Indie pop sister trio Joseph have announced their fourth studio album The Sun, set for release on April 28 on ATO Records. The Oregon-based band are launching into a new direction with fresh collaborators, self-reliance and a newly emboldened sound. The first single Nervous System, released this week alongside a colourful kaleidoscopic video directed by Vanessa Pla, is a kicked-up anthem about struggling with anxiety and tending to ourselves with presence and compassion.
Joseph press photo (credit Shervin Lainez)
Nervous System, co-written with Tayla Parx (Ariana Grande, Khalid/Normani) and Wynne Bennett (HAIM, Twin Shadow, Janelle Monae), is a punchy anthem about being our own life lines in times of anxiety and struggle. Says the band, “it’s about self regulating and tending to ourselves with presence and compassion, rather than frantically reaching outside of ourselves.” Allison continues, “I’ve struggled with a lot of anxiety over the years, at times a constant inner storm, and it’s been easy to look outside myself to feel safe and secure. I’ve fought to find my inner peace, and through that process I’ve found that so much of the time I already have what it takes to calm my nervous system.”
Check out the Vanessa Pla-directed video for Nervous System below:
“All of our therapists were a huge influence on this album,” say the band. In the making of their fourth studio album, Natalie Closner and her sisters, twins Meegan Closner and Allison Closner focused their soul-searching songwriting on the quietly damaging forces that keep us from living fully in our truth (e.g., gaslighting, cultural conditioning, unconscious yet painfully limiting self-beliefs).
Marking a sonic shift, their instantly infectious indie-pop-folk songcraft shines bright alongside their breathtaking three-party harmonies and boundless lyrical wisdom that has drawn fans including Billie Eilish, The Shins, James Bay and landed them in Billboard’s Top 200 and Heatseekers chart, with TV performances on Later…With Jools Holland, The Tonight Show, ELLEN, NBC’s TODAY Show and more.
Joseph @ Glastonbury
In bringing the album to life, Joseph worked with acclaimed producers like Tucker Martine (First Aid Kit, My Morning Jacket) and Christian “Leggy” Langdon (Meg Myers, Amos Lee, BANKS), shaping an irresistibly vibrant sound, encompassing everything from the moody grandeur of the album-opening Waves Crash to the pure anthemic glory of tracks like Kicking Up The Light.
With the band taking a decidedly more hands-on role in the production process, The Sun continually achieves the exquisite feat of spinning incredibly complex concepts into sing-along-ready pop songs, providing a captivating backdrop for Joseph’s fearlessly personal storytelling. The three sisters explore complicated themes from each of their perspectives.
Drawing on hard lessons from relationships and personal growth through therapy, The Sun shares stories of taking control of your own fate, making difficult decisions in the name of becoming yourself, and weathering the highs and lows of love while keeping the faith and tending to ourselves with presence and compassion.
Pre-order the new album HERE.
Additional photos by Kalpesh Patel at Glastonbury Festival 2017
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