Brijean – the duo of percussionist/singer Brijean Murphy and multi-instrumentalist/producer Doug Stuart – shares the new single, “Caldwell’s Way,” from their Angelo EP, out August 5th on Ghostly International. “Caldwell’s Way” is a fond farewell to their Bay Area community — “a part of my life that I knew couldn’t come back,” says Murphy. Above shimmering organ sounds, lush strings, and the birdcall of their former neighborhood, she wistfully articulates the uncertainty of moving on by remembering the characters dear to the band. There’s the wisdom of their neighbor, Santos, who refused payment when helping them move out: “I’d rather have 100 friends than 100 dollars.” And the song’s namesake, Benjamin Caldwell Brown, a friend and club night cohort for many years.
“Dougie and I wrote this song in the midst of deep life changes,” explains Murphy. “We found ourselves uprooted in the Southwest, processing both personal and geographic loss. I had never felt physical withdrawals from a place and community, until then. I missed The Bay and our friends in it – even thinking about certain buildings and streets brought me comfort and longing. This song is a loving farewell to the people and places I may never embrace again.”
On Angelo, Brijean explores new moods and styles, reaching for effervescent dance tempos and technicolor backdrops, vibrant hues in contrast to their more somber human experiences. Angelo beams with positivity and creative renewal — a resourceful, collective answer to “what happens now?”
Following the sudden passing of Murphy’s father and both of Stuart’s parents, Brijean left the Bay Area in a haze of heartache to be near family, resetting in four cities in under two years. Named after Murphy’s 1981 Toyota Celica, the Angelo EP features nine songs they crafted and carried with them through a period of profound change, loss, and relocation. Their to-go rig became their traveling studio and these tracks – along with Angelo – became their few constants. Whereas Feelings, Brijean’s acclaimed 2021 full-length Ghostly International debut, was formed over collaborative jams with friends, Angelo’s sessions presented the duo a chance to record at their most intimate, “to get us out of our grief and into our bodies,” says Murphy. Angelo finds Murphy and Stuart processing the impossible the only way they know how: through rhythm and movement.
In support of Angelo, Brijean will play their first headline shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Brooklyn, as well as an international appearance with Poolside in Mexico City. A full list of tour dates can be found below.
Stream:
“Caldwell’s Way”
“Ooo La La”
“Shy Guy”
Pre-order/pre-save Angelo EP
Brijean Tour Dates
Thu. Aug. 11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Sat. Aug. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
Wed. Aug. 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Rooftop
Fri. Aug. 19 – Sun. Aug. 22 – Long Pond, PA @ Elements Festival
Sat. Aug. 27 – Mexico City, MX @ Auditorio BlackBerry (with Poolside)
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]
