Back in 2021, Washed Out‘s creative mastermind Earnest Greene left Atlanta returned to the countryside he knew when he grew up. Where escapism once flooded his thoughts, today, he’s preoccupied with the universe of wonder in the reality around him.
He named the former horse farm he moved to “Endymion,” after the John Keats poem about a lovesick shepherd. It has shaped all that he’s created there, from his music to his albums’ creative direction to his planned large-scale visual-art experiments.
Greene’s fifth Washed Out Album, Notes From A Quiet Life is slated for a June 28, 2024 release through Sub Pop. The album, which reportedly is Greene’s most audacious effort to date, is anchored around a purity of vision. It’s also the first album of his catalog that Greene wholly self-produced with mixing assistance from Nathan Boddy and David Wrench.
In the lead up to the album’s release later this month, I’ve written about two previously released singles:
“The Hardest Part,” a bit of classic Washed Out with subtle refinements. The atmospheric and achingly dream-like and nostalgia-inducing production is anchored around twinkling and arpeggiated keys, glistening bass synths, bursts of strummed guitar paired with Greene’s penchant for crafting catchy hooks and swooning choruses. And much like the JOVM mainstay’s most recent work, the song has Greene’s vocal front and center, with the song’s tale of love lost being the heartbroken star of the show.
“Running Away,” a cinematic yet intimate and deeply vulnerable track anchored around an alternating quiet verse, loud chorus, quiet verse song structure paired with Greene’s unerring knack for soaring and catchy hooks paired with a lush arrangement of glistening and twinkling synths, skittering and thumping beats that furthers the album’s overall aesthetic.
The album’s third and latest single “Waking Up” features glistening and burbling synth arpeggios, dreamily strummed guitar, finger snap-driven percussion and skittering beats serving as a lush and cinematic bed for Greene’s intimately cooed delivery. Fittingly, the song evokes the sensation of waking up from a pleasant dream — and the wistful desire to go back to sleep to experience just a little bit longer.
After months of research and meticulous planning, the JOVM mainstay and director Jonah Haber collaborated to film a live performance of “Waking Up” in the path of totality of the solar eclipse — on location in Bandera, TX on April 8, 2024.
With a ton of risks and embarrassment involved and no guarantee of success, Haber and Greene have managed to create one of the more unique visuals I’ve seen in some time: Shot in a single take, we see Greene performing the bulk of the song during the four minutes and eight seconds of full totality — the moment the moon crossed in between the Sun and Earth, emulating nighttime.
For the viewer, the effect almost appears as if Greene is taking the stage inside a venue, with the spotlights just on him, as he plays and sings. While it’s a gorgeous and downright perfect moment, there was a lot of things out of their control, reminding the viewer that ultimately nature rules us all.
The JOVM mainstay will be embarking on a month-long North American headlining tour that includes an August 18, 2024 stop at the newly-minted Brooklyn Paramount, as well as a couple of festival sets. Check out the tour dates below.
Tour Dates
Sat. Jun. 08 – Anchorage AK Sundown Festival
Sat. Jun. 22 – Ogden, UT – Twilight Concert Series
Sun. Jul. 14 – Seattle, WA – Day In Day Out Festival
Thu. Aug. 01 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
Fri. Aug. 02 – Columbia, SC – The Senate
Sat. Aug. 03 – Asheville, NC – AVLFest
Mon. Aug. 05 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
Tue. Aug. 06 – St. Louis, MO, Delmar Hall
Thu. Aug. 08 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Fri. Aug. 09 – Chicago, IL – Metro
Sat. Aug. 10 – Madison, WI – Majestic
Sun. Aug. 11 – Columbus, OH – Kemba
Tue. Aug. 13 – Detroit, MI – Majestic
Wed. Aug.14 – Toronto, ON – Danforth
Fri. Aug. 16 – Norwalk, CT – District Music Hall
Sat. Aug. 17 – Boston, MA – Paradise
Sun. Aug. 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Paramount
Tue. Aug. 20 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Wed. Aug. 21 – Washington, DC – 930 Club
Fri. Aug. 23 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Sat. Aug. 24 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
This is evidenced by the new Washed Out visual for NFAQL’s standout, “Waking Up.” After months of research and meticulous planning, Greene and director Jonah Haber collaborated to bring this one-take, never-before-seen live performance filmed in the path of full totality of the solar eclipse on location in Bandera, Texas, on April 8th, 2024.
Using this perfectly timed moment and imagery from the album’s cover, Washed Out takes this pioneering spirit and delivers a gorgeous performance that encapsulates the essence of Notes From a Quiet Life.
With all the risks involved and no guarantee of success, Haber and Greene create a music video unlike any other. During those four minutes and eight seconds of full totality, the moon passed between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the Sun and emulating the night. The performance allows the viewer to disengage from the outside world. The effect appears as if Washed Out is taking the stage inside a venue, using the moment of totality as nature’s dimmer until all you can focus on is Greene’s performance. It gives space for reflection, introspection, and an appreciation for the lack of control we have over nature and her force.
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