"Drive," the opening track on Marissa Nadler's July, speaks of the Boston singer-songwriter's jadedness with touring, but Nadler is quick to point out that it was written about a specific moment in time and that she's still in love with playing music.
"That song is definitely about becoming disillusioned with some of the things that go on with being a touring musician," says Nadler, "but then there's a contrast with the chorus, where there's a positive exclamation of how much I also actually enjoy it."
Nadler's first album for Sacred Bones, July, takes her sound in a lusher, more cinematic direction, making greater use of her layered harmonies and a bolder use of aural space. Nadler wanted a more atmospheric feel, which led her to enlist the help of producer Randall Dunn. An unexpected pairing on paper — Dunn being known mainly for his accomplished work with doom and drone metal bands such as Earth, Boris and Sunn O))) — it's one that has garnered great results, helping give July its darker, richer sonic palette than the more stark production on the previous albums.
"I wanted to work with Randall," Nadler says, "because he's worked with all these bands that I really love to listen to, like Earth, Sunn O))) and Wolves In the Throne Room. They're all very far away from acoustic singer-songwriter music but I feel a real kinship for that kind of music." The darker tone is also reflected in some of the lyrics, which Nadler says were indicative of her state of mind at the time of writing the material on the album. "It was over a year ago when I wrote the songs. The first half is about this breakup and side B is about other people and eventually getting back with the same boyfriend. It's about the ups and downs of one July to the next, basically."
"That song is definitely about becoming disillusioned with some of the things that go on with being a touring musician," says Nadler, "but then there's a contrast with the chorus, where there's a positive exclamation of how much I also actually enjoy it."
Nadler's first album for Sacred Bones, July, takes her sound in a lusher, more cinematic direction, making greater use of her layered harmonies and a bolder use of aural space. Nadler wanted a more atmospheric feel, which led her to enlist the help of producer Randall Dunn. An unexpected pairing on paper — Dunn being known mainly for his accomplished work with doom and drone metal bands such as Earth, Boris and Sunn O))) — it's one that has garnered great results, helping give July its darker, richer sonic palette than the more stark production on the previous albums.
"I wanted to work with Randall," Nadler says, "because he's worked with all these bands that I really love to listen to, like Earth, Sunn O))) and Wolves In the Throne Room. They're all very far away from acoustic singer-songwriter music but I feel a real kinship for that kind of music." The darker tone is also reflected in some of the lyrics, which Nadler says were indicative of her state of mind at the time of writing the material on the album. "It was over a year ago when I wrote the songs. The first half is about this breakup and side B is about other people and eventually getting back with the same boyfriend. It's about the ups and downs of one July to the next, basically."