up in ‘Am I going to live tomorrow?’ It was almost like, if I died, this is what I have to say. That’s where I was at with it. This is all my shit.”
Dolly Parton has put out her first-ever rock album, Rockstar. It features nine original tracks and 21 covers, with collaborators that include Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Lizzo, Sting, Chris Stapleton, Debbie Harry, Elton John, John Fogerty, Joan Jett, Steven Tyler, Miley Cyrus, Peter Frampton, Brandi Carlile, Kid Rock, and many others. “I’m so excited to finally present my first rock n’ roll album, Rockstar!” Parton said in a statement. “I am very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time, and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure. I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together!”
2 Chainz and Lil Wayne have joined forces for a new collaborative album. Out now via Def Jam, Welcome 2 Collegrove follows 2016’s Collegrove and features guest spots from 21 Savage on ‘Big Diamonds’, Usher on ‘Transparency’, Fabolous on ‘PPA’, Benny the Butcher on ‘Oprah and Gayle’, Vory on ‘Godzilla’, Rick Ross on ‘Can’t Believe You’, and Marsha Ambrosius on ‘Moonlight’. “I think me and him just have that chemistry,” 2 Chainz told Apple Music. “We enjoy working with each other a lot, and it’s a lot of respect there. And as I always say, still sharpen still. So, it’s always that little piece of anxiety of knowing that I got to this verse has to be better than the last one. I think it’s healthy. I think competition is healthy in any and everything that we do.”
Daniel Bachman has unveiled a new album, When the Roses Come Again. The guitarist self-recorded the follow-up to Almanac Behind on a laptop in a cabin near Shenandoah National Park. “My intention with this record was to represent the spiritual machinery that moves through all life, samsara, the wheel of life, etc. starting with birth, then death, and ending in rebirth,” Bachman wrote in a statement. “I see this process moving in our garden through the seasons, and through intense personal experiences I’ve had. I see it in the churning of centuries within my own family, and through exploring these intergenerational connections I hope to better understand my own place within these intangible cycles.”
Frost Children – the project of New York-based, Missouri-raised siblings Angel and Lulu Prost – have dropped a new record, Hearth Room. It’s a companion LP to SPEED RUN, which came out in April via True Panther. The duo self-recorded the collection this past spring in a cabin in Pennsylvania’s Poconos Mountains, and it was mixed by Al Carlson (Oneohtrix Point Never, Jessica Pratt, Laurel Halo) in Brooklyn. “When you love the creation you start to fall in love with the grind of working on it, and once it nears the time of giving it to someone else you kinda want to hold on to it, but it stops being yours,” Angel Prost said in press materials.
Pakistani-American singer-songwriter Ali Sethi and experimental producer Nicolás Jaar have teamed up for a new collaborative LP, Intiha. “It felt familiar to me, that sense of adventure you have when you hear his music, like a tale that teases you and plays with your expectations as it unfolds,” Sethi said of Jaar’s work in press materials. “It resembled the leisurely improvised ghazals and qawwalis I grew up hearing in Pakistan.” The album took shape after the musician began creating demos by looping sections of Jaar’s 2020 album Telas, improvising vocalizations and Urdu poems over them. “It was what Telas had been missing,” Jaar remarked.
Other albums out today:
Spencer Zahn, Statues II; Blockhead, The Aux; RXKNephew & Harry Fraud, Life After Neph; Mo Troper, Troper Sings Brion; Vince Clarke, Songs of Silence; Teni, Tears of The Sun; halfnoise, City Talk; Smoke Fairies, Carried in Sound; Richard Hronský, CLOSURES; Mom Jeans, Bear Market; Eyvind Kang & Jessika Kenney, Azure; Montañera, A Flor de Piel.
H.E.R. has shared a cover of ‘The Glass’, a track from Foo Fighters’ latest album But Here We Are. Last month, she performed the song with the band on Saturday Night Live, and her new rendition arrives as part of a double A-side vinyl release that features the original on the B-side. Give it a listen below.
In keeping with Phoebe Bridgers’ annual tradition of releasing a holiday charity single, boygenius have shared a cover of the traditional ballad ‘The Parting Glass’ with Irish folk duo Ye Vagabonds. The song was recorded and released in tribute to the late Sinéad O’Connor, who passed away in July at the age of 56. Listen to it below.
Net proceeds from the song will be donated to the Aisling Project, an after-school project working with children and young people growing up in a disadvantaged area in Dublin, Ireland. The charity was chosen by the Sinéad O’Connor Estate.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Boygenius have chosen to give proceeds from the release to Aisling Project,” said Project leader Mícheál Clear. “It’s an absolute privilege to be associated with the stunningly beautiful homage to Sinead O’Connor and we can’t possibly thank Boygenius enough.”
Thy Slaughter, the collaborative project of A. G. Cook and EASYFUN, have announced their debut LP. Soft Rock arrives December 1 via PC Music. It includes the previously released tracks ‘Sentence’ and ‘If I Knew’, and two more songs, ‘Lost Everything’ and ‘Reign’, are out today. ‘Lost Everything’ was co-written with SOPHIE and features vocals from Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell. Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, and Alaska Reid will also guest on the project. Check out the new songs, along with the album’s cover art (by Timothy Luke) and full tracklist, below.
Soft Rock Cover Artwork:
Soft Rock Tracklist:
1. Sentence
2. Immortal
3. Reign
4. Heavy
5. Bullets
6. If I Knew
7. Flail
8. Lost Everything
9. O Fortuna
10. Shine a Light
11. Don’t Know What You Want
12. Fountain
Searows is the moniker of Kentucky-born, Oregon-raised singer-songwriter Alec Duckart. He wrote, recorded, and produced his 2022 debut album, Guard Dog, alone on GarageBand, but the project led to co-signs from the likes of Ethel Cain and Gracie Abrams, both of whom he’s supported on tour. Last week, Searows released the End of the World EP, which he again produced on his own, via Matt Maltese’s new label Last Recordings on Earth. As the title suggests, and not unlike its full-length predecessor, the collection stares down feelings that could, one way or another, be called catastrophic anxiety; but as he gives them the space to unfold, Duckart’s songs reveal themselves as products of not just constant worry, but change. He names a song ‘Funny’, even though it’s the heaviest, most vulnerable song here, then follows it up with the title track, which actually has quite a bit of warmth and levity to it. “I buried my teeth in everything good/ And it didn’t save me like I thought it would,” Duckart sings on ‘I Can and I Will’, and by the time the thought cycles back, it’s mostly just an echo. There’s a lot more of them to get through, and he can’t wait to dig in.
We caught up with Searows for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about his earliest musical influences, following up his debut album, writing about anxiety, and more.
What are some of the earliest memories that come to mind of connecting with music?
There were definitely a lot of artists that my parents listened to that I love to this day, artists that I feel like have particularly beautiful and emotional voices. Sufjan Stevens, I have been listening to since childhood, and he just has this voice that invokes heavy emotion; Joni Mitchell has a similar feeling. I feel like I always just really liked sad music. I’m trying to think of what I chose to listen to really early on that wasn’t just my parents’ music – I mean, I was really into Owl City. [laughs] There’s a lot really embarrassing music tastes that I had as a kid as well. But I’ve always really resonated with sad music, and not necessarily because I was sad, but it just felt so significant and cool to feel so strongly from just, like, sounds and a song.
Especially since you were drawn to that kind of music from an early age, do you feel like you were able to appreciate the nuances of it in a deeper way growing up, to see something more complicated than the sadness in it?
Yeah, definitely. I feel like “sad” doesn’t even encapsulate what the feeling actually is, for both the listener and the writer a lot of the time. Because I feel like they can write about really anything, any range of feeling, and when you listen to it, you can just feel some heavy feeling that isn’t necessarily sadness, but is just a significant emotion that maybe you weren’t able to feel before. When writing music, even when I’m feeling good, I feel like I seek out the things that make me emotional – not in a sad way, but just in a significant way. I don’t know if that’s a good description.
How did songwriting take on this significance for you?
When I was like 10 or 11 was the first time I wrote a song, and it was entirely making up the most depressing poem I could and making it into a song. I liked sad songs, and I was like, “I want to make one.” [laughs] That was the one time when I was 10, and then I didn’t really write anything else after that. In middle school, I started playing guitar, just learning songs, and then I think I just wanted to make something myself. I wanted to have a song to play that was my song, that fet like it was mine. I feel like I was still sort of trying to, not emulate other artists, but just the feeling of hearing a song and being moved by it – I really admired that and wanted to see if I could do that with my own music.
Do you remember when you first felt that with your own music?
I wrote a lot in high school, and I remember writing a song about just a weird friend situation. It was mostly an angry song, not in the way that it sounded, but just the emotions in it. I feel like it was the first time that I was really writing about something specifically, not just trying to sound poetic, and it was something that I needed to write and get out. I definitely didn’t have practice at that point with translating my thoughts and feelings into a song that doesn’t sound like a weird diary entry – not that that’s bad, but I feel like I’ve gotten better since then.
Was it something you struggled with for a while, toeing the line between something poetic and diaristic?
Yeah, definitely. I wrote a lot of songs that were just words that didn’t really mean anything to me. It just sounded good in the song, like it fit into the song and it sounded poetic. It didn’t have any meaning to me, or at least like not none that I could really identify. And then sometimes I would write other songs that were just very melodramatic, straightforward, exactly what I was feeling, and I struggled to figure out how to put the two together in a way or find a middle ground. I’m still very much learning how to write lyrics that feel true and also said in the way that I want them to be said. I’m glad that I was able to write a lot of songs that were not very good, because I would not be doing what I’m doing if I just gave up after writing shitty songs. Being a teenager is just so weird, and I was so unsure of anything that I did – I’m glad I had an outlet for that and that I’ve been able to practice it for a while.
A lot of your End of the World EP is about growing older, and there’s this part on ‘I have more than enough’ where you seem to be addressing a younger version of yourself, twisting the chorus slightly: “You wouldn’t talk even when somebody was listening/ ‘Cause you didn’t have the words/ Well, I have more than enough for the both of us.” Of course, you’re always trying to articulate what you’re feeling in the moment, but do you feel like that’s helping you unpack the past in some way?
I feel like the things that I first started writing about were things that were currently still happening or that I was still very much in the middle of. There’s obviously a lot of value in what you have to say while you’re in whatever situation, but I feel like when it’s been several years, there’s a whole new clarity to it. This EP in particular has been a lot about writing about the same things that I’ve written about a bunch of times before, but in a more further-back perspective that is more at peace with things rather than just, like, the bleakness of being in a bad feeling or situation.
When it came to anxiety as a recurring theme, was it a challenge to write about it from different angles, or even outside of it?
I think anxiety is one of those things that’s like, I can write about other anxieties I’ve had in the past, but at the same time, it’s still always – I’m a very anxious person and still have so much anxiety that it’s like I’m still writing from the current anxiety, but also get to see how I dealt with old anxiety and kind of having to apply it to that. I feel like writing about old anxiety or past anxiety is how I figure out how to both write about and deal with whatever current anxiety I have.
To reference ‘I have more than enough’, it’s like writing about different feelings but trying not to call them the same name.
I forgot about even that line in that song, but it very much applies to that. It feels like the same feeling sometimes, but we change so much that it’s like you have a new version of each feeling because you’re learning more every time you feel it.
How do you get around the fact that it’s constantly changing when you’re in the process of making a song?
It’s definitely hard sometimes. There have been many times where I write about something and it’s months later that I’m recording it, or sometimes years later that I’m recording it, and I just have to remind myself of where I was at when I wrote it so that I can not be judgmental about how I wrote it. I come back to songs and I’m like, I wouldn’t write that now, or I would do that so differently if I had written that now instead of, like, six months ago. But I feel like the fact that it was true for me then or felt true in the moment is something that I have to listen to. I can’t just write a new song every time I stop connecting to an old song. I mean, I can write a new song, but when you’re making a project or a collection of songs, it’s inevitable that you grow out of ones that were written at the beginning of the project or before it even started. I struggled a lot in this EP to not just start over and write all new songs, but I’m glad I didn’t do that.
When it came to following up your debut album, were there things that you had in mind that you wanted to work on?
When I released my first album, even by the time I finished it, I had learned so much while making it that I already felt like I could write, record, and produce in a way that I was happier with than what my album was. I was very nervous releasing it because I just felt like I could do better than that. I’m very happy with how it sounds because it’s where I was at when I made it, but I feel like I was really ready to make something else and apply everything that I learned about producing and recording music to this EP. And I wanted to write about things in this different way; I feel like a lot of the songs were very bleak, and they ended on a very pessimistic tone – that I do still enjoy writing about, because I love just bleak, depressing songs sometimes [laughs] – but I feel like it was more reflective of where I am now to write about the other side of the hopelessness.
You really draw out the first and last songs, ‘Older’ and ‘I Can and I Will’. Both songs need that space, but their approaches are quite different. The first is moving through time with what seems like a whole cast of characters, while the closer zeroes in on just you and your thoughts in a way that’s very direct. Did you have a sense, especially when you started ‘I Can and I Will’, of the place it would reach emotionally?
The first idea of the song came from second half of that song, where it kind of shifts a little bit, and I didn’t know where it would go at all. And then I added the first half of the song, which was initially completely different. That song had quite a journey to sound like how it sounds now. Parts of it were very stream-of-consciousness type writing that I had to put together in a song, and then I was like, Oh my god, this is seven minutes long. I think it was originally a little bit longer than that – I did cut some things, so this is the shortest version that I was willing to do. I’m a fan of long songs, so I didn’t feel like I had to make it shorter. I made a demo of it without any drums, and then I got the drums recorded. And while I was recording them, I was like, I like how this sounds, but it completely changes the feeling of the song from what it was initially in the demo. So I went back and re-recorded and rewrote a bunch of it. A whole evolution happened. There’s also so many drawn-out moments, in a lot of my songs but specifically in that song, that definitely make the song longer. But I feel like it needed space in the middle where you just have to stop for a second.
What do you feel like you’ve learned from making this EP that you want to keep working on going forward?
It’s both similar and different to how it felt with Guard Dog,because I feel like I’m a lot happier with this EP while it’s coming out. I feel good about it – which, for Guard Dog, it was a little bit more complicated. But at the same time, I feel like I learned so much about how I make music and how I want to make music in the future. I feel like I learned a lot about what I am capable of doing in terms of recording and producing, and I’m very much ready to make something new and then learn more from that. I’m eager for the next thing.
I really enjoyed having more instruments than just guitar in this EP, but I was still very limited to the time that I had and the resources and what I’m able to do. This was my first time putting other instruments in my songs, and I really like how they turned out, but I had so many more ideas that I wanted to do. There’s some strings in it, but I would have put more in the whole thing if I could have. I love horns and banjo – I feel like those are both instruments that can be too much, but in the right song they can be perfect. I also really enjoyed having drums. I just want to see how many more things I can put in songs, but at the same time, I also think I will never not write very stripped-back acoustic guitar songs.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
New Blue Sun
Danny Brown has released his new album, 
Dolly Parton has put out her first-ever rock album, 
2 Chainz and Lil Wayne have joined forces for a new collaborative album. Out now via 
Daniel Bachman has unveiled a new album, 
Frost Children – the project of New York-based, Missouri-raised siblings Angel and Lulu Prost – have dropped a new record, Hearth Room. It’s a companion LP to SPEED RUN, which came out in April via 
Pakistani-American singer-songwriter Ali Sethi and experimental producer Nicolás Jaar have teamed up for a new collaborative LP, 
