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Acclaimed artist Eleanor Friedberger will release her new album, Rebound, on Frenchkiss Records on May 4, 2018. Today, she reveals another glimpse of the album in the form of an excellent tune called “Make Me A Song.” Click HERE to listen to it.
Says Eleanor about the song, “Despite the refrain ‘I could love you more,’ Make Me A Song is not a love song. It was inspired by an encounter with a born-again Christian musician I met while living in Athens. Over dinner he confessed: ‘I love Jesus; Jesus is my best friend.’ I was surprised– and even more surprised later, when I was searching for the right tone and lyrics for a song that could be long, meditative and unifying. I wanted to write a song about wanting to try harder and not knowing how; a song about writing songs that urge us to vibrate and resonate!”
A video for the song is also up now, directed by Scott Jacobson, with whom Eleanor has collaborated on many videos over the last ten years, including The Fiery Furnaces’ “Even In The Rain.” Click HERE to watch it.
“Make Me A Song” is classic Eleanor Friedberger songwriting inside of the new aesthetic she has taken on for her excellent forthcoming album Rebound, exchanging live instrumentation for programmed drums, a Juno synthesizer, and muted guitars. The result creates a sonic landscape where influences range from Stereolab and Suicide to Lena Platonos and Yellow Magic Orchestra.
In addition to a new sonic palette, Rebound takes significant inspiration from Eleanor’s time spent in Greece. Half-Greek herself, Eleanor frequently traveled to Greece to see family, but decided in 2016 to really immerse herself in the culture. She says:
“I spent most of 2016 on the road, and I needed to keep that momentum going. I had always wanted to spend more time in Greece; take Greek lessons and get to know Athens better while hopefully writing some music. After November 8, 2016 I set that loose plan into motion. While friends back home were suddenly becoming politically activated for the first time, it was exciting to be living in a city where protest marches occur on a weekly, or sometimes daily basis. I assembled a band of Greek musicians, played a few shows, learned a few more Greek words, but didn’t get much writing done. It turned out to be more of a reconnaissance mission.
After a month in Athens I asked my friend, the Greek musician Σtella, “What’s one thing I have to do before I leave?” After some long and careful consideration she smiled and said, “you have to go to Rebound. It’s a time warp; kind of an 80s goth disco where everyone does the chicken dance; you’ll love it… but it’s only open on Saturdays after 3:00 AM.” Rebound proved to be a revelation in terms of finding the sound and energy for my fourth album. The club was very dark and despite the no smoking signs, like everywhere in Athens, it was very smoky. The “chicken dance” Stella mentioned was a solitary one. I copied the slouchy strut, moving back and forth in line, swinging my arms in time to the music that at first sounded like Joy Division or maybe The Cure, but never revealed itself– one could only assume it to be knock-off by an unknown Baltic band. It was alienating and exhilarating.”
Rebound is the incredible next step in a lauded, brilliant recording career by one of the most prolific, daring independent artists of our time. From her days spent in The Fiery Furnaces, creating melodically off-kilter, idiosyncratic mini-epics, to her three acclaimed previous solo albums, Eleanor Friedberger continues to create exactly what we need to hear when we need to hear it. Always anchored by her plaintive, velvety alto, and Dylan-esque lyrical treatises, Rebound is Eleanor at her very best, and a welcome addition to her rich, celebrated catalogue.
Eleanor Friedberger is on tour this spring throughout Europe and will be playing select solo shows before opening for The Decemberists in May and June. She will be embarking on a full US tour in the fall. Tour dates are:
Tour Dates:
April 4: Moth Club, London, UK
April 6: ZBD, Lisboa, Portugal
April 7: Auditorio Academia, Espinho
April 8: Costello Club, Madrid, Spain
April 9: Teatre del Raval (SONS), Castellon, Spain
April 11: La Lata de Bombillas, Zaragoza, Spain
April 12: Fabra i Coats, Barcelona, Spain
April 28: BSP, Kingston, USA
May 1: Bowery Ballroom, New York, USA
May 3: The Drake, Toronto, Canada
May 5: Lincoln Hall, Chicago, USA
May 9: The Moroccan Lounge, LA, USA
May 23: Uptown Theatre, KC, USA*
May 25: Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, USA*
May 26: Art Park, Buffalo, USA*
May 28: Metropolis, Montreal, Canada*
May 30: Sony Center, Toronto, Canada*
May 31: Benedum Centre, Pittsburgh, USA*
June 2: Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, USA*
June 5: Iroquois Amp, Louisville, USA*
* w/ The Decemberists
Author: RJ Frometa
Head Honcho, Editor in Chief and writer here on VENTS. I don't like walking on the beach, but I love playing the guitar and geeking out about music. I am also a movie maniac and 6 hours sleeper.
