TUESDAY JUL 31, 2018
529 Presents:
529 & Irrelevant Music Present:
Curt Castle (7" Release Party!)
Echo Courts | True Blossom | Sad Fish
Curt Castle (7" Release Party!)
Curt Castle’s years-long relationship came to an end just as the two bands he had spent his life playing with came grinding to a halt. He was left struggling with a question: How do we redefine ourselves when the foundations of our lives disappear?
Without those once integral pieces of his life and his identity, Curt set out to figure out the who that remained within. If I’m Here At All began as he started to reform himself, to reassemble the pieces left behind in the void. An uninhibited examination of his past, of his fears, of his loss and of his hopes for the future, Curt Castle’s debut album is starkly vulnerable and honest, and fundamentally human. To him, that’s the way it has to be, if it’s going to be worth doing at all.
Curt took a trip, driving across the country, his only company the thoughts in his head. These songs materialized out of that time being alone, singing (and sometimes, shouting) thoughts into the air around him. Out on the other side of the country, he recorded the songs with friends, spending the days sharing his songs with them, and the nights recording in their garage studio (Heavy Meadow Studios).
Returning home to Georgia, holding an early, rough and cathartic version of If I’m Here At All, Curt reached out to producer / engineer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Mothers, Kishi Bashi) at Athens, GA recording studio Chase Park Transduction. Together, they crafted a sonic landscape built on dynamic arrangements inspired by Harry Nilsson, soaked in synthetic sound reminiscent of Thomas Dolby's production work, and occasionally interspersed with electric guitarmony. The main engine of the songs though are the emotion of the lyrics and the catchy melodies they ride on.
Those lyrics are woven from the cycles of hope and despair that pass over all of us. “Chances,” the first track on the record, is a piercing look at a relationship on the verge of falling apart. “All the Love in the World” looks at living with grief where each breath feels like an act of survival and triumph. And “Across State Lines (Supernova)” finds cautious hope in a new love.
Now, Curt Castle has built up a high energy live show honed while opening around the country for headliners like GIVERS, Dent May, Roadkill Ghost Choir and many others. There’s a full band bringing the songs to life. In these live environments, If I’m Here At All’s songs about loneliness create an atmosphere of togetherness.
Curt Castle’s years-long relationship came to an end just as the two bands he had spent his life playing with came grinding to a halt. He was left struggling with a question: How do we redefine ourselves when the foundations of our lives disappear?
Without those once integral pieces of his life and his identity, Curt set out to figure out the who that remained within. If I’m Here At All began as he started to reform himself, to reassemble the pieces left behind in the void. An uninhibited examination of his past, of his fears, of his loss and of his hopes for the future, Curt Castle’s debut album is starkly vulnerable and honest, and fundamentally human. To him, that’s the way it has to be, if it’s going to be worth doing at all.
Curt took a trip, driving across the country, his only company the thoughts in his head. These songs materialized out of that time being alone, singing (and sometimes, shouting) thoughts into the air around him. Out on the other side of the country, he recorded the songs with friends, spending the days sharing his songs with them, and the nights recording in their garage studio (Heavy Meadow Studios).
Returning home to Georgia, holding an early, rough and cathartic version of If I’m Here At All, Curt reached out to producer / engineer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Mothers, Kishi Bashi) at Athens, GA recording studio Chase Park Transduction. Together, they crafted a sonic landscape built on dynamic arrangements inspired by Harry Nilsson, soaked in synthetic sound reminiscent of Thomas Dolby's production work, and occasionally interspersed with electric guitarmony. The main engine of the songs though are the emotion of the lyrics and the catchy melodies they ride on.
Those lyrics are woven from the cycles of hope and despair that pass over all of us. “Chances,” the first track on the record, is a piercing look at a relationship on the verge of falling apart. “All the Love in the World” looks at living with grief where each breath feels like an act of survival and triumph. And “Across State Lines (Supernova)” finds cautious hope in a new love.
Now, Curt Castle has built up a high energy live show honed while opening around the country for headliners like GIVERS, Dent May, Roadkill Ghost Choir and many others. There’s a full band bringing the songs to life. In these live environments, If I’m Here At All’s songs about loneliness create an atmosphere of togetherness.
Echo Courts
Following the release of their debut LP, In The Garden, Echo Courts wanted to take a different approach with their next album. The 6-piece band found themselves slimming down to a 4-piece ensemble, allowing each member more freedom to explore their own style in the writing. The songs evolved over the course of a year, as the band toured throughout the region with their new line-up.
When it came time to record Room With A View, Echo Courts found themselves with a set of songs that showcase a matured, more focused sound. A retreat from the sunshine 60’s pastiche of their previous work. “Room With A View is a necessary step forward,” guitarist Kelly Fahey explains. “The album’s title says it all. The songs come from a refreshed perspective.”
Recorded and produced by Jean-Luc Swift at A Domestic Studio, mastered by Kris Hilbert at Legitimate Business, Room With A View lands on July 13, 2018 on 12” vinyl, cassette, and digitally via iTunes, Spotify, and other retailers. Echo Courts will be touring throughout the east coast this summer.
Following the release of their debut LP, In The Garden, Echo Courts wanted to take a different approach with their next album. The 6-piece band found themselves slimming down to a 4-piece ensemble, allowing each member more freedom to explore their own style in the writing. The songs evolved over the course of a year, as the band toured throughout the region with their new line-up.
When it came time to record Room With A View, Echo Courts found themselves with a set of songs that showcase a matured, more focused sound. A retreat from the sunshine 60’s pastiche of their previous work. “Room With A View is a necessary step forward,” guitarist Kelly Fahey explains. “The album’s title says it all. The songs come from a refreshed perspective.”
Recorded and produced by Jean-Luc Swift at A Domestic Studio, mastered by Kris Hilbert at Legitimate Business, Room With A View lands on July 13, 2018 on 12” vinyl, cassette, and digitally via iTunes, Spotify, and other retailers. Echo Courts will be touring throughout the east coast this summer.
True Blossom
True Blossom formed in 2017 from the thriving Atlanta underground synth-pop scene. The band released their debut album Heater, a sweet and strange collection of disco, city-pop, and classic indie, last year on Citrus City Records. They followed that with a series of tours up and down the east coast.
Their second album, In Bliss, arrives October 23rd, again on Citrus City. Its surface is all sophistication and light - red lipstick, brushed steel, and lace, but an eerie sadness hangs over the whole affair. Though bits of new wave synth and disco percussion shimmer and glow with warmth, the gloom never quite lifts.
In Bliss was recorded in Atlanta by Damon Moon at Standard Electric Recording Co. Founding members Sophie Cox, Nadav Flax, Adam Weisberg, Jamison Murphy, and Chandler Kelley tracked most of the instruments before Jamison left to attend graduate school in Maryland. Newest member Bonnie Hardie joined the band during the sessions, and her vocal harmonies can be heard throughout.
True Blossom formed in 2017 from the thriving Atlanta underground synth-pop scene. The band released their debut album Heater, a sweet and strange collection of disco, city-pop, and classic indie, last year on Citrus City Records. They followed that with a series of tours up and down the east coast.
Their second album, In Bliss, arrives October 23rd, again on Citrus City. Its surface is all sophistication and light - red lipstick, brushed steel, and lace, but an eerie sadness hangs over the whole affair. Though bits of new wave synth and disco percussion shimmer and glow with warmth, the gloom never quite lifts.
In Bliss was recorded in Atlanta by Damon Moon at Standard Electric Recording Co. Founding members Sophie Cox, Nadav Flax, Adam Weisberg, Jamison Murphy, and Chandler Kelley tracked most of the instruments before Jamison left to attend graduate school in Maryland. Newest member Bonnie Hardie joined the band during the sessions, and her vocal harmonies can be heard throughout.