Gold Coast

Glitterhouse announce Distance, Light & Sky's second album, Gold Coast. Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts), Chantal Acda (Sleepingdog, True Bypass), and avant jazz percussionist Eric Thielemans (EARR Ensemble) form the group, and Gold Coast shares a couple of things with it's predecessor as Eckman explains:

"We again recorded the album with our friend Phill Brown. Phill has one of the most incredible recording histories of anyone from the rock music era, having been involved with records by The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Beth Gibbons, and many more. He also worked with The Walkabouts on two albums and more recently on Chantal's Bounce Back (2017). Phill has a wonderful ability to bring space and texture into his recordings. He places microphones in magical spots and searches for unexpected ambient sounds that beautifully compliment the material. We wanted to work together again at Sono Studios because not only do we all feel comfortable there, but the large recording space provides plenty of options for sonic exploration. For example, the room has a grainy, ethereal sense of reverb that almost provides an extra instrument to the ensemble. We felt that we hadn't exhausted the ideas that such a studio provides and so we enthusiastically returned. We recorded the tracks with all three of us playing and singing at the same time. We left the expressive qualities of the performances as they were, embracing irregularities and spontaneous decisions and so-called mistakes. A few elements were added, but the basic triangle of Eric, Chantal and myself was left mostly uncorrupted. More than on the first album, we thought of the band as a single entity. Chantal wrote lyrics and music for me to sing and I did the same for her and the songs found their essence after arranged and buoyed by Eric's drums."

While there is a distinct melancholy to most of these songs, there is not a sense of resignation. These are songs of community, in how they were fashioned and in the emotions they ultimately embrace. The narrators are like most of us in these times, whittled down by chaos and disappointment, but not about to be broken. The fight is still there.

Credits