LUMBEROB Announces Debut LP, Shares "BLESSENCE" Single + Music Video via BV

LUMBEROB Announces Debut LP, Shares "BLESSENCE" Single + Music Video via Brooklyn Vegan Read the V13, Rock N Load, DECLUNK, PopWrapped, and Elmore Magazine Features LANGUAGE LEARNER LP Due February 18, 2022 via Shimmy-Disc/Joyful Noise Recordings Mixed and Co-Produced by KRAMER

Photo by Joanne Leah PRE-ORDER: LUMBEROB - LANGUAGE LEARNER Shimmy-Disc LISTEN/WATCH & SHARE: LUMBEROB - "BLESSENCE" Stream / YouTube "The track is a chaotic good time; an explosive blend of synth-tinged interludes, swirling vocals and psychedelic chords, and there’s an addictiveness to the song that may leave listeners wanting more, a sure-sign of a brilliant, audience friendly release that teases the possibilities of what may come in the future." - Popwrapped "Matching the amusement and the tone of its accompanying single, the music video for Lumberob’s new song 'BLESSENCE' can’t help but charm you. Lighthearted, playful, and undoubtedly quirky, the video is an accurate representation of what Lumberob is all about, an artist not afraid to let his odd side reign free." - V13 “The text. WOW. And the music, I’m deep in now. It's really fucking good and so different. Almost like fast MoonDog. Really really fucking good.” - PENN JILLETTE (Penn & Teller) “There’s LUMBEROB — he’s the best band around. He’s like Aphex Twin meets Bobby McFerrin. He’s like a one man party in your mouth. In the mouth of your ear.” - Vernon Chatman & John Lee (WONDER SHOWZEN, XAVIER: RENEGADE ANGEL, PEE WEE’s BIG HOLIDAY, BROAD CITY, DELOCATED, FALSE POSITIVE, and Vernon is voice of Towelie on South Park) “Lumberob’s shows construct themselves out of repetition and layering; live-mixed playback turns his monologues into the audio version of a mise-en-abyme, echoes of his recorded voice expanding into a long tunnel of sense made nonsense… Lumberob is one of those world-building Tricksters. These are the games that break form apart to make something valuable and new.” - Helen Shaw (TIME OUT, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, VULTURE) “Lumberob is a terrible witch doctor. You’ve seen the forest in which he works his dark sono-linguistic magic, but only from the outside. Enter its interior, and you’ll be ecstatically sorry.” - Sibyl Kempson, playwright “Artists of the world, listen to this: you have nothing to lose but your equilibrium. Throughout his music there is a lyric impulse, a rising of the heart, a moral passion that represents the spirit of the millennium at its best. At the same time Lumberob’s music is exceedingly rigorous; he has the optimism of his generation without its willed naiveté” - Anne Gridley, actor, company member Nature Theater of Oklahoma “Lumberob’s music is the most intoxicating and addictive drug available.” - Pavol Lisa, director and founder Nature Theater of Oklahoma “Rob has a ferocity that is captivating, intense, dizzy. We cannot stop looking at him, and then the unique rhythms get all flustery, stuck inside us and lock. He demands engagement. We can’t help it.” - Dana Edell PhD, director Today, LUMBEROB announces his long-awaited debut LP, LANGUAGE LEARNER, due February 18, 2022 via Shimmy-Disc/Joyful Noise Recordings. Alongside the announcement, he has shared the record's first single, "BLESSENCE," with an accompanying music video.  Speaking on the single, Rob wrote: "'BLESSENCE' is a smooth little lumberob jammer, stumbling heavy and sweet. Structure is all suspension, waiting for the clarity of the lyric… I AM DANGER. There’s plenty to worry about. SHANNON PLUMB and I have made a lovely dance, an instructive dance showing how to move to the BLESSENCE groove. It is a smooth little jammer, stumbling heavy and sweet. It carves out your heart with its sharp edge. I AM DANGER." At times slippery like an energized Dada sound poet strapped to a bouncing electro-skank machine stuck in wannabe dub cumbia raga mode, all swathed in the psychedelic dark lord Kramer’s exquisite wall of wonder, LANGUAGE LEARNER is the eclectic electro-bounce art pop debut LP from scrappy, old sono-linguistic loop artist LUMBEROB, mixed by the dark psychedelic lord Kramer for the resurrected Shimmy-Disc record label. As an energetic force in the downtown New York performance art noise scene for over fifteen years, LUMBEROB is releasing his debut solo LP - LANGUAGE LEARNER - on SHIMMY-DISC. Having collaborated now for over 23 years, Kramer and LUMBEROB understand how to make rather majestic messes. This music is urgent madness, overflowingly decorative, lusciously spastic, with an unpredictably eclectic sonic vaudeville energy. LUMBEROB emerged from a year in Costa Rica with a bag full of pandemic recordings.  As a rejuvenated yet still scrappy loop artist expanding his sound with synth bass and drum machines, yet still rooted in improvised vocal phrase looping and skanky guitar, LUMBEROB insists this album LANGUAGE LEARNER to be a bold exercise in genre discovery or genre blur, proudly assuming its position in high contrast to other recent gorgeously crafted Shimmy-Disc releases. It is this contrast that’s reminiscent of the wildly divergent and inventive catalog curated by Kramer from decades past. This debut is an odd blend of ingredients, but the concept is relentlessly pure LUMBEROB. Participants in Costa Rica include David Mendez playing nylon string, Alicia Cigna singing, Ariel Soto playing partial kit and conga, and Juan Jose Lopez playing bongos. Additional sessions in Brooklyn include Tobin Scroggins playing guitar and Becca Stabile singing. Kramer added bits and pieces throughout during his mixing and mastering of the album. Call it Dada Ska - a skanky electro-bounce. This is dance music for working things out. This is workout music for dancing things, and the live show is truly the daffy psychedelic roughneck business. RIYL (Recommended If You Like): early WEEN, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Dat Politics, Prince Buster, Thinking Fellars Union Local 282, Deerhoof, Captain Beefheart, Young Marble Giants, Jad Fair, They Might Be Giants, Dan Deacon, Reggie Watts, Bob Cobbing, Jaap Blonk, Hugo Ball, Kurt Schwitters. LUMBEROB - "BLESSENCE" LUMBEROB LINKS Website | Instagram | YouTube

Book Talk 6: INTERVIEW with Suburban John and Jack Brewer Band 2022

Interview with "Vex Billingsgate" aka Bill Ranson.

Suburban John is a Band from Long Beach, CA featuring founding members of Suburban Lawns John McBurney (guitar) and Bill Ranson (bass) along with drummer Jon Tomis.

Bandcamp: https://suburbanjohn.bandcamp.com/releases

Interview with Jack Brewer (of Saccharine Trust)

1. Suburban Lawns "Gidget Goes To Hell"

2. Suburban John "Northern Beaches"

3. Saccharine Trust "I Am Right"

4. Jack Brewer Band "In Your Skin"

5. Suburban Lawns "Janitor"

photo by Alexander Laurence

The David Bowie Estate Announces Reissues Of Five Albums Mixed In Sony’s 360 Reality Audio For Bowie 75

The David Bowie Estate Announces Reissues Of Five Albums Mixed In Sony’s 360 Reality Audio For Bowie 75

Archival Live Performance Footage To Be Livestreamed In 360 Reality Audio In Conjunction With CES 2022 Today At 4pm PST/7pm EST

Reality, A Reality Tour (Live), Heathen, The Next Day, And ★ To Be Released January 21st In 360 Reality Audio For The First Time Ever On Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer & Tidal

JANUARY 6, 2022 - NEW YORK, NY - The David Bowie Estate today announced a series of releases from David Bowie’s catalog that have been remixed and reimagined exclusively in 360 Reality Audio, a new immersive music experience driven by Sony’s spatial sound technology. The content is the latest David Bowie music to be mixed in 360 Reality Audio, following Space Oddity, which is currently available on 360 Reality Audio-supported streaming platforms.

In conjunction with the ongoing Bowie 75 - an extended celebration of David Bowie’s 75th birthday on January 8th, 2022 featuring two physical pop up locations in NYC and London equipped with 360 Reality Audio listening experiences at each location - longtime Bowie producer Tony Visconti crafted 360 Reality Audio mixes of Heathen, Reality, A Reality Tour (Live), The Next Day, and  ★ (pronounced “Blackstar”). The albums will be available for streaming in 360 Reality Audio beginning January 21st on Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer, and TIDAL.

Additionally, the David Bowie Estate and Sony are making available four archival live performance recordings that have been mixed and reimagined in 360 Reality Audio (which makes it possible to create a lifelike music experience, giving listeners the feeling that they are in a live concert setting). The four songs are from David Bowie’s A Reality Tour, featuring live audio and video from Bowie’s final concert tour, to be livestreamed in 360 Reality Audio today, January 6th at 4:00 pm PST / 7:00 pm EST on the Online Platform "Sony Square" (via David Bowie’s YouTube channel). Listeners everywhere can use any set of headphones to hear the music in  360 Reality Audio. 

Immediately following the livestream, viewers will be able to stream this performance with the Artist Connection app on a smartphone. With Sony certified headphones and the Sony | Headphones Connect app, users can also optimize their experience by analyzing their individual ear shape to enjoy a custom immersive musical field. This sound field personalization feature is only available for streaming with the Artist Connection experience. 

Both the YouTube livestream and the Artist Connection viewing experiences will be available to the general public. 

“The fan response to Bowie 75 has been nothing short of amazing,” said Lawrence Peryer, Producer of Bowie 75. “David was always on the cutting edge of the latest developments in technology, so it was a natural fit to collaborate with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio team to bring fans a whole new way to experience his music. The reimagining of David’s music, which can be experienced at the pop-ups or via streaming, has given his lifelong fans and new listeners alike a reason to celebrate.”

Tune into the livestream here: https://square.sony.com/ces2022/360ra/

Download, Watch & Listen on Artist Connection here: https://share.artistconnection.net/content/yjThJI

“It’s been an honor partnering with the David Bowie Estate to help deliver special new fan experiences as part of Bowie 75,” said Jordy Freed, Head of Partner Marketing & Strategy, Sony Corporation of America. “We hope David Bowie fans everywhere enjoy listening to this iconic music in 360 Reality Audio.”

The Bowie 75 pop up locations will remain open through late January, 2022. The Bowie 75 locations are at 150 Wooster Street, NY — steps away from Bowie’s longtime downtown New York City neighborhood — and 14 Heddon Street — the London location where the cover of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was shot.

The pop-ups offer visitors a unique and immersive career-spanning deep dive into the sound and vision of David Bowie, with features including:

• Immersive audio and HD video screening rooms in partnership with 360 Reality Audio, an immersive music experience using Sony’s spatial sound technologies. With music in 360 Reality Audio, fans will be able to hear and see Bowie content available for the first time in immersive audio, exclusively in the Bowie 75 locations. 
• Hours of video content including previously unseen behind-the-scenes material, rare footage from the Heathen and Reality eras, and more.
• Opportunities to purchase limited edition releases of exclusive Bowie apparel and collectibles, as well as limited run LPs and CDs.
• Exclusive fine art photography including gallery installations documenting Bowie’s many iconic eras, personae, and Ch-changes.
• Fans can place themselves in iconic costumes and set pieces to create fun and shareable social media moments
• And more— For store hours, events calendars and other announcements and information, sign up and stay tuned to www.bowie75.com

ABOUT DAVID BOWIE

David Bowie redefined musical genres and the potential of live performance for generations of music lovers. Creating and discarding a variety of personae and restlessly challenging musical boundaries, Bowie released timeless albums including The Man Who Sold The World, Space Oddity, Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust…, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Station to Station, Low, “Heroes,”  Lodger, Scary Monsters..., Let’s Dance, Heathen, The Next Day and many more. ★ (pronounced “Blackstar”), Bowie’s 28th and final studio album, was released on his 69th birthday—January 8, 2016—and charted at #1 in more than 20 countries (including his first #1 in the U.S.), later winning five Grammy Awards. David Bowie died on January 10, 2016, two days after the release of ★.  His body of work, his influence on the worlds of music, art, fashion, film, theater and beyond, and his legacy of fearless innovation and endless reinvention will live on forever.

Mike Doughty/Ghost of Vroom LA residency starts this Friday

MIKE DOUGHTY/GHOST OF VROOM LA RESIDENCY BEGINS THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 7 THE WEEKLY HOUSE BAND WILL BE: MIKE DOUGHTY, ANDREW “SCRAP” LIVINGSTON, MADDEN KLASS, AND MATTHEW MILLIGAN   MICHAEL WILBUR FROM MOON HOOCH WILL BE SITTING IN FOR THE JANUARY 7 AND JANUARY 14 PERFORMANCES    OTHER CONFIRMED GUESTS FOR UPCOMING PERFORMANCES INCLUDE: MIKE WATT, BILLY MARTIN, DAVID LEVITA, MONEY MARK NISHITA, AND DANNY FRANKEL PERFORMANCES TAKING PLACE EVERY FRIDAY IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AT HARVARD & STONE

Mike Doughty and Ghost of Vroom's LA residency is set to begin this Friday, January 7 at Harvard & Stone. The house band will be Doughty, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, Madden Klass, and Matthew Milligan, and will feature a rotating cast of incredible musicians alongside them who will appear every Friday night in January and February for eight special shows. Michael Wilbur From Moon Hooch will be sitting in for the January 7 and January 14 performances, while other confirmed guests include Mike Watt, Billy Martin, David Levita, Money Mark Nishita, and Danny Frankel. The shows will be centered around improvisation — somewhere between psychedelic trances, absurdism, and weird jazz. Admission will be free (first come first serve). Members of Mike Doughty Patreon will get free exclusive items at the merch table. More info is available at mikedoughty.com/govla. RSVP FOR LA RESIDENCY SHOWS HERE Harvard & Stone / (http://harvardandstone.com/) 5221 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Show Dates:  FRI JAN 7 / FRI JAN 14 / FRI JAN 21 / FRI JAN 28 FRI FEB 4 / FRI FEB 11 / FRI FEB 18 / FRI FEB 25 Schedule for all shows:  8PM Doors 8:30PM SET 1  10PM SET 2  # # #

Kids On A Crime Spree's new "Goods Get Got" video; 'Fall In Love Not In Line' is due 1/21 via Slumberland

Watch Kids On A Crime Spree's new "Goods Get Got" video; Fall In Love Not In Line is due 1/21 via Slumberland 

Fall In Love Not In Line is out on 1/21
[click here to pre-order]

WATCH: "Goods Get Got" -
YouTube / Streaming Services

 

Today Bay Area band, Kids On A Crime Spree, are sharing the video for "Goods Get Got." Check the video out here.  Fall In Love Not In Line is out on 1/21 via Slumberland Records. In case you've missed them, be sure to watch the other vides from the upcoming LP - "All Things Fade" & "When Can I See You Again?"

Bio:
Good news, everyone! Kids On A Crime Spree are set to release a new record on Slumberland this coming winter. It’s been over a decade since We Love You So Bad was released, the Bay Area indie band’s ephemeral debut EP on Slumberland. Since then Kids On A Crime Spree have released a handful of solid noise-pop singles — “Creep The Creeps” in 2013, and two 7″ splits with Burnt Palms and Terry Malts in 2016 and 2017, respectively. All short, punchy, and to-the-point releases.

With the new record, however, Kids give us something their devoted fans have always wanted … more! Fall In Love Not In Line is a 10-song full-length record, a first for them. Cut at 45rpm, the album clocks in at a brisk 25 minutes, and it’s a solid assemblage of noise-pop exuberance in all respects. Singer-songwriter Mario Hernandez, drummer Becky Barron, and guitarist Bill Evans wrote and recorded Fall In Love Not In Line in Mario’s analog home studio in Oakland, CA. You can feel the DIY charm that resulted from those sessions as soon as the needle drops.

The songwriting still has hints of a meticulous Brill Building inspiration filtered through the sonorous feedback of Henry’s Dress and a sprightly ebullience reminiscent of The Aislers Set’s perfect pop, but it handily transcends their influences into territory that’s uniquely Kids. It’s a move that Mario calls, “a conscious decision to move beyond our idols, both in recording method and lyrical content.” In “When Can I See You Again?” Mario sings what feels like the perfect love song reprise for the current climate, “When can I see you again / When can I see you before our world ends / When can I see you again” as the song’s melodic clamor comes to a soft fade.

Longtime Kids fans will still find the familiar pelting drum beats, bouncy basslines, unassuming ringing guitar lines, and Mario’s distinctly melodic vocals. But there is more warmth here than in previous efforts; more shifting of tempos and melodies; a unity of purpose that can only come from years of playing together and listening to each other. The result is simply gorgeous.

 

Kids On A Crime Spree
Fall In Love Not In Line
(Slumberland Records)
[click here to pre-order]
Street Date: January 21, 2022

Track List:

1. Karl Kardel Building
2. When Can I See You Again?
3. NOYC
4. Vital Points
5. All Things Fade
6. Goods Get Got
7. Boomdoom
8. Overtaken By The Soil
9. Steve, Why Are You Such A Liar?
10. We’re So Good

KIDS ON A CRIME SPREE LINKS:
Slumberland Records

Valerie June Shares Acoustic Version Of “Within You”

Valerie June Shares Acoustic Version Of “Within You”

Stripped Down Track Previews the Forthcoming Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers Deluxe Version

Tickets On Sale Now for June’s 2022 Headlining Tour Beginning March 31 in Seattle, WA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 5th, 2022 – Today, Valerie June celebrates the new year with the release of “Within You” (Moon and Stars / Acoustic). LISTEN HERE.  This special stripped-down version along with the previously released acoustic versions of “You And I” and “Why The Bright Stars Glow” featuring Mavis Staples preview the forthcoming deluxe version of June’s critically acclaimed album The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, due later this month.

“This version of “Within You” infuses earthy instruments like banjo, fiddle, upright bass, and acoustic guitar,” June explains. “‘Within You’ is a song prescribed for Creativity, Believe, and Sacred Space. There is the potential to create more beauty and peace within every person.”  

June achieved many career highlights this past year. Her latest LP, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, landed on numerous ‘Best Of’ lists in 2021 including Rolling Stone, NPR, and Bitter Southerner. Additionally, her song “Call Me A Fool” featuring Stax legend Carla Thomas was nominated for Best American Roots Song at the upcoming 64th GRAMMY Awards, the first nomination of June’s illustrious career.  Also, “You and I,” the gorgeous lead track from The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is featured in Apple’s brand-new #ShotOniPhone film. The poignant short film is called Saving Simon and was directed by Oscar® Nominee Jason Reitman and his father, Oscar® Nominee Ivan Reitman. Watch the full-length version here via Apple’s YouTube channel: https://found.ee/ValerieJuneAppleAd  

Tickets are on sale now for June’s 2022 headlining tour which kicks off on March 31st in Seattle, WA. Full routing is below and for more information visit https://valeriejune.com/#tour.

The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers, produced by June and Jack Splash, is sweeping and ambitious with earthy R&B production and a touch of psychedelia amidst its astral folk-pop orchestration. Uncut calls it “a psychedelic tour de force” that is “powerfully, elegantly subversive,” and Rolling Stone proclaimed it, “career making.” At the center is June’s spellbinding vocals and infectious sense of wonder that finds the Brooklyn-via-Memphis artist narrating the often-precarious journey to joyful possibility. The follow-up to her 2013 breakthrough, Pushin’ Against A Stone, and the widely adored The Order of Time—a 2017 effort that earned the admiration of Bob Dylan and landed on best-of-the-year lists—The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is a transportive, deeply affecting work - a potent catalyst for those foolish enough to dream.

Buy/Listen to The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers: HERE

 

Praise For Valerie June and The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers

“This stunning song cycle of redemption and reclamation adds an orchestral-pop sheen to June’s gorgeous blend of astral folk and meditative R&B.” — Rolling Stone

"The Moon & Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, the introspective, quietly hopeful album she made more than a year ago, sounds just right in 2021." — The New York Times

“A breathtaking record.” — NPR

“The moment speaks for June on The Moon and Stars, simultaneously marveling at all the wonders that are out there, and at the truth that all you need is one good thing right here.” — Pitchfork

“A stunning concept album that shows how far June has evolved from her early days as a folk artist.” — The Guardian

“One of the albums of the year.” — The Times (UK)

 

The Moon & Stars Tour

Thu Mar 31 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox

Fri Apr 01 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom

Sat Apr 02 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater

Sun Apr 03 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater

Tue Apr 05 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

Wed Apr 06 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre

Fri Apr 08 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre

Sat Apr 09 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up

Fri Apr 22 – Kennett Square, PA – Longwood Gardens Open Air Theatre

Tue May 03 – Northampton, MA – Academy of Music Theatre

Wed May 04 – New York, NY – Town Hall

Thu May 05 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore

Fri May 06 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie Music Hall at Homestead

Sat May 07 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre

Tue May 10 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall

Wed May 11 – Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag

Fri May 13 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

Sat May 14 – Columbus, OH – The Athenaeum Theatre

Sun May 15 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Annex

Mon May 16 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre

Wed May 18 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School

Thu May 19 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall

Fri May 20 – Minneapolis, MN – Pantages Theatre

Sat May 21 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre

Sun May 22 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall

Tue May 24 – Louisville, KY – Paristown Hall

Wed May 25 – Cincinnati, OH – Memorial Hall

Fri May 27 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center

Sat May 28 – Annapolis, MD – Ram's Head On Stage

 

More info on Valerie June: valeriejune.com Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

Nashville Singer-Songwriter MACKENZIE GRANT Shares Video for Motivational Country Track "Putting Down Some Things"

MACKENZIE GRANT --NASHVILLE SINGER, SONGWRITER AND MUSICIAN-- RETURNS AFTER 15 YEARS WITH NEW ALBUM ‘WONDER WORLD’ DUE MARCH 18 VIA BLACKBIRD RECORD LABEL   SHARES VIDEO TODAY FOR THE ALBUM’S MOTIVATIONAL FIRST SINGLE “PUTTING DOWN SOME THINGS” OUT THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 7   WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Photo Credit: Ashley Hylbert   Nashville-based singer, songwriter and classically trained pianist MACKENZIE GRANT has returned to music after a 15-year break with the upcoming release of her sophomore full-length album WONDER WORLD due March 18 via BlackBird Record Label. Produced and engineered by Phil Dubnick, the album was inspired by GRANT’s time away from music working as a school counserlor in a high-poverty and high-trauma preschool covering themes suchs as self-reckoning, feminine empowerment and overcoming negative mindsets.   WONDER WORLD features songs written by MACKENZIE plus a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Borderline.” The album’s first single is “Putting Down Some Things,” the video for which was premiered yesterday by Americana Highways. Beautifully written and sung by MACKENZIE, the song is a moving and infectious country song about self-renewal which Americana Highways praised, stating that “Grant’s songwriting is informed by witnessing a wave of these elements of the human experience, and the gentle easiness of her vocals helps to soothe the soul.” Watch the music video streaming below or HERE. “Putting Down Some Things” will be released digitally this Friday, January 7 and can be pre-saved at this link: https://linktr.ee/mackenziegrantmusic.   “As a former counselor, I worked with children affected by poverty, marginalization, domestic violence, generational trauma--all things that were not their fault or theirs to carry as innocents,” shares GRANT. “I tried to foster resilience and self-compassion in them. When I took a break from this work, I found I was crippled by many of the mindsets they lived with on a daily basis: shame, self-blame, fear, criticism, etc. I knew I had to give the same allowance and self-compassion to myself that I had encouraged in them.”   She continues to share the meaning behind the track, stating that “‘Putting Down Some Things’ is born of the idea that the way so many of us treat ourselves, the mental self-degradation, is ultimately just our brain trying to stay safe and protected. But that’s the big lie; that we have to beat ourselves up in order to find motivation and growth. I had to start putting down that self-criticism because it no longer worked. We’re all connected in our suffering and with the events of the past couple of years, we’ve experienced it exponentially. But for most of us it’s our own inner voice doing the most damage. It’s accepting ourselves and giving our suffering compassion that is needed to heal us, individually and collectively.”