JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Black History Month and pays tribute to Meshell Ndegeocello.
Category: neo-soul
Live Footage: MERON, deathbypeanuts and an All-Star Band Team Up on Sultry “Cold As Usual”
deathbypeanuts is a mysterious and rising Berlin-based producer, who has collaborated with an eclectic array of acclaimed and rising artists including Kelvyn Colt, Chris James, Noah Slee, Beau Diako, JOVM mainstay Marie Dahlstrom, Sipprell, J. Lamotta, and a lengthy list of others.
Earlier this year, I wrote about “Superspeed,” a slickly produced track featuring a simple yet eerie piano melody, trap beats and wobbling, tweeter and woofer railing low end paired with MERON‘s delivery which alternates between hip-hop swagger and aching yearning for the song’s verses. Much like Majid Jordan‘s work, deathbypeanuts’ latest single manages to mesh the sultriness of contemporary R&B with trap swagger and catchy, pop hooks.
Recently, the rising Berlin-based producer released a live version of his debut single “Cold As Usual,” his first collaboration with MERON. The live rendition features MERON backed by a talented crew of players that includes Krept Konan’s, Lady Leshurr’s and Lion Babe‘s Jay Cobain (drums); Moses Yofee Trio‘s and Peter Fox‘s Roman Klobe-Barangǎ (guitar); A Song For You’s Alyssa Grace (keys); and deathbypeanuts (bass). The live rendition is a sultry and slow-burning, neo-soul-like take built around an easygoing and understated arrangement of fluttering keys, a supple bass line, bursts of squiggly guitar and a skittering yet propulsive backbeat serving as lush bed for MERON’s silky and yearning delivery expressing confusion, longing and frustration.
“’Cold As Usual’ captures the honesty of a situation, rather than dressing it up with unnecessary sentiment or cliches,” MERON explains. “It’s about those moments when relationships get frosty, and I wanted it to resonate with anyone who’s ever felt that same emotional distance.”
Conceived by Cycles Studio, the live video features MERON and the incredibly talented live band in a minimalist back set, shot with spotlighting and silhouettes to create a dramatic, cinematic quality.
“The vision was to translate the smooth and effortless sound of deathbypeanuts into a visual world,” Cycles Studio explains. “A minimal set, creative lighting, and a gliding camera were the tools we used to bring the song and the image together into an artistic union.
Over the course of the lat handful of years, the Roskilde-born, London-based singer/songwriter, musician, producer and JOVM mainstay Marie Dahlstrøm has developed and honed a reputation for being one of the most prolific and acclaimed artists in contemporary, indie/underground R&B.
The JOVM mainstay’s third album, last year’s A Good Life was a deeply personal album that was informed and inspired by the recognition that she contained multitudes, thousands of different selves co-existing and contradicting each other — simultaneously. For the Danish-born artist, she’s an acclaimed singer/songwriter and producer. Producer Dan Diggas‘ romantic partner and creative collaborator. A mother, and on and on.
“These different pockets of life also create friction,” she acknowledges. “I’ve been figuring out where I belong, what I’m supposed to do and how I fit into all of this — because I am so much more than an artist. When you have big dreams or goals and you see time being taken away from achieving them, and going towards something else — how do you make that a positive experience? There are always challenges, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good life.”
Fittingly, A Good Life thematically explores dismantling the long-held idea that your validity as an artist somehow diminishes when it’s not the focal point of your life and that somehow being a parent negates creativity. Of course, that can be said for artists, who have to support themselves and their creative endeavors with a day job not even remotely related to their passions.
The album also featured collaborations with Jay Prince, Kofi Stone, Cory McKenzie Tribbett, Delleile Ankrah and Sipprell among a list of others, and production from Conor Albert and her partner Dan Diggas.
The JOVM mainstay announced the forthcoming release of A Good Life Deluxe, which will feature two previously unreleased tracks “Glass,” and her latest single “Nothing On You” feat. Odeal, as well as two new remixes and reworks of album tracks “If I Belong” featuring contributions from Samson Jatto (drums) and Jay Asafo (bass) and “Now my Own,” featuring frequent collaborator, London-based rapper Aligo.
Anchored by a shimmering, looping guitar line, reminiscent of The Isley Brothers‘ “Footsteps In The Dark,” a sinuous bass line and a swaggering four-on-the four, atmospheric synths and twinkling bursts of keys, “Nothing On You” is driven by Dahlstrøm’s and Odeal’s yearning yet effortlessly soulful and gorgeous solos and harmonies. While sonically being a remarkably contemporary bit of neo-soul tinged R&B, the song thematically harness back to classic soul — a sweet and earnest longing and desire for a deeper, sustainable connection with that special significant other.
“This song was made in the very first session Odeal and I had together. It was such a natural and smooth process,” the acclaimed JOVM mainstay explains. “Daniel’s production provided the perfect foundation and it felt really natural to develop the song. The song is a true love song – feels like a nice way to start the year.”
Throwback: Happy 53rd Birthday, Questlove!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates The Roots’ Questlove’s 53rd birthday.
New Audio: JOVM Mainstay Jonas Shares Sexy “Turn Down The Noise”
Jonas Rendbo, best known as the mononym Jonas is singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and neo-soul artist, who has widely hailed by the international music press as the Godfather of Scandinavian soul. Throughout the course of his two-plus decade career, the acclaimed Danish artist has managed to be remarkably prolific, continuously releasing copious amounts of original material, which he has supported with tours with Omar, John Legend, Joss Stone, Lynden David Hall and Bilal among a lengthy and growing list of others. The acclaimed Danish artist also won Artist of the Year and Best Video at the 2016 Scandinavian Soul Music Awards.
Since 2004, Rendbo has split time between Copenhagen and London, where he met his wife and started a family. While in London, he started collaborating with London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist The Scratch Professer, who coincidentally is Omar’s brother. Rendbo and The Scratch Professor had an instant musical simpatico and a couple of songs they wrote together wound up on Jonas’ sophomore album 2009’s W.A.I.T.T.
That collaboration also managed to produce a handful of songs that Rendbo kept in the vault for the better part of a decade — until the four-song EP, 4ward Fast To Future, which was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in April 2020. The EP, which featured “Pick Me Up” and “What’s Cooking” was a return to the warm, vibey neo-soul sound of his earliest work paired with Rendbo’s sultry and yearning falsetto and his uncanny knack for infectious hooks.
4ward Fast To Future received praise from SoulBounce.com and ScandinavianSoul.com and it was a featured album on SoulTracks.com. And the EP’s material received airplay on soul music radio stations across the globe.
Building upon that momentum, the Danish singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist released the 4ward Fast to Future (Remixes) EP, an effort that features remixes of the EP’s material by friends and musical collaborators done in completely different styles.
2023 was a big year for the Danish-born JOVM mainstay: Last year, he shared “Too Much To Mention,” a song rooted in earnest, lived-in lyricism and Rendbo’s unerring knack for razor sharp hooks.
The Danish artist finally released his long-awaited album Be The Light last Friday. Rendbo had been sitting on the album for some time: First, he didn’t know how he was going to release it. Should he release it through the DSPs or some other way? But more importantly, he had much more pressing and exciting concerns on his mind: Early last year, he and his wife had their third child.
The album’s release comes at an interesting point in his life. The acclaimed Danish-born artist celebrates his 50th birthday this month. And he thought that would be a great occasion to celebrate himself and a full life in music by finally releasing the album. “It is expected that you raise a flag when you turn a big corner like that, but I feel that if I release the album on my birthday, then the focus is not so much on me, but more on the music — which I prefer,” Rendbo says in press notes.
Late last year, Rendbo shared “You Are Amazing,” a hook-driven and vibey bit of neo-soul built around a strutting, feel-good, two-step inducing groove that was roomy enough for Aaron Wood to contribute some buoyant, fluttering flugelhorn paired with Rendbo’s effortlessly soulful croon singing lyrics detailing the sincere affection and appreciation he has for his wife. It’s an old-timey and sweet thank you for everything that seems rarely heard these days.
Be The Light’s latest single, “Turn Down The Noise” is a lush and vibey, neo-soul built around a strutting two-step inducing groove, twinkling keys, bluesy and squiggling bursts of guitar paired with Rendbo’s yearning delivery and his penchant for catchy hooks and lived-in, earnest lyrics. “Turn Down The Noise” is a grown-ass sexy song that features a narrator, who tells his lover “put down that phone, turn off that TV and let’s get to it.”
Throwback: Happy 53rd Birthday, Mary J. Blige!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Mary J. Blige’s 53rd birthday.
New Audio: Jonas Shares a Soulful and Appreciative Bop
The Danish-born artist closed out the year by announcing that he’ll finally be releasing his forthcoming and long-awaited album Be The Light on January 12, 2024. He explains that he had been sitting on the album for some time: First he didn’t know how he was going to release the album. Should he release it through the DSPs or some other way? But perhaps more importantly, he had other concerns on his mind: He and his wife had their third child earlier this year.
This January, the acclaimed Danish-born artist celebrates his 50th birthday. And he thought that would be a great occasion to celebrate himself and a full life in music by finally releasing the album. “It is expected that you raise a flag when you turn a big corner like that, but I feel that if I release the album on my birthday, then the focus is not so much on me, but more on the music — which I prefer,” Rendbo says in press notes.
Be The Light‘s first single “You Are Amazing” is a hook-driven and vibey bit of neo-soul built around a strutting, feel-good, two-step inducing groove that’s roomy enough for Aaron Wood to contribute some buoyant, fluttering flugelhorn paired with the Danish artist’s soulful croon, singing sincere lyrics detailing the affection and appreciation he has for his wife.
The song as Rendbo explains gives his wife the praise she deserves. “I think it is only right that she gets some shine, especially after having carried and delivered our 3rd child. She doesn’t realize how much she is an inspiration to the people around her, and somebody has to tell her.”
Formed back in 2010, the acclaimed Toronto-based outfit BADBADNOTGOOD — currently Alexander Sowinski (drums), Chester Hansen (bass) and Leland Whitty (guitar, woodwinds) — can trace their origins back to when its founding members met while attending Humber College‘s jazz program. Since then, whether with three or four members — and more currently with three — the Toronto-based outfit has firmly centered a reputation for consistently crossing and blending genres and genre boundaries. Although jazz trained, they first gained attention for drawing from hip-hop and other contemporary genres to create a unique, difficult to pigeonhole sound.
Besides their own critically applauded releases, the members of BADBADNOTGOOD have collaborated with a eclectic array of internationally renowned artists across hip-hop, neo-soul, dance music and more, including Ghostface Killah, Kaytranada, Little Dragon, and Kendrick Lamar.
Back in 2021, the acclaimed Canadian trio signed to XL Recordings, who released their critically applauded fifth album Talk Memory. The album’s material saw the trio collaborating with an array of internationally renowned and acclaimed multi-instrumentalists including Arthur Verocai, Laraaji, Terrace Martin, Brandee Younger, and Karriem Riggins, and was inspired by their live shows. They’ve supported Talk Memory with some extensive touring with stops at some of the world’s best venues and festivals.
Since the release of Talk Memory, they’ve released an EP with Turnstile and a standalone single “Open Channels.”
Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past handful of years, you might already be familiar with acclaimed JOVM mainstay and frequent BADBADNOTGOOD collaborator Charlotte Day Wilson. Throughout her career, Day Wilson has developed a sound that draws from and features elements of folk, gospel and Quiet Storm R&B.
Her critically applauded sophomore album, 2021’s ALPHA served as a metaphorical coming out, that found her openly and honestly tapping into her queerness for the first time as a storyteller/songwriter. A few months after the album’s release, Drake sampled the Babyface co-written “Mountains” on the chart-topping hit “Fair Trade” featuring Travis Scott. Adding to a growing profile, she received praise for the supergroup remix of “Take Care Of You” featuring Syd, King Princess, Amaarae and the legendary and incomparable Meshell Ndegeocello.
Recently she collaborated SG Lewis and Channel Tres on “Fever Dreamer.” And back in August, Day Wilson signed with XL Recordings, who released “Forever,” featuring Snoh Aalegra, which was released to praise from The Fader, The Line of Best Fit and others.
The frequent collaborators joined forces yet again for their latest collaboration “Sleeper.” Recorded at legendary Los Angeles-based Valentine Recording Studios on analog tape, “Sleeper” pairs Day Wilson’s dreamy and effortlessly soulful delivery with a lush and breezy 70s AM rock-meets-soul arrangement that sounds inspired by Carole King’s legendary Tapestry and 70s Motown soul. The song evokes someone dreamily going through their life, avoiding conflict and upset — and never quite getting anywhere or anything that they desired.
“Sleeper wrote itself…we were in the studio just messing around and the guys came up with the colorful instrumental while I freestyled the lyrics,” the JOVM mainstay says of the new single. “The song portrays someone who chooses the path of least resistance and finds themselves in a lifeless, loveless relationship.”
Acclaimed and rapidly rising British neo-soul and hip-hop instrumental outfit Gotts Street Park— Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) — will be releasing their highly anticipated full-length debut, On The Inside on October 13, 2023 through Blue Flowers.
The 12-song album is reportedly a window into the band’s inner world, a world that’s been expanding since the band’s formation. What initially began as an outlet for their shared love of 60s Motown quickly became one of Leeds’ most successful and acclaimed bands, while amassing over 69 million Spotify streams.
So far I’ve written about three of the album’s released singles”
- “Got To Be Good,” an effortless, vintage soul-inspired strut built around skittering boom bap-like drumming, glistening Rhodes, burst of funk guitar and a sinuous and supple bass line paired with Pip Millett‘s yearning delivery.
- “Fuego,” the album’s second single saw the acclaimed British outfit returning to their instrumental roots with an irresistibly funky funky, El Michels affair-meets-classic soul-like groove, “Fuego” and a shape-shifting arrangement of twinkling keys, squiggling funk guitar and relentless boom-bap snares. It’s a mischievously anachronistic jam that’s perfect for lounges and for crate diggers looking for deep, hypnotic grooves.
- “Mountains,” which paired a Quiet Storm-meets-neo-soul groove with twinkling keys, glistening guitar paired and ENNY‘s Lauryn Hill/Mary J. Blige-inspired delivery that sees her spitting bars and crooning lyrics informed by lived-in experiences of heartache, depression, struggle and survival. While not being a straightforward Behind the Music-like tale, it celebrates the fact that life is often about figuring out how to go forward when everything has gone to shit in front of you.
On The Inside‘s fourth and latest single “Tell Me Why” is built around a dusty, Motown-meets-Daptone-like soulful groove paired with Olive Jones‘ soulful croon singing lyrics about devotion, loyalty and love. It’s that old-school, Quiet Storm love song sort of love that frankly seems all too rare these days.
Gotts Streets Park says the following about the new new single: “Olive Jones is a good friend of ours who we met in Leeds over a decade ago! She’s been singing in our live show for the past year or so, and we wanted to have her featured on the album.” Commenting further they add, “This tune seemed the perfect fit for her voice and style to shine – we had the instrumental tracked out a few years ago and she jumped on recently and gave it a new lease of life.”
New Audio: Ugandan-Belgian Artist Halibab Matador Shares Vibey “Lili”
Ugandan-born, Brussels-based producer and musician, born Alban Murenzi is best known as a founding member of successful sibling indie R&B outfit YellowStraps. The accomplished duo released their 2018’s Blame EP through Majestic Casual. They performed on the tastemaker platform COLORS back in 2019.
They followed that up with 2020’s Golddress EP and last year’s tentacle which saw Murenzi adopt the moniker Halibab Matador, before he stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist.
Murenzi’s full-length debut as Halibab Matador, Souvenirs is slated for release this year, and the album sees the Ugandan-Belgian producer and musician focusing on largely instrumental and beat-driven material that fuses elements of hip-hop, jazz and soul.
Souvenirs‘ latest single “Lili” is song that sees the Brussel-based musician and producer collaborating with Léa Kadian, who contributes a supple bass line, twinkling keys from Tim de Fontaine and soulful vocal harmonies from Stacy de Bruges. The result is a vibey, neo-soul lullaby of sorts that evokes the comfort of a warm blanket on a chilly day — or seeing your lover smile after a period of absence.
“This song is dedicated to my lover. For me, it represents light, warmth and freedom,” the Ugandan-Belgian producer and musician explains. “It represents the good fortune of being alive and experiencing beautiful moments of joy.
“Léa Kadian on bass and Stacy de Bruges on vocal harmonies. I love what they do and feel privileged to be able to collaborate with such talented people. My friend Tim de Fontaine also chipped in with some sweet piano notes.”
Throughout his career Robert Glasper has become known as the leader of a new sonic paradigm with his work bridging a number of musical and artistic genres. So far, the accomplished musician, composer and producer has received 11 Grammy nominations across 11 categories and has won five. Glasper has also won an Emmy Award for his work with Common and Karriem Riggins for Ava DuVernay‘s critically applauded documentary 13th. Adding to his impressive accomplishments, the acclaimed artist has also won a Peabody Award for his composition, “Mr. Soul!”
Glasper’s work and accolades bridge all aspects of the music business, from live touring, film scores, composing and producing. His ongoing Black Radio series has become his calling card and the heart of a trailblazing community of collaborators including Yasiin Bey, Bilal, Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu. Glasper is an artist at the heart of an important moment — and a movement — to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future for all of us.
Founded back in 1981, New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club is one of the premier venues in the world. While jazz is at its core, the famed club continues to broaden its offerings to spotlight contemporary artists across all musical styles, backgrounds and cultures.
The club and its sister institutions across the globe continue to draw beloved — and massive — household names with frequent appearances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and more.
Last Friday, The Blue Note Jazz Club and Robert Glasper announced the fifth annual Robtober, his iconic residency. Kicking off on October 4, 2023 — with two shows per night at 8pm and 10:30pm — and running until November 5, 2023, Season 5 of the residency will see the acclaimed pianist, producer, composer and songwriter performing eight distinct episodes, with a different array of renowned special guests including Yebba, Norah Jones, Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Moonchild‘s Amber Navran, D Smoke, Yasiin Bey, Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge, and DJ Jahi Sundance.
A complete list of dates are below. Tickets are available here y’all. Don’t lose out on a legendary month at The Blue Note.
BLUE NOTE x ROBERT GLASPER “ROBTOBER”
SEASON 5
EPISODE ONE: THE ORGINIAL TRIO: TRIBUTE TO PIANO GIANTS
October 4—The Original Trio: Tribute to Piano Giants—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 5—The Original Trio: Tribute to Piano Giants—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE TWO: YEBBA
October 6—Robert Glasper x Yebba—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 7—Robert Glasper x Yebba—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 8—Robert Glasper x Yebba—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE THREE: NORAH JONES
October 11—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 12—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 13—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 14—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 15—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE FOUR: AMBER NAVRAN (MOONCHILD)
October 18—Robert Glasper x Amber Navran (of Moonchild)—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 19—Robert Glasper x Amber Navran (of Moonchild)—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE FIVE: DINNER PARTY FEAT.
TERRACE MARTIN & KAMASI WASHINGTON
October 20—Dinner Party feat. Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington
—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 21—Dinner Party feat. Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington
—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 22—Dinner Party feat. Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington
—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE SIX: TRIBUTE TO ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS
October 25—Tribute to Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 26—Tribute to Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE SEVEN: D SMOKE
October 27—Robert Glasper x D Smoke—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 28—Robert Glasper x D Smoke—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 29—Robert Glasper x D Smoke—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE EIGHT: YASIIN BEY
November 1—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodgeand DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYCNovember 2—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 3—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 4—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 5—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
New Video: Gotts Street Park Team Up with ENNY on Soulful and Intimate “Mountains”
Acclaimed and rapidly rising British neo-soul and hip-hop instrumental outfit Gotts Street Park— Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) — will be releasing their highly anticipated full-length debut, On The Inside on October 13, 2023 through Blue Flowers.
The 12-song album is reportedly a window into the band’s inner world, a world that’s been expanding since the band’s formation. What initially began as an outlet for their shared love of 60s Motown quickly became one of Leeds’ most successful and acclaimed bands, while amassing over 69 million Spotify streams.
So far I’ve written about two of the album’s released singles”
- “Got To Be Good,” an effortless, vintage soul-inspired strut built around skittering boom bap-like drumming, glistening Rhodes, burst of funk guitar and a sinuous and supple bass line paired with Pip Millett‘s yearning delivery.
- “Fuego,” the album’s second single saw the acclaimed British outfit returning to their instrumental roots with an irresistibly funky funky, El Michels affair-meets-classic soul-like groove, “Fuego” and a shape-shifting arrangement of twinkling keys, squiggling funk guitar and relentless boom-bap snares. It’s a mischievously anachronistic jam that’s perfect for lounges and for crate diggers looking for deep, hypnotic grooves.
“Mountains,” On The Inside‘s third and latest single is built around a swaggering, Quiet Storm-meets-neo soul-like groove featuring boom bap-like snares, twinkling keys an glistening guitar paired with ENNY‘s Lauryn Hill/Mary J. Blige-inspired delivery that sees her spitting bars and crooning lyrics informed by lived-in experiences of heartache, depression, struggle and survival. While not being a straightforward Behind the Music-like tale, it celebrates the fact that life is often about figuring out how to go forward when everything has gone to shit in front of you.
“The instrumental for ‘Mountains’ is originally from a little batch of GSP jams that Joe had chopped up and made beats from a couple years ago,” the band explains in press notes. “Fast forward a year or so… Josh was in the studio working on songs with Enny mainly for her solo stuff, and this was one of the beats she liked enough to write to.” They continue, “When we heard her demo vocal on the beat, we fell in love with the song. Enny is an artist we all admire and it was obvious we needed to get this tune fully finished and have her guest on our album!”
“I had a session with Josh last year around a time I was going through a bit of a down period,” ENNY says. “And, once he played the first few seconds everything just flowed. It was the first time in a longtime that I’d written lyrics using a pen” ENNY adds: “The guys are so cool and easy to vibe with and I’m grateful to be a part of this project.”
Directed by Harvey Pearson, the cinematically shot black and white accompanying video for “Mountains” places ENNY in the center of the screen passionately performing the song in an intimate club, before slowly panning out to reveal the members of Gotts Street Park. “With this video, I wanted ENNY and her performance to be front and center, capturing an intimate moment within a motionless crowd,” Pearson explains. “Shooting in a single, unbroken take, we draw focus to the frank and captivating performance. Underlining this approach in striking black and white, we deliberately zero in on the raw and immediate essence of this moment.”
Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner is a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, bassist, JOVM mainstay and highly respected and much in-demand artist, who has worked with Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, N.E.R.D., Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak, Janelle Monáe, BADBADNOTGOOD. Moses Sumney, Micheal McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Wiz Khalifa, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Travis Scott, Little Simz, Louis Cole, Shabazz Palaces, and his longtime collaborator Flying Lotus.
Kevin Parker is a highly-acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as the creative mastermind behind the Aussie-based JOVM mainstay outfit Tame Impala. He has released four Gold-certified full-length albums, 2010’s InnerSpeaker, 2012’s Lonerism, 2015’s Currents and 2020’s The Slow Rush, making him one of the most commercially successful and perhaps influential artists of the past decade. Additionally, as a songwriter and producer, Parker has collaborated with The Weeknd, SZA, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, Kali Uchis, 070 Shake, Miguel, A$AP Rocky and a growing list of others.
The two JOVM mainstays have finally teamed up for “No More Lies,” the first new bit of material from Thundercat since 2020’s It Is What It Is. The new single is a slick synthesis of the pair’s remarkably complementary styles: Parker’s dense layers of twinkling and cascading synths are paired with Bruner’s wobbling wah-wah pedaled bass lines and skittering beats and the duo’s unerring knack for catchy hooks serving as a silky bed for the duo to trade verses lamenting a doomed relationship that they’ve royally fucked up — and for which Bruner takes responsibility The song culminates with a monologue from the bassist questioning the old adage of honesty being the best policy in relationships. You may tell the truth because you care about someone, but on occasion you might have to lie someone because you care.
“I’ve wanted to work with Kevin since the very first Tame Impala album,” Bruner says. “I feel that I knew that us working together would be special. I’ve been excited about this song for a long time and hope to create more with Kevin in the future.”
The new single arrives ahead of a huge string of tour dates for the JOVM mainstay, who will play dates with Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes before heading to Australia, Asia and Europe later this summer.
