ALO has shared a new track, “Sparrow”, from the band’s forthcoming album, Silver Saturdays, due out on March 3rd. The single arrived with an accompanying animated visual by Deren Ney (Tom Petty, Grace Potter, Marcus King), who was also behind the band’s previously released video for “Hot Damn”.
Silver Saturdays, ALO’s ninth studio album, celebrates the band’s silver 25th anniversary and gets its title from the band’s recent habit of dressing in silver for Saturday shows, which has been adopted by fans. Recorded mostly live at Sun Machine studio in Marin County, CA, the album is the first to feature drummer Ezra Lipp alongside founding members Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz (guitar/vocals), Zach Gill (keyboards/vocals), and Steve Adams (bass/vocals), who first met in grade school in Saratoga, CA in the late ’80s. The group has come a long way since then, earning a prestigious position in the jam pantheon with a homegrown blend of buoyant compositions, superlative musicianship, and, perhaps most importantly, endlessly amusing live shows.
Zach Gill reflected on the process of making the album, “There’s always a moment in the making of an ALO record when we ask ourselves, ‘Why make another record?’ For me, the answer comes in waves over time. It has to do with the spirit of musical adventure and the rhythms of laughter. It’s about the sweet release of a Lebo guitar lead over an Ezra drum beat as Steve and I weave the bass and keys around each other. Call it a jam, call it a song, call it a feeling, but it has to do with connection. For me, it feels like coming home.”
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Lebo added, “It’s a palpable feeling when the four of us are in a room together creating music—having our individual sound waves collide as they transform and morph into one before even getting captured by the microphones. My hope for the listeners of ALO’s Silver Saturdays is that they get to experience a bit of this invigorating feeling—and better yet, that it stirs up some inspiration of their own!”
“Sparrow” arrives as the second single from the album following “Hot Damn”. The song celebrates the power of music to lift us when we’re down and move us when we least expect it. “Who amongst us has not been knocked to the floor, or lifted to the clouds by the power of a song that hit them at just the right moment in their life?” said Lebo. “‘Sparrow’ is an ode to this goddess of music. She is not bound by time or space, and she always shows up right on time… but only if you let her.”
A colorful animation by director Deren Nev provides a vivid visual that complements the track and illustrates its lyrical themes. “Lebo had the idea of this amorphous, eternal power that can materialize as a sparrow, an arrow, or a musical goddess, but it’s always this propulsive energy that keeps moving forward and affecting things along the way,” said Nev. “The video is a creation myth for the record, starting at the inception of the universe—’A Brief History of Silver Saturdays.’ The animation design evolves along with the story, starting very minimalist and building until it’s a full-on cosmic freakout.”
Watch the video for “Sparrow” below, and scroll down for a look behind the scenes at the making of Silver Saturdays. The album is available for pre-order via Brushfire Records, including a limited run of clear 180g vinyl, and all orders through this weekend will include an autographed four-postcard set from the band.
ALO – “Sparrow”
ALO will celebrate the album’s release with a run of spring tour dates around the Western U.S. dubbed Tour d’Amour XVI. The tour will kick off with two shows at Crystal Bay Club in Crystal Bay, NV on March 10th and 11th. The band will then head to California for stops at Belly Up in Solana Beach (3/18), The Fillmore in San Francisco (3/25), and more. The tour will conclude with shows at Doug Fir in Portland, OR (3/31) and Nectar Lounge in Seattle, WA (4/1). Rainbow Girls, Hot Buttered Rum, ORGŌNE, Ron Artis II, and The Moore Brothers will join the band on select dates.
View a full list of tour dates below, and for more information and ticketing details, visit the band’s website.
ALO – Silver Saturdays (Behind the Scenes)
ALO – “Hot Damn”
The post ALO Shares Ode To The Goddess Of Music, “Sparrow”, Off Forthcoming Album, ‘Silver Saturdays’ [Video] appeared first on L4LM.
