NEW ALBUM SONGS OF LOSS AND SEPARATION OUT JULY 16

BAND SHARES VIDEO FOR NEW SONG THE BURDEN OF BELIEF

TIMES OF GRACE, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, return after a 10-year hiatus with their second album Songs of Loss and Separation, out July 16 via the band’s own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide. Pre-order it here, and check out the band’s newly-relaunched D2C webstore, with brand new merch and exclusive limited vinyl offerings, here.

The band has shared the video for the new song The Burden of Belief. Watch the video, directed by Nick Hipa here:

Churning depths of plaintive sorrow, stark self-examination, and moving soundscapes unfold in Times of Grace, with flashes of cathartic power and an undercurrent of insistent urgency. It’s all a meditation on absence, grief, bewilderment, and rebirth — summoned with harrowing authenticity. The Burden of Belief, the opening track on Songs of Loss and Separation, is a dark and melodic slow burn that gives an epic sense of what’s to come.

“This song is the spark of the oncoming fire,” says Leach. “It foreshadows the journey of this album. This song is an unveiling of who we, Times of Grace, have become after all of these years. This is a testimony of falling apart, losing faith, letting go, and the desire to kill and purge the past. It is the unraveling, the catharsis and the rebirth. So it begins….”

“It almost feels strange finally releasing the songs on this record, especially this one,” says Dutkiewicz. “I started writing this song over 10 years ago, so it’s been around for quite some time. I really hope you guys dig it, and I hope we will get the opportunity to play it for you guys live someday. Thanks, everyone!”

The band’s debut album The Hymn of a Broken Man arrived in 2011, nearly a decade after Leach’s exit from Killswitch Engage, the pivotal New Wave of American Heavy Metal band the duo co-founded with friends in 1999. The first music from Times of Grace materialized during Dutkiewicz’s arduous recovery from near-crippling back surgery. A collection of songs the multi-instrumentalist and producer knew would suit his once and future bandmate. The first album earned acclaim from BBC Music, The Aquarian, and Rock Sound. It willfully upended expectations, with flourishes of shoegaze and ambiance in its songs.

Now, 10 years after Times of Grace first surfaced, the eagerly awaited follow-up arrives.

Comfortably stretched beyond the parameters of what came before, without sacrificing an ounce of integrity, Times of Grace weave between pensive, heavy, midtempo rock, riffs, and atmosphere. The pair’s vocal interplay makes for a rich, dense, and enthralling concoction, powering through various trips through dark nights of the soul and mind-expanding excursions into the wild. Songs of Loss and Separation benefits wildly from the powerhouse performance of ex-Envy On The Coast drummer Dan Gluszak, who toured behind the first album and is now an official member of the band.

The sprawling second album from Times of Grace, with a stunning album cover painted by John McCormack and album art layout by Tom Bejgrowicz, channels a dissonant, menacing, and unrelenting depression. Haunting romanticism and deep spiritual yearning collide in beautiful melancholy. It’s a diverse but singular statement, like the most beloved work of classic bands. Songs of Loss and Separation, insistent in its bluesiness, bleeds distortion and emotion, like a nerve, exposed.

Simply put, Times of Grace are a revelation.

May 25, 2021 0 comments

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Sam Blacky is back with her new single “Paradise,” an appropriately titled house gem that evokes images of places like the sun-soaked Ibiza and Mykonos. The track features ethereal vocals by Florida-based singer/songwriter Madeline Austin; the two connected via social media and hit it off when Madeline sent demos for what is now “Paradise.” Sam works in a deep, groovy bassline with gently undulating melodies, making for a sultry dancefloor track that will heat up the night wherever you may be. “Paradise” is the third single to come out on Blacky‘s own Stabby Records, which launched in February this year.

“‘Paradise‘ is a more melodic track that I feel people can enjoy in different environments; listen to it while driving, use as a morning soundtrack after waking up, or dance to it in a club. I wanted to make it more universal than just a club banger. Once again, I pulled inspiration from all the beautiful places I have been to, and ‘Paradise‘ feels like summer in Ibiza or Mykonos. It’s the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, floating through the ocean with the wind on your face and a big carefree smile coming from within. Featured on ‘Paradise‘ is singer/songwriter Madeline Austin. When I look for a female vocalist, I post on social media about it because I want to find someone fresh, new, unknown to give them a shot and keep the female movement going. Madi sent me a message and some demos, and the rest is history. She started as a fan, and I soon realized that she is a very talented singer and songwriter. Her vocals and lyrics about paradise, heaven, and a little flirty danger were just perfect for this release.” – Sam Blacky

Samantha Black is a multitalented DJ/producer, model, and influencer professionally known as Sam Blacky. Originally from San Diego, Sam spent several years in Australia, where she first fell in love with producing music and performing live. Since moving back to Los Angeles, music and performing have taken a front seat in her life. In addition to her hectic modeling schedule, Sam has performed live across the world from 2017 to 2021, from Mexico to Ibiza to Bali, racking up over 120 gigs a year at some of the premier electronic festivals and clubs on the planet. With the global pandemic in 2020, Sam released a series of videos on Youtube called “A New World,” where she streamed live sets from some of her favorite places in Mexico, giving viewers a taste of vacation vibes even while staying safe at home. Before all the music, her modeling portfolio included brands such as Nike, L’Oréal, Galore, Marie Claire, Superdry, Guess, Sports Illustrated, Malibu, and Playboy, giving her a unique creative perspective to all types of cultures and styles to bring to her music. With the launch of Sam Blacky‘s label, Stabby Records, and her first releases, 2021 is set to be a breakout year for Sam as she expands her artistic brand.

TOUR MEMORIES with Manchester Orchestra’s Robert McDowell

With their sixth album The Million Masks of God heralding the return of Manchester Orchestra, fans now anticipate their next opportunity to see the beloved U.S. band present the long-anticipated record live.

But, you know, we still gotta deal with this pesky pandemic. And while music events are restarting around the world, slowly but surely, we’re still a ways off from seeing bands like Manchester Orchestra touring on a global scale.

For guitarist Robert McDowell, the yearning for live performance is real. Below, he shares some memories from tours gone by, and tells us about the venues and locations he can’t wait to get back to.

The Fox Theatre, Atlanta

We have done a festival for eleven years, I think it’s eleven years now, in Atlanta called The Stuffing. It started off at Centre Stage and it’s moved to The Tabernacle. We did two years at The Fox Theatre and then we missed the last year because of the pandemic. For me, the Fox Theatre was a room that I grew up seeing The Nutcracker in, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra…I got Pinkerton taken away from me for trying to listen to it during The Nutcracker! 

It’s the historic room in our hometown. We looked into trying to do a limited capacity gig or a livestreamed thing, but we were unable to. Our hope is that we can, this November, do a version of The Stuffing there, as long as it’s safe for everyone. That venue, to me, just represents a full circle gratitude of “Man I hated this room for the wrong reasons,” I loved seeing My Morning Jacket there, Bob Dylan played there, I saw all these great acts there…to be able to be on that stage and have my family there, is a very, very special moment. 

I would say that was my biggest miss of 2020, that we weren’t able to do a third year there.

Stubb’s, Austin

I would love to return to Stubb’s in Austin, Texas. I remember the first time we played there in March of 2006, my dad flew down…for the rest of the family it didn’t mean anything, but to music lovers, that venue is a special place. We’d opened up there God knows how many times and then once we finally got to a place where we could finally headline it, it was such an experience. 

We don’t really eat past 4pm because we have nerves and we don’t wanna be sluggish on stage, but it’s a great venue in that the food isn’t pizza or something waiting backstage – it’s BBQ. 

Shepherd’s Bush, London

There’s a venue in London called Shepherd’s Bush, that we’ve played twice now. Even in the dressing rooms, the history of it…it’s where the Rolling Stones rehearsed for all of these epic things, it has the history of the bombings that went on around it. 

The sound and the way it’s tiered, the interaction with the crowd in the room…I had one of my favourite live moments ever there. We were playing ‘Dear’, the opening track off Simple Math, and there’s a line that says, “Dear everybody who has ever paid to see my band,” and the cheer that we got made five grown men cry on stage. It’s not a cool look, but it’s still burnt into my brain. Those are the moments that I will remember and hopefully tell my grandkids about. It’s a very humbling and special room.

Australia, the whole country!

The first time we ever came over to Australia, I remember it was Laneway Festival 2007. It started in Adelaide and I remember landing there, jetlagged and a child, basically. Walking up to this festival…I didn’t know what a laneway was, it’s not a term we use in the States. Trying to get into the festival that we were supposed to play and couldn’t really, we finally just talked to enough people and started to walk in. 

It was Clap Your Hands Say Yeah playing, Broken Social Scene, Feist…just the energy that the Australian music scene has, specifically with festivals, some of my greatest festival memories are in Australia. I miss that aspect of going to a place that’s similar enough but also different, and also on the other side of the world! You get to share moments with people through energy and music; you may not see them again, but you always uniquely have that moment together.

For me, it was my first time in Australia, so at the time I knew of Sydney – I didn’t know of the booming music scene in Melbourne, I didn’t know of all the different dynamics of Australia. Adelaide was such a warm and welcoming introduction to the country.

It’s fucking bonkers! I loved it. I had such a fun time. It was a wild festival too because bands like Broken Social Scene, Feist, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, those bands were stars, they were so well established and we were so little. In the States or in Canada, it would have been a different scenario but because we were all in Australia together, it was like we were all one big family. It was like a wonderful summer camp. 

The Million Masks of God is out now.

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PRAISE FOR MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

“Manchester Orchestra forge a newly lush, cinematic sound, unraveling detailed tales of characters with abstractly personal references.” 
Altpress

“A Black Mile To The Surface feels richly nuanced, offering up something new on every repeat listen.” 
The Line Of Best Fit

“By consciously interrogating everything they do, they’ve created something that doesn’t need a condescending suffix to justify its existence. It’s a new high-water mark for the band, and one well worth the pain to reach.”
 Drowned In Sound

The Million Masks of God is out now via Loma Vista Recordings
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