CUMULUS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM WE’VE GOT IT ALL
CUMULUS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM WE’VE GOT IT ALL
OUT APRIL 18TH VIA SHARE IT MUSIC
LISTEN TO THE NEW SINGLE “SIMPLE”
Today Cumulus is proud to announce the new album We’ve Got It All, due out on April 18th via Share It Music. The new LP marks the fourth album by Cumulus, the songwriting project of Alexandra Lockhart and William Cremin. Cumulus has evolved over the years while scooping up praise from the likes of Stereogum, Interview, Consequence, PASTE, Under The Radar, KEXP, Brooklyn Vegan, Atwood Magazine, Seattle Weekly, The Stranger, and NPR Music’s All Songs Considered. What started out as the sole endeavor of Lochart has grown into something of a duo, with Cremin fully taking on co-writer and co-producer roles for the songs on We’ve Got It All. Today they share the lead single “Simple”, an ode to the seemingly less chaotic and fraught John Hughesian past of the 80s and early 90s. “Will it ever be that simple again?” ask Lockhart and Cremin as they harmonize together on the chorus.
Stream the new single “Simple”: li.sten.to/cumulus_simple
Pre-Order We’ve Got It All: https://cumulus.bandcamp.com/album/weve-got-it-all
“I was thinking about all the adventures I used to get up to in my cul-de-sac neighborhood as a latch-key kid,” shares Lockhart about the song. “I knew all my neighbors, and was raised in a communal kind of way- getting picked up after school by my friend's mom in her Volvo station wagon, eating dinner at whatever house I happened to be in at 5:00. It feels so pure to look back on now, and I wonder if my future children will ever feel that sense of safety.”
Written in between long drives and voice memos, solo walks in the woods, and writing sessions in a cozy Seattle basement practice space, We’ve Got It All is a reflection on the most important things in life that carry us through the most difficult times. It is songs inspired by childhood friendships, a hello from a neighbor, bookish escapes, winding highways, family connection, and of course, always, music. In the vein of Lockhart’s biggest songwriting inspiration Jason Molina when he said “The real truth about it is no one gets it right /The real truth about it is we're all supposed to try…” the song “Boxes and Letters” holds the thesis statement and titular line of the record: “Take a deep breath of the cold air and watch the leaves fall, for a minute we’re pretending- we’ve got it all- figured out.”
Once Lockhart & Cremin had the lyrics and skeletal layout of every song, they brought in Bellingham musician Aaron Guest (Polecat, Jenner Fox Band) on piano to bring a fuller arrangement of the songs to life. Guest’s mastery of his instrument brought new colors and emotions to the lyrics that became integral to the stripped down direction of the record. Lockhart knew she wanted to make a record that was inspired by the singer-songwriters she spent most of her listening time with (Jason Molina, Damien Jurado, Waxahatchee, Lucinda Williams, Chris Staples, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Maggie Rogers).
After assembling William Cremin on guitar, Aaron Guest on Piano and keys, John Van Deusen (Lonely Forest) on bass, and Aaron Ball (Dryland) on drums, the group had two practices, and then spent 4 days live tracking all 11 songs at The Unknown in Anacortes, Washington with Nicholas Wilbur as engineer. With additional tracking and engineering from Cremin at Recreational Psychoacoustics Lab in Seattle, the record was complete with 6 total days of tracking, with an emphasis on capturing whole vocal takes and as much live and collaborative energy as possible. Each song is its own story, attached to specific places and moments in time, but when assembled there is a shared story of resilience, and a refusal to let the darkest parts of our mind prevent us from moving forward, building connection with others, and sharing the most vulnerable parts of ourselves.
The release of We’ve Got It All marks the second offering from Cumulus on Share It Music. In furtherance of the label’s mission, a donation will be made to MusiCares, a non-profit that helps artists cover the cost of medical and mental health services, as well as providing financial support to artists needing natural disaster relief.
