Fruits Bats dissolved late last year, but it hasn't taken band leader Eric D. Johnson long to get back on his feet, since he's launched a new project simply called EDJ. His self-titled album will be out on August 5 through Easy Sound.
The album was produced by Johnson's longtime collaborator Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Beachwood Sparks). The core of the band was made up of Yellowbird members Sam Cohen, Brian Kantor and Josh Kaufman, with additional contributors including James Mercer of the Shins, Tim Rutili of Califone, Andy Cabic of Vetiver, and Nathan Larson of Shudder to Think.
In a press release, Johnson explained that he usually takes a long time to write songs, but this project came from a decision to compose a full album within a few weeks. Writing took place over the winter in Portland, plus in the California locales of Boonville and Joshua Tree.
Johnson wrote that the songs here are less happy than the ones he's usually known for, with "no fully major chords, and lots of suspended chords and major sevenths to make things kind of emotionally ambiguous."
The 11-song tracklist is below. EDJ's tour schedule is below that, but all of the shows are in the U.S. without any stops in Canada.
At the bottom of this page, get a taste of the album's emotional ambiguity by hearing the song "Lose It All, All the Time."
EDJ:
1. For the Boy Who Moved Away
2. Lose It All, All the Time
3. Odd Love
4. Minor Miracles
5. The Magical Parking Lot
6. Salt Licorice
7. A West County Girl
8. Mostly Just Fantasies
9. For Joy
10. Child in the Wild
11. The Mountains on Fire (In the Rearview)
Tour dates:
05/28 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios *^
05/29 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern *%
05/31 Portland, OR - Live Wire Radio Show @ Alberta Rose Theatre
06/13-14 Sonoma, CA - Huichica Music Festival
07/08 Nantucket, MA - Dreamland Theater
07/09 Nantucket, MA - Dreamland Theater
07/11 Edgartown, MA - Union Chapel
07/12 Edgartown, MA - Old Whaling Church
08/01-03 Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Festival
08/28-30 Asheville, NC - Harvest Records At 10: Transfigurations II
* with Papercuts
^ with Richie Young
% with Tomten
The album was produced by Johnson's longtime collaborator Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Beachwood Sparks). The core of the band was made up of Yellowbird members Sam Cohen, Brian Kantor and Josh Kaufman, with additional contributors including James Mercer of the Shins, Tim Rutili of Califone, Andy Cabic of Vetiver, and Nathan Larson of Shudder to Think.
In a press release, Johnson explained that he usually takes a long time to write songs, but this project came from a decision to compose a full album within a few weeks. Writing took place over the winter in Portland, plus in the California locales of Boonville and Joshua Tree.
Johnson wrote that the songs here are less happy than the ones he's usually known for, with "no fully major chords, and lots of suspended chords and major sevenths to make things kind of emotionally ambiguous."
The 11-song tracklist is below. EDJ's tour schedule is below that, but all of the shows are in the U.S. without any stops in Canada.
At the bottom of this page, get a taste of the album's emotional ambiguity by hearing the song "Lose It All, All the Time."
EDJ:
1. For the Boy Who Moved Away
2. Lose It All, All the Time
3. Odd Love
4. Minor Miracles
5. The Magical Parking Lot
6. Salt Licorice
7. A West County Girl
8. Mostly Just Fantasies
9. For Joy
10. Child in the Wild
11. The Mountains on Fire (In the Rearview)
Tour dates:
05/28 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios *^
05/29 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern *%
05/31 Portland, OR - Live Wire Radio Show @ Alberta Rose Theatre
06/13-14 Sonoma, CA - Huichica Music Festival
07/08 Nantucket, MA - Dreamland Theater
07/09 Nantucket, MA - Dreamland Theater
07/11 Edgartown, MA - Union Chapel
07/12 Edgartown, MA - Old Whaling Church
08/01-03 Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Festival
08/28-30 Asheville, NC - Harvest Records At 10: Transfigurations II
* with Papercuts
^ with Richie Young
% with Tomten
