• 19
  • 11
  • 2018
  • 07.30
  • pm
  • Ballroom

KISSISSIPPI & TANCRED With guests THE WINTER PASSING

Please note this is an 18+ event

DHP Family present

Kississippi & Tancred

 

KISSISSIPPI

Since 2014, Zoe Reynolds has been making music under the Kississippi moniker, but the release of her debut full length, Sunset Blush signals a change for the artist. Following a series of demo releases and EPs, Reynolds believes she has finally found her voice, calling Sunset Blush an honest recognition of the music she always wanted to make. The album fully immerses listeners in Kississippi’s sincerely heartfelt world, with Reynolds sharing every strength and struggle that fueled her writing. The album’s namesake comes from a flavor of boxed wine that’s frequently appeared throughout Reynolds’ adulthood; consumed on rooftops reached by ladders or in between sets at house shows. The album enlivens these moments saturated in nostalgia for listeners, Sunset Blush is more than just a debut, it’s Reynolds’ reassurance to herself and others that even when things are at their worst, brighter days are ahead, and you have the strength needed to get through it. 

 

TANCRED

“I’m a loser sometimes / I will lose my mind sometimes,” Jess Abbott sings on “Clipping,”
the shimmering, tambourine-inflected centerpiece of Tancred’s new album, Nightstand.
After the themes of self-empowerment and self-possession Abbott explored on 2016’s
Out of the Garden, these lines can at first seem like a bit of a worrisome relapse. And
in a way, they do speak to an unexpected revelation Abbott experienced following her
transformation into a more confident person.
“After I became comfortable in this new skin, in truly being myself, I was immediately hit
with loneliness,” she reveals. “I realized that human connection is really important to me.”
And so Abbott began a new journey of personal exploration, one that involved connecting
with other people just as much as connecting with herself. “I was reading a lot of books,
learning a lot of new hobbies, meeting so many new people — just taking in as much
information as possible to try and figure out what it really meant to me to be alive,” she
recalls.
History is replete with such quests for the meaning of life, and with Nightstand, Abbott
sought to tell her story in a way that would both connect with the past and resonate in
the future. “I wanted the album to have a timeless feel to it, so you could hear my stories
of love and loneliness and sense that these are themes that have existed for everyone
forever,” she says.
As with her previous work, the writing process for what would become Nightstand
consisted of Abbott alone in her room with just a guitar, strumming chords and singing
words until gradually songs began to coalesce. As a result, when the recording process
began with Lewis Pesacov (Best Coast, Generationals) at his home studio in LA, the focus
was less on finishing songs and more on perfecting them. Working with Pesacov offered
new approaches – and gear – previously undiscovered by Abbott, affording her avenues of
exploration that dialed in the production and tone on each and every song.
The positive effects of this nourishing environment are evident throughout Nightstand,
as on propulsive first single “Reviews,” showcasing Abbott’s strong melodic sensibilities
balanced with purposeful, well-placed instrumentation. Or “Queen of New York,” which
captures the feelings of fleeting lust set against a metropolitan backdrop, all within an
effervescent three-minute bop.
Of course, it wouldn’t truly be a Tancred album if the upbeat melodies didn’t also serve to
sugarcoat Abbott’s often somber lyrics about the experience of being a woman and being
queer in today’s society. But even she is quick to emphasize that there is still comfort
to be found during times of isolation or alienation: “Ultimately, we are all feeling these
things together, and that can be enough to feel less alone. There’s a hopefulness in the
loneliness.”