Chapel Hill's Waldo Witt shares the new single, "Without A Sound" from the forthcoming LP, Long Daze, Dark Nights which will be self-released on Feb. 24, 2023.
"This was one of the last songs I wrote for the album, I was really embracing some of my earlier musical influences - the ones that first got me really excited about music like Syd Barrett and Brian Wilson. So it's kind of this psychedelic journey through time, looking through a lens of bright eyed bliss and innocence, and using that lens to try to make sense of or understand the chaos of recent years."
Long Daze, Dark Nights is the upcoming album from Waldo Witt. The artist embraces 60s and 70s psychedelia inspirations like Todd Rundgren, King Crimson, and Brian Wilson, alongside a continued adoration of 80s soft rock and disco, resulting in a vibrant sounding record, full of hooks and charismatic structural twists.
Even in its nostalgic glow, Long Daze, Dark Nights doesn’t linger too long in the past. Hook-heavy throwback odes are abundant, though also resonating with modern production and thematic pursuits. Offering poignant reflection following the past several years of tumult, the release explores themes of uncertainty, instability, and unpredictability. Waldo, his wife, and their van road-tripped through much of the pandemic, and many of the release’s lyrics were written while traveling in isolated areas throughout the country, like rural Montana and Colorado.
The result is filled with introspection and soul-searching, representative of how artistic creation can lead to great self-discovery. The release, in particular, pursues how one feels the need to create and make art. “It leads you to the experience of being completely in the moment, which is what it’s all about,” Waldo says. “The ups, downs, in betweens – all are expressions of the aliveness of being.”
The creative process for Long Daze, Dark Nights began in the summer of 2020, in Taos, New Mexico. Waldo and his van trekked to a variety of studios and ensuing musical collaborations, with new and old friends alike. Much of the recording took place at the late Radio Milk studios in Austin, owned/operated by James Petralli (White Denim). Ample work was also done at Waldo’s home in Chapel Hill, NC.
Waldo’s debut EP, Randall, released in 2019, unveiling his atmospheric and melodic sound. Spanning from the punchy pop of “Crystal Ball” to the emotively lush “Carteret,” Randall was also written primarily out of Waldo’s van, while he was traversing cross-country. The release drew praise for its approach, which paired hypnotic psychedelic production with hooky synth-pop charm. A second EP, Inner Paths, released in 2020.
TOUR DATES
2/23 Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
2/24 Athens, GA @ Athentic Brewing
2/25 Atlanta, GA @ Wild Heaven Brewery
2/26 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
3/01 Richmond, VA @ Hardywood Park Brewery
3/03 New York, NY @ Pianos
3/04 Catskill, NY @ Avalon Lounge
3/13 – 3/18 Austin, TX @ SXSW
