Toronto based live electronica band The New Deal are releasing “Isolation Suite” on June 26th, an EP of new music that was written, recorded, and mixed in isolation during Covid-19 quarantine.
“Isolation Suite was born out of a conversation with Dan where I suggested that I write a piece of music using only the instruments available to me in my studio (no sample libraries),” Jamie explains, “After a few weeks composing the movements with that mandate in mind, we realized that we had created something very special and unique to the environment that we all experienced through the first half of 2020.”
In contrast with the group’s first ‘TND3’ albums with new drummer Davide Di Renzo, which were all improvised, Isolation Suite is composed, with each musician having recorded their part separately in their respective home studios.
Jamie continues, “I was unsure how a band that thrives on in-person creative contact would fare trying to collaborate in separate studios but the process was practically seamless. A true testament to three musicians sharing a single creative mind.”
The Isolation Suite’s four movements culminate with a guest appearance on guitar from Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Brendan Bayliss.
June will be a busy month for The New Deal – they’ll be resuming “The Dan & Jamie Show”, a weekly series born out of quarantine where Jamie Shields and Dan Kurtz feature live Q&As with the band, chat about albums and select performances from the New Deal archive, special guests, rig rundowns, and their personal collection of the craziest moments on and off stage from past tours and festivals.
Upcoming episodes will include Umphrey’s McGee guitarist Brendan Bayliss (6/18), a preview of Isolation Suite on the eve of its release (6/25), “Coming to America with Jake Szufnarowski” (7/2) where the band will recount their early days with the talent buyer for the famed Wetlands in NYC, and a long-anticipated interview with original drummer Darren Shearer (July-TBD).
The weekly series takes place every Thursday via Facebook Live at 9:00 pm ET.
About the Band
The New Deal first began in Toronto in 1999, quickly gaining support from Toronto’s underground club scene as pioneers in electronica, recreating the DJ experience with live, improvised music. Soon the band brought their interpretation of Electro House, Trance, Breakbeat, and Drum & Bass to the US where they were embraced by the crowds at NYC’s Wetlands Preserve and cultivated a loyal following in the American jam scene.
After twelve years of touring, The New Deal took a hiatus in 2011; Dan spent much of the next few years touring the world with Electropop band Dragonette. When The New Deal returned to stages in 2014 they brought on board a new drummer in Dragonette’s Joel Stouffer. For three years, Dan, Jamie, and Joel enjoyed another successful round of touring and recording, and in 2017 Joel amicably parted ways to pursue other musical interests.
In 2018, The New Deal welcomed drummer extraordinaire Davide Di Renzo into the fold. After several months of shredding in the studio, the band played their first live shows with Davide in June 2019, and released their first new album Phoenix in September 2019. Following up the releases of Age of Discovery and Live: Charlotte
11.21.19 earlier this year, Isolation Suite continues the band’s prolific and long anticipated return.
