New York singer-songwriter Odetta Hartman is today sharing her new single, “Winter Constellations” which arrives as the latest track to be lifted from her new album, swansongs – out March 22 via Transgressive Records. “Winter Constellations”, which was the first to be tracked for the new album but the last to be completed follows “Goldilocks” and “Dr No” which found support from Gorilla vs Bear, Paste Magazine, BrooklynVegan and more. To support the album release, Odetta will perform at Rough Trade, New York on April 11.
When discussing the stunning new single which packs in razor-wire guitar and Odetta’s trademark sugar coated vocals, she says: “‘The early demos of this song were always built around a banjo accompaniment but the lack of quality home studio resources left the chordal content feeling limp and metallic. Freedom’s bag of tricks – including crayola-colored boom whackers and a homemade xylophone with slate and glass panes – brought so much life and whimsy to the arrangement, requiring a warmer layer of support than my cheap-o-banjo could offer.
Luckily, Wyatt (Bertz – producer) had fallen deep into the rabbit hole of synth magic, and with a mad-scientist’s grin, suggested we “feed the DNA” to his Moog, then scroll through our options. This breakthrough moment was an ultimate game-changer for the record, and frankly, my personal musicianship: by converting the banjo audio to midi, we were able to twiddle knobs til we found the most perfectly warm digital texture while keeping my finger-picked gestures and individual impulses intact. The solution arose from being absolutely stumped and subsequently inspired many revisions on the record – an excellent reminder of why we love the craft!”
Listen to “Winter Constellations” HERE
Following her debut mini-LP 222 and 2018’s Old Rockhounds Never Die, which saw her touring her unique performance style, part Jack White rock and roll folk blues, part electronic experimentations, with the likes of Let’s Eat Grandma, Cosmo Sheldrake and Skullcrusher, Odetta returns with her strongest set of songs to date on swansongs – another fever dream of a record including the experimental pop of “Goldilocks”, the dramatic string lead single “Dr No.” and her radical re-working of the traditional “Motherless Child” first made famous by her namesake Odetta.
Equally inspired by AG Cook’s Apple & New Orleans trad jazz, the musical mixology of these songs cycle spans various genres of folk, americana, pop, punk, soul, ambient & spiritual. Lyrically, it tenders the tension of two truths in opposition, through its inquisition of the interplay between fear and desire. Dichotomy is at the heart of this deep exploration into shadow work, mythological musings, healing frequencies, eclectic expressions, and the art of sculpted sound.
Constrained by the unique circumstances of modern isolation, Odetta and her co-producers – Alex Friedman and Wyatt Bertz – production style was mitigated by the digital interface of remote collaboration. Synthesizers worked overtime to translate plunky banjos into lush wooden textures and shape white noise transitions into ASMR delights.
They cast the widest nets in spite of life’s limitations and diligently discovered the unexpected inside jokes. Versions upon versions ended up on the cutting room floor until the songs resembled quilted sound collages woven by their three meticulous hands. Together they sharpened their tools and created a cathartic snapshot to capture the lightning of the historic moment.
swansongs is a dynamic and powerful reflection of love and ambition, hopeful, energetic and at times chaotic but always captivating.
