On September 27th, Naima Bock will release Below a Massive Dark Land worldwide through Sub Pop and Memorials of Distinction. Her second album, Below… comes as the follow up to Giant Palm, one of 2022’s most critically acclaimed debuts. Along with the album announcement Naima has shared the video for the lead single ‘Kaley’ (directed by Cassidy Hansen) and the animated visualizer accompanying single ‘Further Away’ (directed by Gaia Alari).
Speaking of the tracks, Naima says:
“Kaley was written whilst staying at a friend’s house in Tucson, or at least it was finished there. It’s about betrayal and the subsequent lack of direction that follows. At the time there was no ‘plan’ or ‘way’ that I had for myself, let alone anyone else.”
“‘Further Away’ was written in Greece whilst trying to learn mini Bouzouki and missing someone.”
“‘Kaley”’ feels fresh and surprising in its rug-pull choppiness but is distinctly Naima in its swinging, jubilant choruses. Meanwhile, from its humble beginnings, ‘Further Away’ is fleshed out just enough while drawing you irresistibly near in its simplicity.
The success of Naima’s debut, Giant Palm, led to a mammoth period of touring. With headline tours including London’s EartH and support shows for artists such as A. Savage, J Mascis, Squid, Rodrigo Amarante, Arab Strap, Katy J Pearson, This is the Kit, and more, Naima’s feet have hardly touched the ground since 2022.
Today, fresh off the back of a solo tour with Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin, Naima has also announced international tour dates for the summer and autumn of 2024 to support Below a Massive Dark Land.
They begin Wednesday, August 14th in St. Malo, France at La Route Du Rock and currently end Friday, December 13th in Paris at La Boule Noire. Along the way, Naima will perform solo (August 22nd, September 9th-15th), as a duo with Oliver Hamilton (August 14th and November 6th), and with a four-piece band (November 7th-December 13th). Please find the dates below.
Wed. Aug. 14 - St. Malo, FR - La Route Du Rock +
Thu. Aug. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Barnsdall Gallery Theatre ^
Sat. Aug. 24 - Ojai, CA - TBA
Sun. Sep. 08 - Portland, OR - Music Millennium (instore)
Fri. Sep. 13 - Walla Walla, WA - Billsville West
Sun. Sep. 15 - Seattle, WA - The Rabbit Box
Mon. Oct. 21 - Boston, MA - Warehouse XI
Wed. Oct. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - The Parish Room (First Unitarian Church
Fri. Oct. 25 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool
Wed. Nov. 06 - London, UK - St. Pancras Old Church +
Thu. Nov. 07 - Bristol, UK - Jam Jar *
Fri. Nov. 08 - Liverpool, UK - Leaf *
Sat. Nov. 09 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms *
Sun. Nov. 10 - Glasgow, UK - McChuills *
Tue. Nov. 12 - Leeds, UK - Hyde Park Book Club *
Wed. Nov. 13 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute *
Thu. Nov. 14 - Cambridge, UK - Storey’s Field Centre *
Sat. Nov. 16 - Falmouth, UK - The Cornish Bank *
Sun. Nov. 17 - Frome, UK - The Tree House *
Mon. Nov. 18 - Exeter, UK - Cavern Club *
Wed. Nov. 20 - Ipswich, UK - St Stephens Church *
Thu. Nov. 21 - London, UK - The Ivy House *
Tue. Dec. 03 - Lille, FR - L ‘Aéronef *
Wed. Dec. 04 - Brugge, BE - Cactus Café *
Fri. Dec. 06 - Haldern, DE - Pop Bar *
Sat. Dec. 07 - Hamburg, DE - Nachstasyl *
Sun. Dec. 08 - Berlin, DE - Neu Zunkunft *
Tue. Dec. 10 - Cologne, DE - Subway *
Wed. Dec. 11 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso *
Thu. Dec. 12 - Brussels, BE - Botanique *
Fri. Dec. 13 - Paris, FR - La Boule Noire *
^ w/ Angelo De Augustine
* Full band show
+ Duo with Oliver Hamilton
Below a Massive Dark Land was predominantly produced by Jack Osborne (Bingo Fury) and Joe Jones, and recorded at The Crypt in north London, with additional production and arrangement by Oliver Hamilton (caroline, Shovel Dance Collective) and Naima herself. Six of the tracks on
Below… were mixed by Jason Agel, with the remainder done by Osborne and Jones. The album was mastered by Kevin Tuffy.
Below a Massive Dark Land will be available on CD/LP/DSPs and is available now for preorder from Sub Pop/Memorials of Distinction. LP preorders from
megamart.subpop.com (North America),
Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and
independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Blue Jay (US) and the eco-friendly Yellow Bio (UK/EU) (All whilst stock lasts!). Naima also created the art for the
Below… album cover.
More on Naima Bock’s Below a Massive Dark Land:Most of the writing of Naima Bock’s second album,
Below a Massive Dark Land, was a solitary affair. It may not sound it – it’s made up of strong, purposeful arrangements with a huge host of musicians; filled with cradling space and warm light. This will also come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Naima perform in the time since the release of her 2022 debut
Giant Palm, undoubtedly a communal experience.
With a band of ten, three, or even just solo, when Naima plays there’s a rare bond between the musicians on stage and the audience. In their interview with her,
The Quietus declared “after every song the applause and cheering is immense, so immense in fact that it seems to be coming from a different place than the usual formalities of a live show, a link between performer and artist forged somewhere deeper and more personal.”
It was in
Giant Palm’s music too, a record that sweeps and swells, a chorus of voices and instrumentation that rises and falls as one alongside Naima’s own somersaulting voice.
It’s true though, most of
Below…’s songs started life very simply; Naima alone, living in her grandmother’s shed in South London, writing just with her voice, guitar and violin. She’s no violin virtuoso but had taken it up as a songwriting exercise for its ability to draw melodies from her – a trick that undoubtedly worked, these are songs that drift into the back of your mind and settle there like fallen leaves, songs you wake up singing. The remainder was written on the road after those moments of audience connection, in the quiet that follows.
There’s power in the solitary, too.
Giant Palm was arranged with collaborator Joel Burton, but going it alone in search of something truly hers, Naima found she was capable of more. “After me and Joel stopped working together,” she remembers, “it was an impossibility to even fathom doing arrangements myself, but then I started learning violin. Playing it isn’t easy but writing melodies on it is”. Finding that she could go it alone was incredibly powerful for Naima, “I think I needed it, to be able to feel proud of something. Like, that’s me! That feels good.”
Once that writing portion is over, though, this ends. The record is not a stark, stripped-back affair. Below… still has that majesty that made
Giant Palm so remarkable. Tugging the first record down from the skies and spreading it across the earth; there’s a newfound vocal power and confidence born from hundreds of hours on stage, and the music sounds fuller, more tangible, but no less enveloping.
This can be found in
Below a Massive Dark Land’s singles. ‘Kaley’ feels fresh and surprising in its rug-pull choppiness but is distinctly Naima in its swinging, jubilant choruses. The accompanying “Further Away” takes a different tack, drawing you irresistibly near in its simplicity. Finally, the hazy, luxurious beauty of ‘Feed My Release’ draws on the sepia-toned traditions of The Roches, John Prine, and Loudon Wainwright III but imbues them with the kind of stark confessional songwriting of Mount Eerie. Lyrically reaching deeper and darker than
Giant Palm, these are ambitious, rich arrangements.
Past Praise For Naima Bock Giant Palm:
“Exquisite solo debut” - ★★★★ MOJO
“Quiet, melancholy and occasionally divinely uplifting (8/10)” - Uncut
“A real gem..” (“Album of the Week”) - Stereogum
“A sharply observed, sumptuously arranged album of
idiosyncratic folk.” - Pitchfork
“quietly dazzling….” - Brooklyn Vegan
“Hugely ambitious” (“Music of the Month”) - The Quietus
“…exquisite. A truly special listen” (8/10) - CLASH
★★★★ - DIY
“a stellar debut (8/10)” - The Line of Best Fit
“…an often brilliant debut” ★★★★ - All Music
“The fusion of her disparate cultural influences makes for an enchanting sound entirely Bock’s own.”
[“Giant Palm”] - New York Times
Naima Bock
Below A Massive Dark Land
Tracklisting:
1. Gentle
2. Kaley
3. Feed My Release
4. My Sweet Body
5. Lines
6. Further Away
7. Takes One
8. Age
9. Moving
10. Star
Temporary Part-Time Digital Operations Coordinator
Sub Pop Records is seeking a temporary part-time Digital Operations Coordinator to join the Digital Operations team. This is a fully remote or hybrid remote/on-site role exclusively available to applicants located in California and Washington. Days and hours are flexible but must be performed during west coast business hours 3-5 days per week for a total of 20 hours per week. Position to start as soon as possible and end January 31, 2025.
About the Team
The Digital Operations team oversees the delivery and management of the company’s digital assets and digital catalog and manages the company’s physical product archive.
About the Position
The Digital Operations Coordinator will assist the Digital Operations team with various tasks and projects. An ideal candidate for this role will have excellent attention to detail (we can’t stress this enough), strong communication skills, and be able to learn and adapt quickly to new systems and processes.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to jobapplicants@subpop.com
We are accepting resumes through the position closing date of July 12, 2024.
Primary Responsibilities
Update databases with asset and release metadata
Proofread album lyrics and video captions
Create smartlinks
Copyright registrations
Copyright infringement searches and audits
Create mp3s and add music to promotional tools
Data and asset cleanup projects
Update playlists on DSPs
Physical product archiving (hybrid employees only)
Other projects as needed
Required Experience & Qualifications
Ability to follow a schedule and meet deadlines
Knowledge of the music industry and the Sub Pop and Hardly Art repertoires
General understanding of metadata and its uses
Strong problem-solving skills
Proficiency in Mac, MS Office, Google Workspace
Relevant college degree or related experience
Special consideration will be given to candidates with any of the following:
Knowledge of audio, image, and video formats
YouTube CMS experience
Intermediate Photoshop skills
Supervisor:
VP of Digital Operations
Compensation:
$25.00 per hour
Sub Pop Records is an equal-opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, veteran or disability status. Sub Pop Records will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to jobapplicants@subpop.com no later than 12:00am July 12, 2024.
This Friday, June 28th, Loma (Emily Cross, Dan Duszynski, Jonathan Meiburg) will release
How Will I Live Without a Body?, their third album.
Its eleven tracks feature the highlights “How It Starts,” “Pink Sky,” and today’s offering, the hypnotic official video for “Affinity,” directed by Allison Beondé.
Beondé offers this, “In creating the video for ‘Affinity,’ I wanted to collect quiet moments that explore the experience of inhabiting a body, existing both collectively and simultaneously alone. Capturing people in public spaces embodying their own experience, their own world, while surrounded by others, the song is carried on a rolling rhythm reminiscent of waves—a soft and mysterious ebbing and flowing of time marked by something so elemental to our existence and uniquely capable of eliciting reflection on what it means to be alive.”
How Will I Live Without a Body? was produced and recorded by Loma in England, Texas, and Germany, mixed by Dan Duszynski, mastered by Steve Fallone, and mixed for Dolby Atmos by Steven Wilson. All songs were composed by the group—with a few nudges from a unique AI (see below).
How Will I Live Without a Body? is a gorgeous, unique, and oddly comforting album about partnership, loss, regeneration, and fighting the feeling that we’re all in this alone. Many of its songs have a feeling of restless motion; faceless characters drift through meetings and partings, tangling together and slipping away.
Throughout, the core of Loma’s sound remains intact: earthy, organic and deeply human, anchored by Cross’s cool, clear voice.
Loma’s previous album,
Don’t Shy Away, was galvanized by the encouragement of Brian Eno. This time, they were inspired by another hero, Laurie Anderson, who offered a chance to work with an AI trained on her work. Meiburg sent it a series of photos; Anderson’s AI responded with two haunting poems. “We used fragments of these poems in ‘How It Starts’ and ‘Affinity’,” he says. “And then Dan noticed that one of AI-Laurie’s lines, ‘How will I live without a body?’ would be a perfect name for the album, since we nearly lost sight of each other in the recording process.” [
Read more about the album’s genesis here].
How Will I Live Without a Body? is available to preorder on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from
megamart.subpop.com (North America),
Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and
independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Transparent Smoke (US) and Neon Orange (UK/EU) (All whilst stock lasts!).
As for
How Will I Live Without a Body?’s cover art, returning collaborator Lisa Cline took inspiration from the histories of
“bog people,” human bodies found naturally mummified in peat bogs. (From
Wikipedia:
“These “bodies” are both geographically and chronologically widespread, having been dated to between 8000 BCE and the Second World War.”).
What people are saying about Loma’s
How Will I Live Without a Body?:
“A masterclass in atmospherics” ★★★★ MOJO
“As beautifully ethereal as the title suggests.” 8/10 - Uncut
“The much anticipated follow up to their ethereal sophomore album, Don’t Shy Away, sees the band mine a new musical depth; sharing powerfully earnest lyricism and utilizing sophisticated production techniques.” 9.1/10 - Northern Transmissions
“Where 2020’s Don’t Shy Away played with ornate arrangements that leaned toward British art rock and psychedelia, parts of How Will I Live Without a Body? were recorded in the English countryside (in addition to Texas and Germany), where a ruined chapel was used to record vocals due to its natural reverb. Indeed, Loma can do a lot with very little. The drums on “Arrhythmia” build up to the clatter of what sounds like running horses as singer Emily Cross harmonizes with herself, creating an atmosphere that’s more important than any single lyric.” SLANT MAGAZINE
Loma
How Will I Live Without A Body?
Tracklisting
1. Please, Come In
2. Arrhythmia
3. Unbraiding
4. I Swallowed a Stone
5. How It Starts
6. Dark Trio
7. A Steady Mind
8. Pink Sky
9. Broken Doorbell
10. Affinity
11. Turnaround
Sub Pop is currently accepting resumes from energetic, responsible, detail-oriented, and dependable candidates for a Part-time sales clerk, nights and weekends (temp) at our terribly impressive store at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. This guy.
Responsibilities include:
• Greeting and assisting customers in a friendly manner.
• Full compliance with Sea-Tac operation rules and strict TSA regulations and restrictions.
• Efficient handling of cash and credit card transactions.
• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively.
• Availability to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Assisting in organizing and restocking the store.
• Maintaining the general appearance of the store.
• Contributing to the team retail effort by accomplishing related tasks as needed.
Qualified candidates will have:
• Previous experience in the retail environment.
• Knowledge of the Sub Pop catalog, Pacific Northwest music, the Seattle music community, and the City of Seattle.
• A friendly and enthusiastic disposition with customers and staff.
• Strong and clear communication skills.
• A general understanding of retail Point of Sale systems.
• Flexibility in schedule and willingness to work early or late hours.
Store hours 7am-9 pm everyday / 6 am-9 pm
Salary: $20.00 an hour
Benefits: Competitive pay, flexible scheduling, paid time off, holiday pay, store discount, growth opportunities, and more!
Please send your resume to airportstore@subpop.com.
Following The Bug Club’s signing announcement last month, Sub Pop can now share the full details for On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System, the band’s full-length label debut, which will be released worldwide on Friday, August 30th, 2024. The album features the previously released highlight “Quality Pints,” along with other feel-good ditties like “War Movies,” “A Bit Like James Bond,” “We Don’t Care About That” and today’s offering, “Lonsdale Slipons.”
On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System sees the band serve up a beefy slab of their signature Modern-Lovers-meets-Nuggets garage rock, featuring B-52’s call-and-response fun mixed with AC/DC power chord grunt. Leaning towards fast-paced punk, opening double salvo “War Movies” and the previously released “Quality Pints” sets the scene: duel vocal piss taking, surreal takes on everyday topics that go full circle and become profound, riffs all day long and then all the next day too. “Quality Pints” deals with the pressing concerns of any conscientious touring outfit, taking to heart the rule of the three R’s as penned by renowned fellow pints fan Mark E Smith of The Fall. Repetition, repetition, repetition. If it’s that important, which it is, it’s worth saying again. “War Movies” dresses distorted chugging with a comprehensive ‘best of’ list for the genre, with Sam Willmett offering a solo casually chucked out in a way that will make your dad promptly give up any resurgent guitar-playing ambitions.
Melody is still ever-present, with the hilariously meta “Pop Single” channeling Ray Davies at his most self-aware. You ask for a pop single, that’s what you get - The Bug Club don’t mess about. And it’s this confidently silly strain that gives us “Lonsdale Slipons,” which finally sees the UK’s worst-ever shoes paid tribute to in song form, and “We Don’t Care About That,” which tells us all to stop talking about lots of things. Considering attempting a tentative review of what you’re listening to? Well stop. “Better Than Good” has you covered there, too. You’re getting what you’re given, and thankfully everybody seems happy with that - especially this track’s lo-fi production, Violent Femmes bass, and Sterling Morrison solo. Best to leave the hot takes to The Bug Club, we reckon. This record backs us up.
Initially comprising the songwriting core of Sam Willmett (vocals/guitar) and Tilly Harris (vocals/bass) with Dan Matthew (drums), The Bug Club started plying their trade in 2016. They were signed by UK label Bingo Records in Autumn 2020 and first single “We Don’t Need Room For Lovin” was released in February 2021. It quickly established The Bug Club as the tongue-in-cheek and live-focused antidote to the previous year’s penned-in pandemic drudgery. BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley was an early champion, hammering the single, booking the band in for a session as soon as it was allowed and rightfully praising songwriters capable of singing the whole alphabet in a two-minute song and making it work (read more at Sub Pop).
The Bug Club will support On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System with their previously announced UK tour dates, which resume Saturday, 6th July, in Usk, UK, at The Weekend Rumble and end Saturday, 16th November, in Norwich, UK, at Norwich Arts Centre. International dates will be announced soon.
Sat. Jul. 06 - Usk, UK - The Weekend Rumble
Fri. Jul. 26 - Rock, UK - Rock Oyster Festival
Thu. Aug. 01 - London, UK - Shacklewell Arms (SOLD OUT)
Fri. Aug. 02 - Pikehall, UK - Y Not Festival
Thu. Aug. 29 - Brighton, Resident Records (instore)
Fri. Aug. 30 - Brighton, UK - Brighton Psych Fest
Sat. Aug 31 - Hull, UK - The Adelphi
Sun. Sep. 01 - Edinburgh, UK - Edinburgh Psych Fest
Mon. Sep. 02 - Riley & Coe Session, BBC Radio 6 Music
Tue. Sep. 03 - Liverpool, UK - Rough Trade (instore)
Wed. Sep. 04 - Nottingham, UK - Rough Trade (instore)
Thu. Sep. 05 - London, UK - Rough Trade East, (instore)
Thu. Nov. 07 - Bournemouth, UK - Bear Cave
Fri. Nov. 08 - Margate, UK - Lido
Sat. Nov. 09 - Bedford, UK - Esquires
Wed. Nov. 13 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny
Thu. Nov. 14 - Hebden Bridge, UK - The Trades Club
Fri. Nov. 15 - Leicester, UK - The SoundHouse
Sat. Nov. 16 - Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
The Bug Club’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System is available to preorder on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Transparent Grey Smoke (US) and Orange/Red Marble (UK/EU) (whilst stock lasts!). On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System’s album cover artwork is from UK illustrator and comic book artist Willem Hampson.
What people are saying about The Bug Club:
“‘Quality Pints’ is a wild two-minute rager that reminds me of the Buzzcocks and the Vaselines. It’s all about something the band has surely experienced during all that touring: the search for a decent beer in various cities around the world. In addition to the explosive punk-rock energy, the song has a hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll element, manifested in a rattling tambourine and occasional outbursts of electric-shock lead guitar” - STEREOGUM
“…the kind of indie punk ripper that feels custom built to send audiences into a shout-along, beer-fueled frenzy.” [“Quality Pints”] BROOKLYN VEGAN
“The amped-up punk track is a blast of shout-along energy, and vicious guitar solos following the pair’s journey to secure a solid pint of beer… It’s as ridiculous as it is fun, and Harris and Willmett are bringing their particular flavor of absurdity to Sub Pop’s legendary roster. Cheers, indeed.” [“Quality Pints”] “Best New Songs” - PASTE
The Bug Club
On The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Tracklisting:
1. War Movies
2. Quality Pints
3. Pop Single
4. Best Looking Strangers in the Cemetery
5. A Bit Like James Bond
6. We Don’t Care About That
7. Lonsdale Slipons
8. Better Than Good
9. Actual Pain
10. Cold. Hard. Love.
11. The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Sub Pop Publishing is seeking a full-time Music Licensing Manager based in Los Angeles. We are looking for an individual who has great interpersonal skills, is a self-starter, is detail-oriented, and has the ability to work in an open group environment.
Sub Pop Publishing was founded in 2011 and is the publishing division of Sub Pop Records, an independent record company founded in 1988. We work with Sub Pop Records artists such as Bully, Shabazz Palaces, clipping., Guerilla Toss, Mudhoney, La Luz and Frankie Cosmos, and our writers have contributed to songs by A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, Christine and the Queens, SYML, Olafur Arnalds, SZA, KayCyy and others.
Specific responsibilities include:
Working to place the Sub Pop Publishing catalog in advertisements, TV, film, video games, web-videos, social media, podcasts and more by soliciting and responding to music searches and licensing requests
Actively pitching our catalog in a manner tailored to the taste and project requirements of individual music supervisors, editors, filmmakers, and producers
Listening to and quickly learning a large catalog of material and applying that knowledge to searches/requests for material
Ingesting, organizing and maintaining the audio storage system
Managing outstanding invoices and licenses
Logging all licensing activity and preparing reports on such activity as requested
Seeking out, developing and maintaining relationships directly with music supervisors, ad agencies, filmmakers and other potential licensing contacts
Organizing and attending artist functions for music supervisors, ad agencies and others when appropriate
Sending out email blasts, playlists, show invites and other forms of promotion
Quoting, clearing, negotiating and preparing synchronization licenses
Some travel may be necessary
Qualifications include:
Minimum 3 years experience working in a similar role within a label, publisher or licensing company
Knowledge and passion for music in general is a must, as is familiarity with the Sub Pop Publishing catalog
Interest in music licensing, film and advertising
Competent computer skills
Ability to work independently and take initiative
Ability to juggle and prioritize multiple projects
Positive attitude, great communication skills and an enthusiastic team spirit
Supervisor: Director of Publishing
Salary Range: $55,000 - $65,000
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to jobapplicants@subpop.com.
We are accepting resumes through the position closing date of July 29th, 2024.
Description of Benefits: PTO (Paid time off including sick time) beginning at 15 days per year, 14 paid holiday days, 401k plan with partial employer match, medical/dental/vision insurance paid for employees and partially paid for their family, transportation benefits, discounted merchandise. Sub Pop Records is an equal-opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, veteran or disability status. Sub Pop Records will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
