Maria Taylor Releases New Single “Sorry I Was Yours” Featuring Conor Oberst
Her First Album in Seven Years Story’s End Arrives April 3 via Million Stars Records
April Album Release Shows in New York and Los Angeles On Sale Now
Today, the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Maria Taylor released “Sorry I Was Yours” featuring Conor Oberst, the final pre-release single from her first album in more than 7 years, Story’s End, that will be released on April 3 via Oberst’s Million Stars Records. She will celebrate the album with release shows on April 10 at Sid The Cat Auditorium in Pasadena, CA and on April 15 at Night Club 101 in New York City. Tickets are on sale now.
About the new single, Taylor reflects: “I met Conor close to 30 years ago. Music has always been such a strong part of our connection. As soon as we met, I started periodically touring with Bright Eyes as either the keyboard player or the drummer. Our friendship turned into a romantic love that lasted 7 years which eventually morphed into the love we have now, which feels like family.
A couple of years ago we decided we wanted to write a song together, so I went over to his house with my guitar and computer. I was playing him songs that I was working on and when he heard this one, he perked up and ran inside to grab his pen and notebook. Hours later we finished the song and even made a demo. So many beautiful contributions from these friends that made the song better than I could have imagined: Brad Armstrong, Mike Mogis, Macey Taylor, Ben Brodin, Nate Walcott, Tiffany Osborn, Hannah Murray, and Paul Cartwright.”
Conor Oberst added, “Writing this song was a full circle moment. We’ve made so much music together over the years, it was just like going home.”
“Sorry I Was Yours” follows the release of “Never Thought I’d Feel New” and the album’s title track, which have been covered by Billboard, BrooklynVegan, Music Connection and more. In late 2025, she released a cover of Counting Crows’ “Colorblind” featuring Dashboard Confessional that was covered by BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and many more.
The ten songs that comprise Story’s End began as quiet demos in Taylor’s home studio, but it was personal upheaval — an irrevocable fracture in both her marriage and a close friendship — that gave her the urgency to finish the record. “I think I needed to make something beautiful as things fell apart around me,” she says.
The project ultimately took shape at ARC Studios in Omaha with producer Ben Brodin (First Aid Kit, Bright Eyes), alongside Mike Mogis and longtime collaborator Brad Armstrong. Joined by a close-knit circle of musicians and friends including Conor Oberst, Nik Freitas, Mike Bloom, and Sally Dworsky, Taylor built a record that feels both intimate and expansive.The shimmering, panoramic strings across the album were arranged and recorded by Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit) at 64 Sound Studios in Los Angeles with Pierre DeReeder (Rilo Kiley).
In the end, Story’s End became an emotional lifeline for Taylor. “I was writing to have anything to do, making music with anyone who would make it with me,” she explains. “I think I needed this, to whatever degree, to save my life.”
Tour Dates:
4/10: South Pasadena, CA – Sid The Cat Auditorium
4/15: New York, NY – Night Club 101
Story’s End tracklist:
01) Story’s End
02) Shades of Blue
03) Sorry I Was Yours (feat. Conor Oberst)
04) Tricky
05) Never Thought I’d Feel New
06) Powerlines
07) Nathaniel
08) Be Careful What You Want
09) Everything Is Fine (My Loves)
10) Change Is Coming Soon (Green Butterfly Sequel)
Las Cruxes Shares Muscular New Single"El Último"
Las Cruxes LP Out April 24, 2026 via Conor Oberst's Million Stars Label
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Las Cruxes LP Out April 24, 2026
Watch “El Ultimo”
Yayo Trujillo's Las Cruxes is muscular. The fluid Omaha project doubles as a solo outlet and collective, united by an electric undercurrent. This quality beams bright on Trujillo's third full-length, Las Cruxes, out April 24 via Conor Oberst's Million Stars label. Today, he shares the second single, "El último." It is anchored by fuzzy propulsion, culminating in a distorted solo. This is timeless rock and roll, tailored to top-down desert drives.
On the track, Las Cruxes' Yayo Trujillo shares: "El Ultimo-(pasajero). 'Tu luz Enciende, despierta mi alma' are the opening lines to this song. It’s when love is way too fast and heavy (for my own good). It’s that feeling of meeting someone and realizing you were wrong about everything, then you wake up and remember it shouldn't be that easy."
As a native of Los Angeles, music guides Yayo Trujillo. “It all started hanging out with my older brother, who used to play traditional boleros to serenade his girlfriend,” he recalls. “I was lucky enough to tag along.” With a notable following in Mexico and Latin America, his Las Cruxes project has evolved in moves between Mexico City, San Francisco, and Omaha. He also spent years in Pastilla, a Latin rock institution on Aztlan Records and BMG.
As a Nebraska-based artist, it seems inevitable that Trujillo would encounter hometown hero Conor Oberst. After gigging at his bar, Pageturners Lounge, he signed a deal with Million Stars — the label now issuing Las Cruxes’ self-titled third full-length. The album embraces straightforwardness, favoring live performances captured on classic consoles with vintage microphones. The sessions were led by Bright Eyes affiliates Taylor Hollingsworth (Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band) and Adam Roberts at ARC Studios. It bears traces of new wave, shoegaze, and lofi experimentation.
Across 12 cuts, Spanish vocals crest over fuzzy melodies and pounding grooves. “The writing process was the same as everything else — very ‘let's do this,’” Trujillo reflects. “No thought to it — just very natural, free flowing.” Opener “El último” unfolds with a driving bassline that escalates in a raucous chorus. “No creo que pueda olvidarte / No creo / No creo,” Trujillo repeats atop rickety fretwork. On “Déjà vu,” searing riffs interrupt brooding verses. Closer “By Frank” is the only English language piece, propelled by shakers and woozy organs. “I know it's a lie they'll never really tell you / I know it’s lust / I'll never really tell you,” he proclaims in the refrain. Las Cruxes weaves macabre insistence with themes of mental collapse and romance.
Las Cruxes doubles as a solo practice and fluid collective, both on record and live. “I write everything, but I do it thinking about who is in the band at that moment — who’s wearing the Las Cruxes suit that week,” Trujillo muses. This time around, he tracked the majority of the instruments himself, though a handful of peers were invited to contribute. In addition to a cast of Omaha locals, Californian Ellie English (L.A. Witch) appears on drums. Jeffrey Davies (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Jorge Vilchis (La Gusana Ciega) were tapped for guitar. The record channels simplicity at its finest.
TRACKLISTING
1. El último
2.Homework
3. Frio
4. Sin ti
5. Déjà vu
6. Imposible
7. (Can't Skate)
8. Percy
9. Leafert
10. AI Creepos
11. Silent Night
12. By Frank
LIVE DATES
3/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Hillsiders
3/26 - Linoln, NE @ Witches Brewery
3/27 - Omaha, NE @ The Sydney
3/28 - Chicago, IL @ One City Tap
4/10 - Sacramento, CA @ The Stag
LAS CRUXES
Maria Taylor Releases New Single “Never Thought I’d Feel New” From Story’s End
Announces April Album Release Shows in New York and Los Angeles
Her First Album in Seven Years Arrives April 3 via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records
Today, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Maria Taylor released “Never Thought I’d Feel New,” the second song to be pulled from her first new album in more than 7 years, Story’s End, that will be released on April 3 via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records. She also has announced album release shows on April 10 at Sid The Cat Auditorium in Pasadena, CA and on April 15 at Night Club 101 in New York City. Tickets are on sale now.
Stream/Embed “Never Thought I’d Feel New”
About the new single, Taylor explains: “This song says exactly what it means – melodically, musically, and lyrically. It’s about how rare and fortunate it is to feel new again. It’s about breaking out of the confines of our own thoughts. of other people’s thoughts. It’s about letting go, gaining clarity, and feeling alive.
I started writing this song 6 years ago. I would send tracks to my friend, Brad Armstrong, who would add a bunch of cool shit and send it back. This went on for years, as I kept changing the chords, the melodies, and the words. I would get frustrated and shelve it for months at a time.
We got my brother, Macey Taylor, to play bass and Louis Schefano to play drums. Finally, in a last attempt to finish it, I asked my friend, Nik Freitas, to take a stab at writing a melody for the chorus. That was the missing link!! It was done :) The track was produced by Brad Armstrong, mixed by Ben Brodin and mastered by Doug VanSloun.”
“Never Thought I’d Feel New” follows the release of the album’s title track, and her late 2025 cover of Counting Crows’ “Colorblind” featuring Dashboard Confessional that was covered by BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and many more.
The ten songs that comprise Story’s End began as quiet demos in Taylor’s home studio, but it was personal upheaval — an irrevocable fracture in both her marriage and a close friendship — that gave her the urgency to finish the record. “I think I needed to make something beautiful as things fell apart around me,” she says.
The project ultimately took shape at ARC Studios in Omaha with producer Ben Brodin (First Aid Kit, Bright Eyes), alongside Mike Mogis and longtime collaborator Brad Armstrong. Joined by a close-knit circle of musicians and friends including Conor Oberst, Nik Freitas, Mike Bloom, and Sally Dworsky, Taylor built a record that feels both intimate and expansive.The shimmering, panoramic strings across the album were arranged and recorded by Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit) at 64 Sound Studios in Los Angeles with Pierre DeReeder (Rilo Kiley).
In the end, Story’s End became an emotional lifeline for Taylor. “I was writing to have anything to do, making music with anyone who would make it with me,” she explains. “I think I needed this, to whatever degree, to save my life.”
Tour Dates:
4/10: South Pasadena, CA – Sid The Cat Auditorium
4/15: New York, NY – Night Club 101
Story’s End tracklist:
01) Story’s End
02) Shades of Blue
03) Sorry I Was Yours (feat. Conor Oberst)
04) Tricky
05) Never Thought I’d Feel New
06) Powerlines
07) Nathaniel
08) Be Careful What You Want
09) Everything Is Fine (My Loves)
10) Change Is Coming Soon (Green Butterfly Sequel)
Las Cruxes Announces Las Cruxes LP
Album out April 24 via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars label. New single “Déjà Vu” out now.
Out April 24, 2026 Via Conor Oberst's Million Stars Label
Shares New Single "Déjà Vu"
Playing West Coast + Mexico Dates This February
Credit: Yayo Trujillo
Yayo Trujillo's Las Cruxes is fluid, doubling as a collective and solo outlet. No matter how many people are in the mix, the Omaha-based project is electric. Today, the former Pastilla member announces his third full-length, Las Cruxes, out April 24 via Conor Oberst's Million Stars label. He has also shared the single "Déjà Vu," which centers on fuzzy, descending riffs and a chugging groove. Topped with Trujillo's Spanish language vocals, it offers a glimpse at a rollicking album.
On the track, Las Cruxes' Yayo Trujillo shares: "Best way to troll someone is to write a sarcastic song about them."
As a native of Los Angeles, music guides Yayo Trujillo. “It all started hanging out with my older brother, who used to play traditional boleros to serenade his girlfriend,” he recalls. “I was lucky enough to tag along.” With a notable following in Mexico and Latin America, his Las Cruxes project has evolved in moves between Mexico City, San Francisco, and Omaha. He also spent years in Pastilla, a Latin rock institution on Aztlan Records and BMG.
As a Nebraska-based artist, it seems inevitable that Trujillo would encounter hometown hero Conor Oberst. After gigging at his bar, Pageturners Lounge, he signed a deal with Million Stars — the label now issuing Las Cruxes’ self-titled third full-length. The album embraces straightforwardness, favoring live performances captured on classic consoles with vintage microphones. The sessions were led by Bright Eyes affiliates Taylor Hollingsworth (Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band) and Adam Roberts at ARC Studios. It bears traces of new wave, shoegaze, and lofi experimentation.
Across 12 cuts, Spanish vocals crest over fuzzy melodies and pounding grooves. “The writing process was the same as everything else — very ‘let's do this,’” Trujillo reflects. “No thought to it — just very natural, free flowing.” Opener “El último” unfolds with a driving bassline that escalates in a raucous chorus. “No creo que pueda olvidarte / No creo / No creo,” Trujillo repeats atop rickety fretwork. On “Déjà vu,” searing riffs interrupt brooding verses. Closer “By Frank” is the only English language piece, propelled by shakers and woozy organs. “I know it's a lie they'll never really tell you / I know it’s lust / I'll never really tell you,” he proclaims in the refrain. Las Cruxes weaves macabre insistence with themes of mental collapse and romance.
Las Cruxes doubles as a solo practice and fluid collective, both on record and live. “I write everything, but I do it thinking about who is in the band at that moment — who’s wearing the Las Cruxes suit that week,” Trujillo muses. This time around, he tracked the majority of the instruments himself, though a handful of peers were invited to contribute. In addition to a cast of Omaha locals, Californian Ellie English (L.A. Witch) appears on drums. Jeffrey Davies (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Jorge Vilchis (La Gusana Ciega) were tapped for guitar. The record channels simplicity at its finest.
The end result is tailored to pushing a ‘60s muscle car well past the speed limit — indebted to Love and Rockets, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, PULP and Los Honey Rockets. Las Cruxes is out worldwide, April 24, 2026 on Million Stars.
TRACKLISTING
1. El último
2.Homework
3. Frio
4. Sin ti
5. Déjà vu
6. Imposible
7. (Can't Skate)
8. Percy
9. Leafert
10. AI Creepos
11. Silent Night
12. By Frank
LIVE DATES
2/5 - Portland, OR @ No Fun Bar
2/7 - Sacramento, CA @ The Stag
2/8 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Redwood Bar
2/11 - CDMX, MX @ El Armadillo
2/12 - Cuernavaca, MX @ Pagana Lounge
2/13 - Morelia, MX @ Popmart
2/14 - Puebla, MX @ Antiforo 25
LAS CRUXES
Maria Taylor Signs with Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records For Story’s End, Her First Album in Seven Years, out April 3
Maria Taylor Signs with Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records For Story’s End, Her First Album in Seven Years, out April 3.
Official Video for Title Track Out Now
Today, the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Maria Taylor announces her first new album in 7 years Story’s End will be released on April 3. Alongside the announcement, Taylor shared the official video for the album’s title track that was released today. The 10-song collection marks her first release on Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records and unfolds like a hazy, cinematic narrative—songs acting as chapters that trace love, loss, fracture, and the quiet search for solace in the aftermath of personal upheaval.
Watch the official video for the album’s title track “Story’s End.”
About the new single, Taylor explains: “For years, I would play this chord progression and melody; knowing it would be one of my favorite songs, but it took me 5 years to complete the lyrics. I had no sense of urgency… it was like I knew, somehow, the story was still unfolding and I just had to be patient.”
The album began slowly with Taylor building songs from demos in her home studio, yet it was the spark of conflict that gave her the resolve and focus to complete the project. “After spending years working on this record, an irrevocable fracture in both my marriage and a friendship gave me the urgency to finish it. I think I needed to make something beautiful as things fell apart around me,” she explains.
The project eventually moved to Mike Mogis’ ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska where Taylor played drums on much of the record (following her recent stint as a touring drummer with Bright Eyes), joined by Macey Taylor on bass and Mogis on guitar. The album was ultimately produced by Ben Brodin (First Aid Kit, Bright Eyes), who also recorded many of Taylor’s vocals and added much of the instrumentation. Longtime friend and collaborator Brad Armstrong (13 Ghosts, The Glass Hours) produced the pulsing single “Never Thought I’d Feel New” that sits at the very heart of the album.
The album also features a handful of collaborators who Taylor has met throughout her career as the founding member of Azure Ray and her many solo recordings and touring projects including Conor Oberst, Nik Freitas, Mike Bloom, and more. Minnesota-based singer/songwriter Sally Dworksy joins Taylor in providing the layered, ethereal harmonies that weave throughout the album. The shimmering, panoramic strings were arranged and recorded by Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit) at 64 Sound Studios in Los Angeles with Pierre DeReeder (Rilo Kiley).
In the end, Story’s End became an emotional lifeline for Taylor that helped find meaning and connectedness to the small, fleeting, ephemeral moments that make up a life, a person, even a family. “I was writing to have anything to do, making music with anyone who would make it with me,” she says. “I think I needed this, to whatever degree, to save my life.”
Story’s End tracklist:
01) Story’s End
02) Shades of Blue
03) Sorry I Was Yours (feat. Conor Oberst)
04) Tricky
05) Never Thought I’d Feel New
06) Powerlines
07) Nathaniel
08) Be Careful What You Want
09) Everything Is Fine (My Loves)
10) Change Is Coming Soon (Green Butterfly Sequel)
Keep up with Maria Taylor:
Website – Instagram – Facebook
Download Hi-Res Portrait / Credit: Liz Bretz
Las Cruxes Announce EP Este Vacío and Share Single “El Gran Rey Nada”
Las Cruxes Announce EP Este Vacío (Oct 31) and Share Single “El Gran Rey Nada”
Out Today via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records
Listen + Presave Here
Yayo Trujillo sees more B horror movies than listens to music for inspiration these days.
Fittingly this Halloween, October 31st, 2025, will welcome Este Vacio, Las Cruxes new EP, via Conor Oberst label, Million Stars, into the world. The first single “ El Gran Rey Nada”is available everywhere today.
Yayo was born and raised in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. While Spanish Rock wasn’t on the menu at home, Yayo was exposed to the legendary sounds of SodaStereo, Fobia, Mana, Duncan DHU, Danza Invisible, Caifanes/Jaguares among other hugely influential Spanish rock bands, at backyard parties in the shadow of Dodger Stadium.
Knowing at a young age that playing music is what he wanted to do there’s always been a serious sensibility to how he approached it. This led Yayo to being in rock bands like Pastilla, Howler and Wellness before forming Las Cruxes and breaking all the rules he knew.
While the experiences that oft come with art - being broke, encountering racism on the road - are a part of Yayo’s story - so are headlining Vive Latino, playing Semana de la Juventud in Mexico City to an audience of 100k in El Zocalo, and playing the Staples Center.
Las Cruxes began as Yayo’s solo project in Los Angeles around 2016. A self described “very gnarly loud band with pop hooks” that’s set apart by being one of few within a growing number of Spanish rock bands in the US.
Trujillo started writing songs and inviting friends to join organically wherever he found himself. “I didn’t want it to be serious…” says Trujillo, who deliberately pursued a DIY direction emphasizing “a noisy raw sound without rules” — even naming the band (which translates to “The Crosses”) as a lighthearted joke.
Las Cruxes has historically operated as a variable ensemble—Trujillo collaborates with different musicians depending on where he finds himself. At times, the group has had up to 20 contributors across cities like LA, Omaha, Chicago, and Mexico City. While musical influences range fromThe Sex Pistols, The Cure, Pulp and At The Drive-In, Las Cruxes see themselves as defying stereotypes: bringing a Spanish-language rock presence that transcends expectations like “timbales and congas,” as he put it.
The band released their first EP “Casa” in 2017 via AFONICO and Monterrey’s CINTAS followed by a full length “Ilusiones, Depresiones” in 2018.
Conor (Oberst) met Yayo through friends after seeing Las Cruxes live a few times in Omaha. Their shared love of Lucha Villa along with a heavy hitters list of mutual favs led to a deep musical bond. It only made sense for Las Cruxes’ new EP “Este Vacio” to be released by Million Stars, Oberst's new label.
Este Vacio (“This Emptyiness") is in Yayo’s words:
“kind of a personal diary without it being that intense or serious. Created in my living room after many nights of self-loathing and weird B horror movies.
Este Vacio… connects personally with me because it lets me see there is more to this than I can see. Culturally I think it speaks tons that it’s in Spanish, especially with the climate that we are experiencing right now, especially as a brown Hispanic person looking at the incertitude of what’s going on in this mad and exciting world.
Este Vacio is meant for anyone going through a hard time with life in general. “I believe everyone goes through terrible heart aches, if it’s your own personal doing or someone else’s, everyone has a story to tell. We all love and hurt and survive situations that sometimes aren’t that awesome. But the best part of that is laughing about it and realizing there is way more. The EP would totally be a horror/comedy like “Freddy’s dead: The final nightmare” with 3-d glasses and all.”
Este Vacio EP is a precursor to a spring 2026 full length and will be supported by a number of live shows in the midwest and west coast this fall.
Este Vacio Tracklist:
1. El Gran Rey Nada
2. Un Helado De Mierda
3. CAMARÓN
4. Fin
5. Do You Bleed
6. Una Mano En La Licuadora
Alex Orange Drink of The So So Glos to Release an album every month this Fall
Alex Orange Drink of the so so glos to release an album every month this Fall starting with Future 86 on Oct 3rd.
A total of 4 full-length’s recorded during intensive cancer treatment are dropping before 2025’s end.
New York City DIY champion ALEX ORANGE DRINK, lead singer of The So So Glos. has announced the release of four new solo albums dropping on Million Stars Records before the new year — adding an impressive amount of music to his roster with Victory Lap (#23) being released earlier in the year as well as another handful of co-write’s with ‘Bright Eyes’ on their upcoming “Kids Table” EP. The 2025 releases are part of a series that builds upon his previous release. Each represents one of the five stages of loss — a concept rooted in the Kübler-Ross model — the grief management system originally designed for patients facing terminal illness.
IN ALEX’S WORDS: “Each record embodies a different stage in response to the nightmarish health crisis I faced. Over 60 days of radiation & chemotherapy, I was lucky enough to find myself in the studio after most treatments. Keeping a creative practice took my mind away from mental anguish. Music once again saved my life. Sonically, these next releases each focus on a different genre, varying drastically in tone and theme. I was recording in full-on survival mode and it is evident in these albums. The first album is restless and high-energy, almost manic. The second explores nostalgic melancholy. Third is straight-up anger. And finally, acceptance.”
October 3rd will mark the release of Alex’s “Future 86 LP”, the first of the four upcoming drops. This decidedly powerpop album is a high-octane, quick-witted & feverishly animated collection. Alex describes this installment as “songs to survive by”. Fast, hard & with a healthy dose of mania, the album skillfully builds a foundation on punky mod-pop compositions. It’s a rapid injection of lyrically heavy songs that yin-yang playfully with spirited melodies and breakneck chord changes. Echoes of The Kinks, The Ramones & Elvis Costello crack through the lens of Alex’s situational songwriting. Keenly aware of mortality, possibly medicated, and brash to the core. Alex Orange Drink’s most Rock ‘n’ Roll album to date proclaims, “It’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll” — but is it?
The “Future 86 LP” record release show is set for October 19th at Night Club 101in New York City. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE
PHOTO CREDIT: EDWINA HAY | CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Alex Orange Drink’s New Album “Victory Lap (#23)” is Out Now and making waves! Album Release Show on May 31 at Mercury Lounge
New York DIY hero Alex Orange Drink has released his new album Victory Lap (#23) via Conor Oberst’s record label Million Stars.
New York DIY hero Alex Orange Drink has released his new album Victory Lap (#23) via Conor Oberst’s record label Million Stars.
Alex Orange Drink has also announced an album release show at Mercury Lounge on May 31 with support from GYMSHORTS and special guests to be announced.
Victory Lap (#23) is the third solo release from Alex Zarou Levine, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Brooklyn punk band The So So Glos. Recorded in the midst of his intensive treatment for a rare and serious cancer, these 10 songs capture the intensity of his experience while maintaining an undercurrent of defiant optimism.
James Felice Surprise Releases His Debut Solo Album The Little Ones
As his Valentine’s Day gift to the world, James Felice releases his debut solo album The Little Ones today via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records.
Solo Accordion Performance of “The Giantess”
Live From Widow Jane Mine Out Now
On Tour Now Supporting Shovels & Rope, Followed by Headline Album Release Show
As his Valentine’s Day gift to the world, James Felice releases his debut solo album The Little Ones today via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records. Tonight, Felice kicks off a tour supporting Shovels & Rope before a run of headline album release shows in Carrboro, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City. Find a full list of tour dates below or find them HERE. Pre-order the The Little Ones on vinyl HERE.
Today, Felice released a live performance video of “The Giantess” filmed in Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, NY.
About the album, James Felice explains: “I wrote this record over the course of a summer, mostly in an unfinished attic. It was so hot up there I could only work at night. I had to sing softly, so as to not wake the people sleeping below me. And so night after night, I would sing softly and sweat prodigiously in my stupidly hot attic, and these characters would somehow emerge and I would try to write songs about them.
Little stories about little people up against the enormity of the universe and the hideous length of eternal time, and the endless confusions of love and being loved. Big serious ideas, funny little people. All sung softly in a song.
I’ve spent my whole adult life in service to the song. Writing, recording, and playing music in ornate theaters and around campfires and rotting picnic benches in the tall grass, and gross, awesome bars and legendary clubs and sweltering attics and under overpasses and in $2000-a-day studios and in freezing cold garages and chicken coops, and my friend’s parents basements, and my brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s kitchen, and in churches with collapsing roofs. Listening to and playing and writing songs all over the damn place for my whole life. Nothing hits like a song. I fucking love songs. So here’s some songs for you.”
On The Little Ones, James joins the long lineage of winking American tearjerkers, the great crying-in-your-beer smart alecks like Warren Zevon, John Prine, or even Tom Waits. With a similar rollicking ease on keyboard instruments, Felice sidles up next to Doctor John and bears Randy Newman’s torch, frequently squeezing the blood of a catchy chorus from the stone of an unlikely song subject. And his sometimes wounded, side-of-the-mouth vocal delivery brings longtime collaborator Bright Eyes to mind. But this album is far more intimate than the music of his forebears - captured mostly at home and often late at night, these songs are spacious and confessional, a simple drum machine pattern just barely keeping them lashed to the Earth, longtime Felice Brothers producer Jeremy Backofen keeping it simple, direct, and effective. More often than not the record is James and his chords, with a hint of the occasional bass, drumset, or fiddle gilding the edges of the frame. These songs sound like the things you can only say after most everyone else has fallen asleep.
The Little Ones follows the release of The Felice Brothers 2024 full length Valley of Abandoned Songs, the first release on Million Stars. The album was praised by NPR’s World Cafe, BrooklynVegan, Glide Magazine, PopMatters, NPR Music, and AllMusic, who calle it one of their “most cohesive works to date” and “an album of beautifully conveyed balance and duality.”
‘Valley of Abandoned Songs’ by The Felice Brothers is out now!
‘Valley of Abandoned Songs’ by The Felice Brothers is out now
‘Valley of Abandoned Songs’ by The Felice Brothers is out everywhere today on Million Stars!!
Stream it or order the LP here: https://pods.to/felice-abandoned
From Ian Felice:
“There’s a tightrope walk between light and dark in these songs between the magical wonder of existence and the ever-present sense of impending doom that comes with it. This album is my way of reconciling those things.
A lot of these songs are amalgamations. The settings can change from verse to verse and scene to scene. I don’t necessarily know who these characters are or where they come from, but they all evoke something very real in me.”