WAY TO MARS
Released 31st August 2018
Taken from the forthcoming album ‘As I Fell’
Taken from the forthcoming album by the acclaimed London five-piece, ‘Way To Mars’, is a deceptively upbeat, satirical ode to the touring life and the way we chase the illusive dream of finally getting where you want to be.
“We spent a large chunk of last year on the road, including a twenty-five-day European tour with no days off and an average of eight hours driving a day,” says Felix. “You collect a lot of stories when you work at that pace but it also makes you re-evaluate why you do what you do. It’s something that a lot of my friends who don’t work in music are going through as well. How do our dreams change as we get older and is there a way of chucking it all in and starting over? It’s one of the main themes of the album and I think that life on the road was the perfect metaphor to get it into a song.”
The new album ‘As I Fell’, to be released August 17th, is the follow-up to ‘Severed’, one of the most critically acclaimed debuts of 2017, and builds on Curse Of Lono’s deeply cinematic blend of harmony-laden Americana and driving, gothic alt-rock. It’s a sound that owes as much to old faithfuls like The Doors and The Velvet Underground as it does to more modern practitioners of the form such as The War On Drugs and Wilco.
‘As I Fell’ was produced by Oli Bayston (Boxed In) at Rancho V Studio in Joshua Tree, California, and Flesh & Bone Studios in Hackney. The album is accompanied by a documentary 'Somewhere In Their Heads' by Gregg Houston, which has made the official selection at the Independent Shorts Film Festival in LA, the Jukebox Film Festival in Nevada and the World Music & Independent Film Festival Awards, where it is nominated for Best Director and Best Short Documentary.
“Sexy, sweaty and savage, Curse Of Lono explore the heart of darkness with unflinching accuracy.”
– Shindig!
Formed in London in 2015, Curse Of Lono is Felix Bechtolsheimer (vocals and guitar), Joe Hazell (lead guitar and vocals), Dani Ruiz Hernandez (keys and vocals), Charis Anderson (bass and vocals) and Neil Findlay (drums).
Despite a conscious attempt to close the door on the heroin-related material that has inspired much of Felix’s previous work, ‘As I Fell’ does include a couple of old songs that have patiently waited their turn. The most notable is “And It Shows”, the first song Felix wrote after he gave up heroin and methadone.
“I was only a couple of weeks out of detox, living in a halfway house in Delray Beach. My best friend had passed away a few months earlier, my girlfriend of five years was gone and I was climbing the walls. It was a very dark time and the only thing I had to cling to were the songs that kept pouring out. I thought that I had exhausted that well when we started working on this album but despite my desperate attempts not to go back there, this song wouldn’t leave me alone. Eventually I backed down and gave it another chance. I’m glad I did. It’s a time capsule.”
‘Way To Mars’, which comes out August 10th, will be accompanied by a video shot by award-winning cinematographer Gregg Houston (Noel Gallagher, Michael Kiwanuka, Two Door Cinema Club, Foy Vance) during Curse Of Lono’s recent European, which included support slots for Steve Earle and for Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.
Curse Of Lono are currently on tour in Europe and will return with a UK headline tour in November.
- New Noise Magazine (USA)
“A sinewy, cinematic take on big-sky country roots rock.”
- Uncut
“Exile On Main Street meets William Faulkner.”
- Classic Rock
“Into Bon Iver? Try Curse Of Lono.”
- GQ Magazine
“One of the most exciting new bands around… Mixing influences like Wilco, The Velvet Underground and The Doors, there’s no shortage of highlights and heartfelt songs on this ten-track album.”
- Louder Than War
"Mean, moody and magnificent... As debut records go Severed is hard to fault and will appeal to country rockers and hipsters alike. It also begs the question, how on earth are they going to top this?"
- Country Music Magazine
"The best Shins-cum-Fleet Foxes record the world will ever hear... A record so brilliant and accomplished that in a fairer world, would outsell anything else on the radio today."
- Performer Magazine (US)
2018 Tour Dates
July 19 Zurich, Kaufleuten (with Southside Johnny)
July 21 Gateshead, The Sage (with Steve Earle)
July 22 Gateshead, Summertyne Americana Festival
August 19 Beautiful Days Festival, Devon
August 26 Graze Festival, Hampshire
August 28 Stockholm, Bryggarsalen (with David Ramirez)
August 29 Oslo, Café Mono (with David Ramirez)
August 30 Malmo, Folk Å Rock (with David Ramirez)
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