Tancred new album out 1 June 2018
Album release: ‘Nightstand’ by Tancred
Release: date: 1 June 2018
Label: Hand In Hive / Polyvinyl Record Co
More info: Artist website
Tancred is proud to announce the forthcoming release of the new album ‘Nightstand’, out June 1st on Hand In Hive / Polyvinyl Record Co. Produced by Lewis Pesacov (Best Coast, Generationals), ‘Nightstand’ is the follow up to Tancred’s (aka Maine-based musician Jess Abbott) well received 2016 release ‘Out of The Garden’, which won praise from Stereogum, The FADER, Rookie, and many others while leading to US tours with the likes of Speedy Ortiz and Weaves. Today, NPR Music shares the first single ‘Reviews’, saying 'From the anaphoric verses...to a chorus that opens up like parting storm clouds, Abbott has polished her songwriting into a resplendent pop shine.' This April Tancred will hit the road in the US with Julien Baker for dates across the Midwest and East Coast.
Listen to ‘Reviews’ now via NPR Music or YouTube
“This new album takes a step back from the energy of my last album to bring in a little more vulnerability,” Abbott tells NPR Music. “‘Reviews’ felt like the right first single because it holds some of that same propulsion the last album had, but also opens a secret door into a more introspective vibe present throughout Nightstand. It’s a deeply personal song for me and I’m happy I can finally share it.”
‘Nightstand’ is an album born out of an unexpected revelation Abbott experienced following her transformation into a more confident person, one full-throatedly declared on 2016’s plucky ‘Out of the Garden’. “After I became comfortable in this new skin, in truly being myself, I was immediately hit with loneliness,” she reveals. “I realized that human connection is really important to me.” And so Abbott began a new journey of personal exploration, one that involved connecting with other people just as much as connecting with herself. “I was reading a lot of books, learning a lot of new hobbies, meeting so many new people -- just taking in as much information as possible to try and figure out what it really meant to me to be alive,” she recalls.
As with her previous work, the writing process for what would become ‘Nightstand’ consisted of Abbott alone in her room with just a guitar, strumming chords and singing words until gradually songs began to coalesce -- though this time around she made it a point to devote three days a week for an entire year to only playing music.
As a result, when the recording process began with Lewis Pesacov (Best Coast, Generationals) at his home studio in LA, the focus was less on finishing songs and more on perfecting them. Working with Pesacov offered new approaches – and gear – previously undiscovered by Abbott, affording her avenues of exploration that dialed in the production and tone on each and every song. “My favorite part of each day was sitting down to decide which guitar we needed to use for the song we were recording,” recalls Abbott. “It sounds so simple and I know most records are made this way, but it was my first time actually being able to do that and I loved it.”
The positive effects of this nourishing environment are evident throughout ‘Nightstand’, as on propulsive first single ‘Reviews,’ showcasing Abbott’s strong melodic sensibilities balanced with purposeful, well-placed instrumentation. Or ‘Queen of New York,’ which captures the feelings of fleeting lust set against a metropolitan backdrop, all within an effervescent three-minute bop.
Of course, it wouldn’t truly be a Tancred album if the upbeat melodies didn’t also serve to sugarcoat Abbott’s often somber lyrics about the experience of being a woman and being queer in today’s society. But even she is quick to emphasize that there is still comfort to be found during times of isolation or alienation: “Ultimately, we are all feeling these things together, and that can be enough to feel less alone. There’s a hopefulness in the loneliness.”