Tedeschi Trucks Band vocalist Alecia Chakour, under the Chakourah nom de plume, announced lotusland, a new EP due out through Manat’s Garden on October 29. Alecia today unveiled the six-song set’s lead single, “West St.”
lotusland is a family affair co-produced and featuring musical contributions from her brother, multi-instrumentalist Alex Chakour (Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Brittany Howard), while their father, Mitch Chakour, appears on piano. The siblings are joined by a band on the EP that also includes drummer Homer Steinwess and guitarist Sam Cohen. Cochemea Gastelum (saxophone and flute) and Jared Samuel contributed to lotusland as well.
The 22-minute EP is described in a press release as “equal parts psychedelic folk and avant-soul” influenced by such disparate influences as Marc Bolan, Junie Morrison, Fairuz and the Muppets. Alecia wrote the material on lotusland, co-produced the EP and serves as its frontwoman. lotusland marks Alecia’s first completed solo project in over a decade and is expected to be followed by more new music.
“West St.” takes its title from a street in Alecia’s neighborhood according to American Songwriter, which premiered the single. “Maybe no matter how much you love each other you realize that they need to live underwater and you need to be on land,” Chakour explained to American Songwriter about the romantic tale portrayed in the song. “It’s really as simple, but heartbreaking, as that. I loved closing out the song with Sam Cohen’s guitar solo. I wanted it to feel like a duet.”
Listen to Chakourah’s “West St.” below:
lotusland Tracklist
- Undrowned
- West St.
- Eagle Song #2
- Wilson
- Good Morning
- Red
