Unmistakably catchy and positive NYC-based collective Gramercy Arms is back with their new single ‘Never Say Anything’, a gorgeously performed paean to paranoid times. Dave Derby (The Dambuilders, Lloyd Cole) gets a helping hand. Building on his impressive Americana-styled melodicism and honest American delivery on vocals and acoustic guitars, Lysa Opfer (Aeon Station) offers moody basslinesand Mark Lizotte (Diesel) layers things up nicely on guitar, vocals and additional effects. Stunning and candid, Gramercy Arms never fails to impress.
This is the second taste of the band’s fourth album ‘The Making Of the Making Of’, released via Magic Door Record Label, following the lead track ‘After the After Party’, a wistful power pop gem about chances missed and taken, featuring longtime collaborators Kevin March (Guided by Voices, Shudder to Think, The Dambuilders), Hilken Mancini (Fuzzy, the Monsieurs),Rainy Orteca (Joan As Police Woman, Dead Air) and Mike Errico.
“Never Say Anything’ is a song about unease and paranoia in the strange environment we inhabit right now. The fear of not knowing if someone is listening in. In some ways, it was inspired by the films ‘The Conversation’ and ‘The Secret Lives of Others’, which deal with surveillance and swirling paranoia,” says Dave Derby.
“We did two separate takes of ‘Never Say Anything’ during the ‘Deleted Scenes’ / ‘Making Of’ sessions. The ‘band’ version with its frenetic early Feelies-inspired drumming fits the mood of ‘Deleted Scenes’ better. This version is darker and sweeter at the same time and my personal favorite of the two. Lysa Opfer’s harmonic bass parts are sublime and gorgeous. Mark Lizotte, true to form, recorded parts in his Sydney, Australia home studio, taking the song to new unexpected heights.”
This album was produced, recorded and mixed by Ray Ketchem (Elk City, Guided By Voices, Luna) atMagic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ with mastering by Ketchem and award-winning engineer Greg Calbi (John Lennon, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Tom Petty).
As of March 26, ‘Never Say Anything (Acoustic)’ is available from fine music platforms – Apple Music,Spotify, Bandcamp and elsewhere. ‘The Making Of the Making Of’ album, slated for release on April 26, is now available for pre-order.
CREDITS
Written by Dave Derby (Passive Aggressive Music BMI)
Dave Derby – main vocals, guitars
Mark Lizotte – guitars, backing vocals, effects
Lysa Opfer – bass
Recorded at the Magic Door Studio, Montclair, NJ
Engineered, Mixed and Produced by Ray Ketchem
Mastered by Greg Calibi and Ray Ketchem
‘After The After Party’ video by Max Skaff
Dave Derby photos by Debora Francis
TRACK LIST
1. After the After Party
2. Pilot Light
3. The Making of The Making of
4. Alaska
5. Never Say Anything (Acoustic)
6. Lux
7. Susan
8. Don’t Respond She Can Tell
9. The Long Game
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