Luke Steele announces his debut solo album Listen To The Water, set for release on May 13. Listen To The Water is a record of psychedelic provenance that finds the Empire Of The Sun frontman pulling disparate strains of searching, astrally amplified music — from Syd Barrett’s hermetic folk experiments to the technicolor rush of the Flaming Lips at their most open-armed — into an adventurous, philosophically cogent whole. The result: a work of pointed words cloaked in a richly swirling atmosphere, an album that captures a blend of innocence and wisdom. Listen To The Water is Steele’s journey to himself, a chance to be naked, fearless, and on his own.
The first single, “Common Man,” sets a heartfelt tone of human frailty to the strum of a simple acoustic guitar, a bed of synths, and shards of pedal steel. Probing for purpose, Steele confronts the relentless nature of work, the torment of feeling small in society’s hands.
“‘Common Man’ is about the underdog. The working class, forever hustling but sometimes it gets to be too much. Finding a place of rest is unpredictable, it comes in waves. But triumph is born from that struggle, and you'll see the glory within all the moments and tests.” says Steele of the track.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “COMMON MAN,” DIRECTED BY JODI STEELE, HERE
WATCH AN ALBUM TRAILER FOR LISTEN TO THE WATER HERE
Recorded in a secluded cabin on a private lake in Northern California, aptly named Eccentric Farm, a stiller version of life birthed a new chapter of music for Steele. In searching for a distinctive sonic palette, Steele was deliberate in his approach. "I gave myself some limitations, a few guitar pedals, don't add too many effects. It was basically acoustic guitars, a Japanese synth, and two legends: 72-year-old pedal steel veteran, Dan Dugmore from Nashville, and world-renowned LA percussionist, Brian Kilgore.”
While it’s rare for an artist with more than 20 years in the industry to break new ground, Listen To The Water is Steele's first solo musical release after garnering critical acclaim with The Sleepy Jackson and conquering the world with multi-platinum selling act Empire Of The Sun.
“The crown is off, the make-up is off and this is where we find out what is left,” says Steele. “Sometimes the only way to let something go is through a song. In a way this record has been a bit of a ‘Luke Steele unboxing’, so to speak.”
PRE-ORDER LISTEN TO THE WATER HERE
