Throughout their nearly two-decade career, acclaimed JOVM mainstays Still Corners — vocalist and keyboardist Tessa Murray and multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter Greg Hughes — have managed to bounce between chilly and atmospheric pop and shimmering guitar-driven, desert noir through five albums: 2012’s Creatures of an Hour, 2013’s Strange Pleasures, 2016’s Dead Blue, 2018’s Slow Air and 2020’s The Last Exit.
Since the release of The Last Exit, the acclaimed dream pop duo released two stand alone singles:
- 2021’s “Heavy Days,” which struck me as a synthesis of Dead Blue, Slow Air and The Last Exit — but while arguably being one of the more optimistic and sunnier songs of their catalog.
- Last year’s “Far Rider,” an expansive song that to my ear, sounds as though it could have been part of the Slow Air and The Last Exit sessions — but with a subtle modern, production flourish that features Murray’s smoky croon being chopped up and distorted.
The JOVM mainstays’ long-awaited sixth full-length album Dream Talk is slated for an April 5, 2024 release through the band’s own label, Wrecking Light Records. The album’s material was written in Southern France, East Sussex, UK and Woodstock. “The songs came together quickly and being able to write from anywhere kept up our momentum,” Still Corners’ Tessa Murray says.
Produced by the band’s Greg Hughes at their Woodstock-based studio, Hughes says, “We tried various things like different mics, amps and effects before committing to anything. Everything was mixed analog through our new SSL console, there’s a gleam to the sound”
Dream Talk features ten carefully-crafted songs that sees the acclaim duo further mastering a sound and body of work that is focused, stylish and incredibly seductive. “The genesis for a lot of these songs came from dreams. Every night I would write down the dreams I could remember,” Still Corners’ Murray says. “While recording I would pull out my book of dreams and sing over various looped phrases Greg had been working on. The repetitive nature of the looping and singing almost felt like going into a trance. A lot of the songs came from that process, it was fun and what I thought were sort of ramblings ended up surprising us with their various meanings and imagery.”
Dream Talk‘s first single “Secret World” pairs Murray’s imitable smoky croon with a shimmering and looping Western-tinged guitar line, twinkling and atmospheric synths and a gently driving rhythm. While continuing a remarkable run of dreamy yet alluring material with a subtle hint of danger — like the mythical sirens on the rock seducing sailors to their eventual doom. Thematically, the song ruminates upon the perils of obsession.
“Sometimes the thought of someone, wanting to know them, get into their world is dangerous,” Tessa Murray explains. “The real person doesn’t matter anymore, just the fantasy of them, which is totally wrong but feels right.”
South in Southern England, the accompanying video for “Secret World” follows Still Corners’ Tessa Murray in a lush and verdant garden, in which she encounters some strange and fantastical creatures. “And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles,” the band says of the video.
Along with the album and single, the duo announced an extensive 2024 tour that includes an April 17, 2024 stop at Elsewhere, as well as stops in in Mexico City, the UK and the European Union. As always, tour dates are below.
A special ‘indie’ version of Dream Talk is available to pre-order on coke bottle colored vinyl with a poster and download code from select independent record shops and Cargo Direct. Dream Talk merchandise is available on the band’s online shop.
2024 TOUR DATES:
April 17 – Elsewhere, Brooklyn, NY
April 19 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
April 21 – The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
April 23 – Regency Theater, Los Angeles, CA
April 26 – Foro, Mexico City, Mexico
May 5 – Chalk, Brighton, UK
May 6 – Band on the Wall, Manchester, UK
May 7 – Strange Brew, Bristol, UK
May 8 – Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
May 10 – De Casino, St. Niklaas, Belgium
May 11 – Willem Twee, Den Bosch, Netherlands
May 12 – Café de la Danse, Paris, France
May 13 – Paard, The Hague, Netherlands
May 16 – Loppen, Copenhagen, Denmark
May 17 – Bahnhof Pauli, Hamburg, Germany
May 18 – UT Connewitz, Leipzig, Germany
May 19 – Lido, Berlin, Germany
May 20 – Niebo, Warsaw, Poland
May 21 – Kwadrat, Krakow, Poland
May 22 – Nova Cvernovka, Bratislava, Slovakia
May 24 – Salon IKSV, Istanbul, Turkey
May 25 – Salon IKSV, Istanbul, Turkey
May 27 – Škofja Loka Castle, Škofja Loka, Slovenia
May 28 – Locomotiv, Bologna, Italy
May 29 – Arci Belleza, Milan, Italy
May 31 – Gagarin 205, Athens, Greece
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