- Pocket 4:03
- Cavin’ 2:44
- Damn Dog 3:09
- Skin 3:22
The languid, sensual bass-driven atmospherics found on Scour may come as a surprise to fans of their energetic, roller coaster gypsy-folk shows. Yet allow yourself to be hypnotized by Jessi Fredeen’s whisky-tinged velvet croon and you’ll be transported to a hedonistic alternate future, as the band’s steamy trip-hop and R&B infused melodic explorations wind their way into the center of your id. These songs needed to be released together, apart from the band’s prior work; these are the most deeply honest lyrics Fredeen has written, and they speak to the universal.
In 2019, the band contacted producer Shawn Simmons (The Head and the Heart), who brought on his friend, producer Javier Garavito (Youryoungbody) to produce their next album. However, in the midst of the sessions, COVID hit and everything locked down. No longer able to perform live, the band began getting more experimental in the studio, exploring more fully some darker themes and electronic elements that had always lingered in the deeper cuts of their music.
While initially intended as a single record, the music began drifting in two distinct directions: one very classic Champagne Sunday, and one more experimental. The decision was made to split the album into an EP and a full album to be released later.
Recorded at Studio Litho, Shabby Road Studios, and End of Saints Studios in Seattle, each song on Scour feels like a whispered admittance. Something born of the dark, in the most private of places. Scouring is an act of intense cleansing. This EP is not just a surface polish, this is a deep, dirty scrubbing surrounded by the nastiness you just shed.
Imbued with the power that comes from opening up and being vulnerable, the record is a reminder that we’re all busted up somehow. “As artists, I think it’s our job to be the mouthpieces for others who may not be able to articulate what they feel” says Jessi. “That’s ok. We got you. We get you. We are you. Our previous record was Shine – but life isn’t all rainbows. Sometimes, we need a good scour. That’s something to acknowledge and celebrate. Here’s our grime, here’s our deep darkness, here are the pushed-down and dismissed thoughts and emotions we feel every day, but don’t normally share. Here’s what makes us all human, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.”
– Ever Kipp
Jessi Fredeen – Vocals, guitars
Jared Fredeen – Backing vocals, guitars
Additional Musicians:
Javier Garavito – Bass, synthesizers, drum programming
Sean Lane – Percussion
Produced and mixed by Javier Garavito and Shawn Simmons
Engineered by:
Shawn Simmons and Javier Garavito
Recorded at:
Studio Litho
End of Saints Studios
Shabby Road Studios
Album layout and design by Jared and Jessi Fredeen
Photography by Ebony Morris
Mastered by Ed Brooks
All songs © 2021 Champagne Sunday, except Pocket © 2021 Champagne Sunday and End of Saints. All rights reserved.
Published by Faraca Rocks My Socks Off Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
