Limited Edition Single from the forthcoming Yous LP featuring three non LP tracks
___________________________________________
Describing his first solo record for nine years as “the most free I’ve felt making a record since my debut Small Moments”, David Kitt’s sense of freedom is bound up in themes of renewal, movement, and a constant reshaping of his musical preoccupations.
The last number of years have seen him touring and recording as a member of Tindersticks, producing other musicians’ work, exploring techno, disco, and house under his New Jackson moniker, remixing everyone from Shit Robot to The XX, and producing intriguing, eclectic DJ sets and radio shows.
All of these experiences have been brought to bear on his latest record Yous, which mingles a sense of freedom, and calm reflection, with an independent impulse, “There was no pressure whatsoever with this record,” he says. “No label or manager, or anyone breathing down my neck. I was happy to wait as long as it took to have the right 10 songs”.
"The intention was to release it very low-key via Bandcamp and do a small vinyl run, but when it was done and mastered I had a feeling I had something special on my hands, and for the first time in a long while all my friends were chiming in saying it was their favourite thing I'd done. So I played it for Olan at All City and he convinced me to give it a proper
release".
Yous is a finely wrought and elemental piece of work, folding in electronic hisses and beats that ground carefully finger-picked guitars (inspired by the likes of Mississippi John Hurt and John Fahey) and stirring violin, weaving between glorious pop-kissed melodies and stark, immersive, poignant compositions – something Kitt does so well.
In the spirit of J.J. Cale, Love is Overtaking Me-era Arthur Russell, and Ronnie Lane, the relaxed nature of the album was intentional, “I'm getting my electronics fix from New Jackson, so I wanted to leave room for all the live instrumentation on this, and keep the backing as simple as possible, to let every element have room to breathe, and be heard, and have a strong personality.”
The record was largely done by Kitt at his Dublin home, in a “teeny attic room” although old friend and collaborator, Karl Odlum, pops up, and Margie Lewis’s violin plays a crucial role throughout the record, as does Ireland, and more specifically, Dublin. The city, surrounding countryside, and its inhabitants, are a constant thread throughout, giving the album the feel of a personal travelogue that spans two decades. This is explored on “Made It Mine”, a song that was the hardest to finish because of the complexities of trying to capture our particular sense of identity, “The Taste of Without” tackles the financial crash that hit the country especially hard, and the recession that followed, whilst “Like Lightning” explores a night of adventure after a missed bus back home from Galway on the West Coast.
The rest of the album, held together by Kitt’s uniquely rich vocals, offers a great deal of variety amidst its cohesiveness. “Keep the Streets Empty for Me” is a Fever Ray cover which he makes his own, whilst other moments harness early Dire Straits-influenced guitar tones, and Serge Gainsbourg grooves. While the closing track, “Song of Two Birds” says Kitt, “Reminds me of the record Bobby Charles made with The Band in Woodstock in the ‘70s, but with Warren Ellis on violin.”
Although Yous is a record that is born of a particular place (the title is an Irish colloquial term for the plural of ‘you’), it is equally about personal exploration and a sense of duality, as Kitt reveals, "It also refers to the different versions of ourselves we pass through in life, which is reflected in these songs, which span a ten-year period in terms of writing, and
longer, in terms of experience.”
Yous is both the “waking” and the “breaking” of the heart that Arthur Russell sings of, and one of Kitt’s best, and most personal musical statements, to date.
credits
released January 19, 2018
written and produced by david kitt. master by shawn joseph at optimum mastering bristol. artwork by arnau pi. musicians: david kitt - vocals, bass, guitars, sp 1200, mpc 1000, casio sk 1, roland juno 106, minmoog model d, siel orchestra 2. margie jean lewis - violin and vocals(A1). robbie kitt - piano(A1).
David Kitt is an Irish musician/producer that crosses multiple genres. He has released 8 albums of songs under his own name
and also makes music as New Jackson, Garies(with Lumigraph), The Lock-In(with Tim Wheeler and Conor Creaney)... and has recently started Awayday a label for his more experimental material. New album of songs due on All City in June 2021...more
supported by 6 fans who also own “Still Don't Know”
Steven Scullion has made another great album to calm my soul and please my ears. This one has really been hitting the spot lately! Greetings to Malojianland and thanks for the music! This Is Soul '67
supported by 5 fans who also own “Still Don't Know”
This is absolute genius. Each song has its own unique mood, but what they all have in common is that they take their time, allowing the lush, patient, dazzlingly imaginative arrangements to gradually blossom. There are a dizzying variety of instrumental textures, pleasure and wonderment around every turn. I'm getting hints of Will Oldham circa "Arise Therefore," though that album is much more spare. Proof that "experimental" doesn't necessarily mean noisy. Joe Madden
On “Thunder Follows the Light,” Brooklyn’s Mutual Benefit takes a decidedly softer turn, using the harsh elements as bookends for songs about reaching for love and comfort. Bandcamp Album of the Day Sep 27, 2018
Korean artist Jay Knife uses ukelele, vocal loops, and an iPad to translate her personal experiences into honest, heartfelt pop music. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 4, 2021
This debut self-titled EP from Mississippian Kate Teague is filled with poignant retro-sounding indie and folk tracks. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 6, 2019