OWEL PREMIERES STUNNING FULL ALBUM CINEMAGRAPH SERIES
Equal Vision Records band OWEL has partnered with artist Kayla Surico for the debut of their sophomore full-length. Together, the band and Surico have created a stunning full album series of cinemagraphs for the premiere of dear me, which is out now. The stream is available now at AltPress.com and Youtube.com/equalvision
“We just thought it was a cool idea – these little moving photos,” notes the band. “It’s tough trying to find a single image that can embody a song, but we think Kayla knocked it out of the park.” The full album stream also features a video for “Pale Soft Light” that was illustrated and animated by Sakong and debuted exclusively on A.V. Club.
dear me was co-produced by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jay Sakong and Gates’ vocalist Kevin Dye, and is available now on all digital retailers, at owelband.merchnow.com and at all upcoming tour dates.
The New Jersey-based indie outfit kicked off their a US tour supporting the Soil & the Sun last night in Philadelphia, PA. The month long run also includes a special headline / album release show for OWEL tonight, November 11, in New York City. Everyone who purchases a ticket to the album release show will also receive a free copy of the CD at the venue. All upcoming tour dates can be found below.
dear me is the follow-up to Every Good Boy (EP, 2015) and the band’s debut, self-titled full-length (2013). Featuring delicate, dreamy vocals with lush five-part harmonies, elegant string arrangements and a tasteful touch of electronic elements throughout, the band has created a truly stunning sound that is all their own and simultaneously feels classic and modern. On dear me, dramatic crescendos and dynamic soundscapes weave behind ethereal vocals, gracefully leading listeners on a phenomenal sonic journey of reflection, curiosity and contemplation.
Sakong reveals a little known fact of the new album sharing, “I’m constantly using the voice memo feature on my phone. At first, I would just hum melodies into it so I wouldn’t forget them. Later, I started recording lyrical ideas if I was driving and couldn’t type on my phone. But eventually I started doing something pretty weird: I started just talking into it, like audio journal entries. I was going through some rough stuff at the time and for some reason I found things made more sense if I would just talk out loud. And even more so when I would listen back to the recordings. Anyway, in keeping with the theme of the album, I actually sprinkled little bits of those recording throughout the album.” A personal, behind-the-scenes look at the band’s overall recording experience can be found HERE.
To date, OWEL has shared stages with the likes of Minus The Bear, Foxing, American Authors and performed at festivals such as Gentlemen of the Road, CMJ, SXSW, and Northside Festival. The band has also been noted as a band to watch by Pitchfork, NPR, Grantland, Noisey and more.
OWEL is comprised of Jay Sakong (lead vocals, guitar, keys), Jane Park (vocals, violin, viola, keys), Nunzio Moudatsos (vocals, bass), Ryan Vargas (percussion) and Seamus O’Connor (vocals, guitar, keys).
TOUR DATES
the Soil & the Sun w/ OWEL
Nov 11 New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall*
Nov 12 New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall [day show]
Nov 12 Hamden, CT @ The Ballroom at The Outer Space [night show]
Nov 13 Boston, MA @ Out of the Blue
Nov 15 Buffalo, NY @ Studio at Waiting Room
Nov 16 Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness
Nov 17 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Nov 18 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Nov 19 Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
Nov 20 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Nov 22 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
Nov 23 Dallas, TX @ Three Links
Nov 25 Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
Nov 26 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
Nov 27 Jacksonville, FL @ 1904 Music Hall
Nov 28 Charleston, SC @ Palmetto Brewing Co.
Nov 29 Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory at Masquerade
Nov 30 Nashville, TN @ The End
Dec 01 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
Dec 02 Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
* OWEL w/ the Soil & the Sun [OWEL album release/headline show]