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thenatvral · 1 year ago

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FTR: For those who don’t know, who are The Natvral?

Kip: Oh, that’s me— Kip. I usually just write songs and play ‘em with my electric guitar. As my surname is Berman I didn’t want to be confused with the legendary David Berman of Silver Jews, and I didn’t think I’d be confused with Robert Redford playing a past-prime erstwhile baseball phenom with one last shot at redemption— but… maybe.

FTR: You’ve just released your second album, Summer of No Light, what can you tell me about recording the record?

Kip: We just went over to Andy Savours studio in Willesden (London) and banged out 9 songs, mostly live. I did blow out my voice at an ill-advised 90s hip hop night before we were going to do the vocals, so we were forced to use the scratch vocals (the ones you sing when you’re recording live so you don’t get lost), but it worked out alright.

Andy’s brilliant, and has been there with me at every step of this project (as well as 2 records with PAINS). I credit him with not letting us get up our own backsides. I think he does a lot of other groups that want to “use the studio as an instrument, man” – and “redefine what a G chord could sound like if played on Venus.” But I’m grateful he was pretty keen on us just using our instruments as an instrument and getting to the pub at a reasonable hour before making it home to do bedtime with his kid.

FTR: I was intrigued to read the album was inspired by the climate crisis of 1816, do you think there’s anything we can learn from that as we face our own crisis?

Kip: Hide? Get fucked up? Write Frankenstein to pass the time?

Nah, I’m not sure if it’s applicable. The one in 1816 wasn’t anyone’s fault – unless you blame the Volcano gods of the South Pacific. This one seems like everyone’s fault. Maybe there’s something to be said about harnessing crises for the sake of art – but I think most people would prefer to forego cataclysm where possible— or at least I would. Dying of plague while under siege during the Peloponnesian War wasn’t any more palatable cuz “Euripides was channeling this shit for the ages,” was it? That said, I suppose you gotta keep doing the non-essential things in life, because those are actually the essential things in life.

FTR: Much of the record was written at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you think the record would have turned out differently without it?

Kip: I am fully aware no one needs to hear another person’s account of “what it was like during lockdown” – as these experiences are sadly universal. Everyone dealt with the same shit. Some had it worse than others, and we can all laugh at the celebrities that sang “Imagine” by their swimming pools. But I don’t think it’s a huge departure to also mock “the guy who wrote an album in his basement” between bleaching milk cartons and reflecting upon a familiar world that vanished suddenly, exacerbating the isolation and alienation that was already rampant in modern life. Right?

That being said, it’s very easy to write songs that do not give a hoot about what anyone thinks when you are pretty sure there’s not going to be anyone to think anything of them. It’s freeing— that sense that, “well, this won’t matter to anyone but me.” I’ve never been able to fully escape vanity or a sense of expectation in my writing. I’m too petty or prickly to be that zen. But for a brief period in early 2020, I got about as close to writing without any corrupting consideration – and while the album doesn’t relate to what was happening in the world, its formation was born of that weird, dumb moment.

FTR: I was struck by the way the record feels at times very domesticated and others almost fantastical. Do you think there’s an element of escapism in the record? Was music an outlet when you were stuck at home?

Kip: Yes. But isn’t it just an outgrowth of a feeling one gets even without state mandated isolation? Like, Odysseus gets home – finally – and that homecoming was the thing that animated most of all his actions for a decade or so (except for chilling with that not-his-wife on that island for a long bit). And then almost as soon as he gets home, he’s all “gotta go.” I’m not quite that way, but there’s a continual desire to idealize domesticity when you’re away, and yearn for adventure when you’re home. I’m certain I’m not unique in that.

FTR: You’ve obviously been making music for quite some time now, how do you think the current climate for musicians compares to when you started making music?

Kip: To be fair, I think my old band could have only happened as it did in this strange in-between era when the old “major” system was crumbling and the internet briefly offered equal access to unsigned or indie artists to reach the same level of listeners that you would have once only seen by handing your demo tape to a smarmy A+R guy in LA with the hope that maybe you were deemed marketable. Sure, great indie bands existed in the 80s and 90s – but so many of them never got the chance to have the experiences we did, and for that I’m humbled and grateful. But Myspace and the mp3 blogosphere was essential in people discovering PAINS without having to “get signed.” We played to our 12 friends at Cakeshop – suddenly some guy in Sweden wanted us to play to his 12 friends, only he had more than 12 friends.

Now, it seems the mp3 blogs are gone – with For the Rabbits being a notable and wondrous exception. It’s harder to find ways to get your music out to people, whether it’s through recommendations at a local record store or people online saying what you’re up to is worthwhile. My record label Dirty Bingo is lovely and helpful, but it’s just a guy in London named Sasha who probably has some difficult conversations with his partner about why he’s doing what he’s doing and if he can “get those boxes out of the basement soon.” I am familiar. I think power has reformulated itself behind maybe 2 or 3 very for-profit oriented websites that prefer a celebrity gossip model (who someone is dating gets more clicks than what they’re making), and I’m pretty sure streaming services have monetized their “playlists and discovery” to cater to modern payola in a familiar pay-to-play model. Bandcamp is still relatively “noble” but an indie label told me that even their promotional/editorial consideration is weighted to their own manufacturing and distribution program.

But this system will be smashed too, someday. Even if I’m not a 17 year old kid, I know young people will consistently seek what is meaningful and real to them in ways that (briefly) escape the clutches of huge companies trying to exploit it. The exploitation will inevitably (or not?) follow, but for a few shining moments – that good stuff shines through. I think of Teenage Fanclub on SNL or Huggy Bear on The Word – and to paraphrase the latter, “this (will be) happening without your permission.”

FTR: If you were starting your career from scratch, do you think music would be a viable option as a career?

Kip: There’s a friend I have that runs a small label, and he only signs bands that are (usually) a certain age and able to tour constantly. Yes, he likes the music he puts out and much of it is good, but everything is through the lens of “is this a viable career.”

I have another friend who runs a label who just puts out music he likes. He’s constantly out of money, but seems not to mind. He works with all kinds of artists, and yes – some of them break through – but most of them are the kind of bands that play a DIY popfest here or there and exist far from the conversations about “relevant indie artists” that make year end lists.

I may be naive, but in my heart I know that the truest music often comes from less commercially viable people – people that don’t even care if their music is commercially viable – people who live on the margins, and may not be creating for the sake of money, but simply because they feel compelled in their heart to get something inside their bodies out there.

I know you can argue against this too, saying that creating without thought of anyone buying something is its own kind of privilege. But the tools to make music are so cheap now, you can make bedroom records that sound interesting and powerful. And if a music career is your goal, I think the surest way of not having a music career is to make the kind of music you think you “should” make, not the kind of music you want to make.

FTR: Are you going to be taking this record on the road? What can people expect from The Natvral live show?

Kip: I don’t know. I would like to. I’ve been playing mostly just on my own – which can seem like “less than ideal” – but for this music, it might actually be the ideal.

FTR: A lot of people will know you from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. How do you think your songwriting now compares to writing for the band? Are you conscious of trying to do something different to what came before?

Kip: I stand by what I did in PAINS. I don’t want to put that part of my life down, just because I’m focussed on different ideas and different ideals now. In a way, I think what animates me about music is the same – immediacy and getting out the feelings that can’t be said, so they have to be sung. Just about everything about my life and how I record – even my voice itself – is different now, but I think there’s more similarities to these projects than might seem superficially apparent.

I sometimes wish I was notable enough only so someone insightful would write critically about my music and life, cuz I can never tell if I’m lying to myself— if I’m full of bullshit or not. I’ve recently been listening to biographical music podcasts (The History of Rock’n’roll in 500 songs by Andrew Hickey) while driving and love reading biographies (or autobiographies) of artists i love (Please Kill Me, Our Band Could Be Your Life, Chronicles, Meet Me In the Bathroom, Waging Heavy Peace, Coal Black Mornings and its follow up). So much of what people think they’re doing is wrong – or at least, there’s things you can’t see in yourself, even if your work is inward looking. Actually, maybe I don’t want to know – maybe it would be crushing. Delusion is a thing you both need and need to avoid in able to be foolish enough to write a song.

FTR: What’s next for The Natvral?

Kip: I have a bunch of songs that I wrote before this album came out that seem to bookend this period of The Natvral, tentatively titled “Love in Idleness.” I hope to track ‘em like I did the last 2 records with Andy Savours, and, knock wood, that will stand up as a cohesive 3 album run. It doesn’t mean the end, it’s just that these songs are all built in a similar way – a bit rough and ready and all-of-a-kind.

#the natvral #dirty bingo records #kip berman #summer of no light #for the rabbits #interview #the pains of being pure at heart

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kippains · 4 months ago

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This is a quiet place these days, but if any of you are still here - PAINS will be playing our first LP in its entirety in Feb/Mar 2025 in Spain + Portugal.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 20: https://bnds.us/gl7in0

Peggy Wang, Kurt Feldman, Christoph Hochheim, and I will be on stage together for the first time in a *very* long time (2012?). Alex is dealing with some (very good) personal stuff this year, so Eddy Marshall (he also plays with me in The Natvral) will fill in on bass guitar.

Spain has always been special to us. It's a place that welcomed our music with an enthusiasm that blew our mind when we first came in 2009 - and has allowed us to come back for many incredible concerts (and cañas and calimochos) over the years.

We hope to see you there!

x Kip

#thepainsofbeingpureatheart #houstonpartymusic #slumberland records

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shculley · 1 year ago

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Top 100 Albums of 2023

100. Ibex Clone - All Channels Clear

99. Squirrel Flower - Tomorrow's Fire

98. Wild Nothing - Hold

97. The Natvral - Summer of No Light

96. Mutual Benefit - Growing at the Edges

95. Belle and Sebastian - Late Developers

94. White Reaper - Asking for a Ride

93. bar italia - The Twits

92. The Hold Steady - The Price of Progress

91. The Tallest Man on Earth - Henry St.

90. Water From Your Eyes - Everyone's Crushed

89. Danny Brown - Quaranta

88. Drop Nineteens - Hard Light

87. Luggage - Hand Is Bad

86. Parannoul - After the Magic

85. Beach Fossils - Bunny

84. Youth Lagoon - Heaven is a Junkyard

83. CIVIC - Taken By Force

82. Squid - O Monolith

81. The Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony

80. Kevin Morby - More Photographs

79. Frankie Rose - Love As Projection

78. Gorillaz - Cracker Island

77. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - V

76. Helena Deland - Goodnight Summerland

75. Country Westerns - Forgive the City

74. Greg Mendez - Greg Mendez

73. Pure Bathing Culture - Chalice

72. Andy Shauf - Norm

71. Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions

70. Woods - Perennial

69. Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

68. Wilco - Cousin

67. The American Analog Set - For Forever

66. Slow Pulp - Yard

65. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - The Silver Cord

64. Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert

63. Daniel Bachman - When the Roses Come Again

62. Indigo De Souza - All of This Will End

61. Overmono - Good Lies

60. Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

59. Stuck - Freak Frequency

58. Blur - The Ballad of Darren

57. Alan Palomo - World of Hassle

56. Home Is Where - The Whaler

55. Ratboys - The Window

54. Avery Tare - 7s

53. The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

52. Shame - Food for Worms

51. The New Pornographers - Continue as Guest

50. Hotline TNT - Cartwheel

49. Feeble Little Horse - Girl With Fish

48. Keep - Happy In Here

47. Devendra Banhart - Flying Wig

46. Oneohtrix Point Never - Again

45. m83 - Fantasy

44. MSPAINT - Post-American

43. The Men - New York City

42. Fever Ray - Radical Romantics

41. Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You

40. King Krule - Space Heavy

39. Grian Chatten - Chaos for the Fly

38. Roosevelt - Embrace

37. Tim Hecker - No Highs

36. Gia Margaret - Romantic Piano

35. Terry - Call Me Terry

34. The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein

33. Deeper - Careful!

32. Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We

31. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation

30. James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven

29. Cindy - Why Not Now

28. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Weathervanes

27. Cut Worms - Cut Worms

26. Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings

25. ANOHNI and the Johnstons - My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross

24. Westerman - An Inbuilt Fault

23. The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore

22. Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing to Us

21. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World

20. Albert Hammond Jr. - Melodies On Hiatus

19. Home Front - Games of Power

18. Wednesday - Rat Saw God

17. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive

16. Mandy, Indiana - I've Seen a Way

15. Thee Oh Sees - Intercepted Message

14. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin

13. Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy

12. bar italia - Tracey Denim

11. Nation of Language - Strange Disciple

10. Militarie Gun - Life Under the Gun

9. Bonnie Prince Billy - Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You

8. Animal Collective - Isn't It Now?

7. Geese - 3D Country

6. The Golden Dregs - On Grace & Dignity

5. The National - Laugh Track

4. Lewsberg - Out and About

3. Beirut - Hadsel

2. The Tubs - Dead Meat

1. Billy Woods, Kenny Segal - Maps

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paulisded · 1 year ago

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The Ledge #587: Third Quarter Report

The end of every quarter is a time to take a little look back at the last three months of new music. Tonight I present a little over two hours of the records that caught my attention during that period. There are returning legends (Graham Parker, Lucinda Williams, The Pretenders) who are sort of shockingly as great as ever. There are workhorses (Guided By Voices, The William Loveday Intention) that seem to have new tunes in every quarterly recap. There's an archive project that is clearly a label of love for the family of Sparklehorse's Mark Linkhouse. And, of course, there are sets devoted to our friends at Big Stir Records and Rum Bar Records, along with a nice heaping of new bands (or new to me, at least) that caught my attention.

As for the "52 Weeks Of Teenage Kicks", I have a fun live version that I recently found on Bandcamp. Guitarist Davey Lane is in the current lineup of Australian greats You Am I, and he apparently got the gig after recording and touring with You Am I leader Tim Rogers in the late 90's. Since it is the third quarter recap, I'm also giving another spin to the fabulous version submitted by members of Popular Creeps and The Stick Arounds, under the name The Creep Arounds.

As I do every week, I must again plead with y'all for more versions of "Teenage Kicks". If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the classic, please contact me!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Davey Lane Teenage Kicks

2. The Creep Arounds - Teenage Kicks

3. Dolph Chaney - Mr. Eli

4. The Flashcubes featuring Steve Conte - Gudbuy T'Jane

5. Graham Parker & The Goldtops - The Music Of The Devil

6. Guided By Voices - Meet the Star

7. The William Loveday Intention - Driving That Thing

8. Sparklehorse - I Fucked It Up

9. Wreckless Eric - Standing Water

10. Lydia Loveless - Poor Boy

11. Tamar Berk - sunday driving

12. Pretenders - Losing my sense of taste

13. Lucinda Williams - Rock N Roll Heart

14. Thee Oh Sees - Goon

15. Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Electricide

16. Flat Worms - Sigalert

17. Jungle Breed - Cricket Men in Kirribilli

18. Low Cut Connie - WHIPS AND CHAINS

19. Cyanide Pills - Low Budget Rock 'n' Roll

20. Catch As Catch Can - Medium Rare

21. The Vanrays - Shake My Hand

22. Baby Jesus - Don't Pass Me By

23. Duncan Reid and the Big Heads - Just Try To Be Kind

24. The Cowboys - Johnny Drives A Beater

25. Private Lives - Hit Record

26. Young Francis Hi Fi - Baby You're Braindead

27. Th Da Freak - Young Bro

28. Chronics - Gimme Fun

29. The Natvral - Lucifer's Glory

30. The Summertimes - Inside

31. JJ & The Real Jerks - Girl I Want My Money Back

32. The Cornfed Project - Southbound

33. The Gypsy Moths - A Six Man Bicycle

34. Kurt Baker - Rock 'n' Roll Club

35. The Hangmen - Broken Heartland

36. The Pretty Flowers - Another Way To Lose

37. The Suttles - Without A Sound

38. The Replacements - Nowhere Is My Home (Alternate Version)

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chorusfm · 1 year ago

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Albums in Stores – Sep 8th, 2023

If you hit read more you can see all the releases we have in our calendar for the week. Hit the comments to access our forums and talk about what came out today, what albums you picked up, and to make mention of anything we may have missed. Alabaster Deplume – Come With Fierce GraceAllison Russell – The ReturnerAnjimile – The KingAs Friends Rust – Any JoyAshley McBryde – The Devil I KnowBlackbird Angels – SolsorteCLT DRP – Nothing Clever, Just FeelingsCORE OF iO – Part I: iOCoach Party – KILLJOYConquer Divide – Slow BurnCourtney Barnett – End Of The DayCryptopsy – As Gomorrah BurnsDark Divine – Deadly FunDeath Of Me – Hell’s Where You Make It, Love’s How You Fake ItDeeper – Careful!Downes Braide Association – Celestial SongsDying Fetus – Make Them Beg For DeathEcho Ladies – LilliesFixation – More Subtle Than DeathFossilization – Leprous DaylightFotocrime – AcceleratedGodseyes – Progress//RegressHawthorne Heights – Lost LightsIce Giant – Ghost Of HumanityJames Blake – Playing Robots Into HeavenJonathan Wilson – Eat The WormKristin Hersh – Clear Pond RoadKvelertak – EndlingLaufey – BewitchedLaurence-Anne – OniromancieLowdrive – RiseMedicine Horse – Medicine HorseMotionless In White – Scoring The End Of The World (Deluxe Edition)Mustard Plug – Where Did All My Friends Go?Nasty – Heartbreak CriminalsOOMPH! – Richter Und HenkerOlivia Rodrigo – GutsPain Of Truth – Not Through BloodPhantom Bay – UndergroundPleaser – PleaserPomegranate Tiger – All Input Is ErrorProper. – Part-TimerPuddle Of Mudd – UbiquitousRomy – Mid AirRose Of The West – No Things PermanentRoyal Blood – Back To The Water BelowRóisín Murphy – Hit ParadeSex Swing – Grade A Peanut SauceSleep Maps – Reclaim ChaosSlomatics – Strontium FieldsSoft Science – LinesSparklehorse – Bird MachineStarmen – StarmenizedStigmatism – Ignorance In PowerSylosis – A Sign Of Things To ComeTalking Kind – It Did Bring Me DownThe Chemical Brothers – For That Beautiful FeelingThe Coral – Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine ShowThe Coral – Sea Of MirrorsThe Mercury Tree – Self SimilarThe Natvral – Summer Of No LightThe Postal Service – Everything Will ChangeThe Pretenders – RelentlessThe Wonder Years – The Greatest Generation (10th Anniversary Edition)Tired Minds – The Body Is A BurdenTurnpike Troubadours – A Cat In The RainUNITYTX – FeralityUada – Crepuscule NaturaVarious Artists – A Song For LeonVega – BattlelinesWe Do Not Belong Here – Strange To Cope In Today’s WorldWith Honor – BoundlessYussef Dayes – Black Classical MusicZAND – SewerstarZeus – Credocursetheknife – There’s A Place I Can Restthe great nothing. – no one.Angel Du$t – Brand New Soul --- Thanks to helloiamzach for providing additional contributions to this week’s list. You can check out and support his weekly music podcast It’s Not A Phase or follow him on his socials. --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/albums-in-stores-today/albums-in-stores-sep-8th-2023/

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chrisryanspeaks · 1 year ago

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The Natvral (Kip Berman, former frontman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) shares its sophomore album, Summer of No Light, on Dirty Bingo Records. "Carolina" from the album has also been released as the album's fourth single: "Sometimes I come at an idea I’ve written about a while back, but it seems the model has shifted their pose, or the light has changed. “Carolina” is one such song. Its subject is, more or less, the same as “The Tenure Itch.” That older song was fixated on the more prurient elements, and if it seemed a bit arch or judgmental, it’s not exactly covering its eyes either. But in “Carolina” I want to know “what happens after? Are you alright? Am I?” Maybe my concern still isn’t entirely noble, and that’s fine. But something has changed with what I’m after." -Kip Berman Bio: “These songs live somewhere between the climate crisis of 1816, the climate crisis of now, and the climate crisis of the heart,” says Kip Berman. “You might say it’s a gothic record—but the house isn’t haunted. The ghosts moved out years ago, but I still get their mail from time to time." On his second album as The Natvral - a spirited, beautifully observed collection of rough and ready songcraft - the former Pains of Being Pure at Heart frontperson was eyeing the past while dealing with an inescapable present. In 2020, in the early stages of lockdown, Berman began writing songs that reflected on a world that had seemingly ended – while contending with the needs of his young family seeking solace in the familiar. “After putting my children to bed, I spent many a late night in the basement with my guitar and let my mind wander to the places where I could no longer go,” he says. “Initially, a lot of the songs were about getting as far away from the reality of my moment as possible.” He drew parallels with another tumultuous summer. “The record’s title, Summer of No Light, is taken from the climate crisis of 1816,” he says. Often referred to as The Year Without a Summer, that year a massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia darkened much of the world’s sky. The resulting ash brought dramatic global cooling and widespread famine, hitting Western Europe especially hard. But it was during the present climate crisis – this one very much of humanity’s design – that he began to think about the people who were holed up during those times while creating their own form of escapist art. “Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was written that same summer,” he says. “Like me, she was among the relatively fortunate who could take shelter,” famously riding out the foul weather in Switzerland on Lake Geneva with her lover Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and Claire Clairmont (Mary’s half-sister and Byron’s paramour) embarking on a ghost story contest (she won), as well as many less cerebral ways to pass the time. “I found the idea of these people sustaining themselves through art, while fucking and getting fucked up, both familiar and foreign. Faced with the endless rituals and work reproducing some normalcy and joy for two small children (then just 18 months and 4 years) when even the sandbox, slides, and swings were cordoned off with police tape, Berman’s imagination began to stretch out even further in the few moments he had to himself. “Maybe I was embarking on a few ghost stories myself,” he says. “Indulging in a kind of gothic fantasy of tragic loves and lost friends while a more banal specter loomed on milk cartons, suburban playground equipment, and the very breath of conversation.” But Berman is quick to make clear that his labors weren’t solitary or even notable, but in tandem with his partner. “Don’t feel bad for me, my wife pulled long days working from home – and still found time to be present for all of us.” While he initially sought escape from the isolation in which he found himself, soon the solace of home and family life began to seep its way into the music “The routines of domesticity were often unwelcome, and always exhausting - but probably mentally helpful. I was isolated, but not alone.” Despite the many graveyard romps that populate the record, it’s the moments that celebrate home that gives this album its heart. For a record written in a time of enormous constraint, Summer of No Light sounds defiantly free. The opening “Lucifer’s Glory” has the kind of punchy, rousing, almost triumphant chorus that Springsteen himself would envy; while “Summer of Hell” charges along infectiously, with its melodic refrain conjuring exultant feelings in stark opposition to a spurned lover who can “write it down for somedays that you know will never come.” For every song about death or absence – that loss isn’t for nought. “Those unwelcome experiences give us the ability to see the shape of what life is more fully.” As he sings on “Lucifer’s Glory,” “It’s the kind of loss you don’t live without.” Look past the more lurid paeans to tragic figures and lost time, and you’ll find another side of the record that is unabashedly domestic. “Your Temperate Ways” sings of a lover who is as keen to make the bed as sully it. Even the nod to The Book of the Dead in “Wait for Me” (I’ve got money ‘neath my tongue, if that’s what you require) is as much about what is needed to be loved and accepted in this world as the next. Ditto “A Glass of Laughter,” that captures the allure and limits of a lover who, “could not buy you winter gloves, but always took your hand.” On album closer, “Wintergreen,” Berman’s dialogue between his own history and the present is at its most potent, as he reflects back on the tumultuous early stages of his relationship with his now wife. “When I found you in the snowbank, never wanting to come home – I knew you were the one I’d die with, I think I’d die for you to know.” he sings. “I’m far from a teenage runaway beholden to only my art and pleasure,” he says, once again looping back to Shelley. “And though there are moments where that sounds tempting, this music would not exist if I were.” The immediacy that radiates from the record is due, in no small part, to the fact that it was recorded mostly live in one week with Berman’s long-time collaborator Andy Savours (Black Country New Road, My Bloody Valentine, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) in London. “I was listening to a bunch of Silver Jews, Neil Young, Karen Dalton, Leonard Cohen, and Ezra Furman – the kind of singers that strained to see into the dimly lit moments of life.” “The way we recorded it felt very much in step with the hope I had when I started this project,” he says. “Which was: I just want to pick up my guitar and sing – whether it’s by myself or with a band, whether it’s for a handful of friends in a basement or something more. Andy, to his credit, never let me deviate from that ideal.” Summer of No Light is an album that’s born of a precise moment, yet revels in anachronism. Collapsing time to make a little bit of sense of this one, Berman feels artistically rejuvenated, drawing on histories large and small to breathe new life and perspective on his own. “It was a time that is now almost unspeakable – not because the tragedy was too profound or in any way trivial – but because we were all there.” TOUR DATES Sept. 2 - Philadelphia, PA - Main Street Music # (4:00 PM) Sept. 6 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong ^ Sept. 7 - Raleigh, NC - Terrorbird Hopscotch Day Party at Slim’s Sept. 8 - Phoenixville, PA - The Record Shop Sept. 9 - Princeton, NJ - Princeton Record exchange (4:00 pm) Sept. 12 - Brooklyn, NY - Purgatory @ Sept. 14 - Jersey City, NJ - Pet Shop $ # w/ The Tisburys ^ w/ Quintron + Miss Pussycat @ w/ Lightheaded, Jane Herships $ w/ Joy Cleaner, Desir Decir Read the full article

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audiofuzz · 1 year ago

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