New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Cinematic electro-pop duo Ringdown, featuring Danni Lee Parpan and Pulitzer and Grammy winner Caroline Shaw, has shared the single "Emotional Absentee" from their upcoming debut album, Lady on the Bike, out May 9 on Nonesuch Records. The song, about trying to create a deeper connection with someone but realizing they are emotionally unavailable, features indie electro-pop group New Body Electric.
"The moral of 'Emotional Absentee' is that when someone shows you who they are, pay attention, and when they tell you they've changed, run," shares Ringdown. "We decided to collaborate with New Body Electric on this because we love the sound and vibe of their music. We've played shows together a few times in Portland, OR, and became friends. The band is fronted by our wonderful sound engineer and co-producer for our album, Aaron K Peterson. His partner in both life and creative projects, Leah Vautar, is the drummer and also helped shape some of the sound of this album. Evan Smoker plays electric guitar and bass."
Ringdown's debut album, Lady on the Bike, celebrates the feeling of possibility in myriad forms: the possibility of love; the possibility of creating connection and community in a world trying to pull those things apart; the possibility of making music in new ways. The duo was drawn to each other through mutual admiration of each other's work: Shaw has won a Pulitzer Prize and five Grammy Awards for her boundary-breaking compositions and collaborated with celebrated artists such as Nas (NASIR) and Rosalía (MOTOMAMI), and Parpan is a dynamic vocalist and folk-pop singer-songwriter who sings emotionally stirring lyrics and relishes in challenging how instruments are "supposed" to be played. Ringdown is a playground they can only access with each other, allowing them to express their pasts and presents through a world of sound that holds feelings and lyrics the way Shaw and Parpan's hearts and minds want to experience them. The result is a singular style of pop music that feels otherworldly as it explores the spaces between electronic and acoustic sounds and re-imagines traditional song structure.
"I've thought for years about making a solo record that is in a more electro-pop vein, but didn't have the courage," Shaw explains. "Danni Lee finally brought that out of me, and I wouldn't have taken this step if it weren't for her. Ringdown is where I experiment with so many things I've wanted to try. I've also learned that being in a band and making your own record is much harder than playing a Mozart sonata and I will absolutely die on that hill."
Last month, the duo released the single "Run," an anthemic song of empowerment for fighting against personal and systemic injustices that could easily score The Handmaid's Tale or blast through the stadium speakers at a U.S. women's national soccer team game. In addition to New Body Electric's performance on "Emotional Absentee," the album also features Sō Percussion on a new version of Ringdown's previously released single "Ghost." Ringdown performed on Sō and Shaw's new Grammy-winning album Rectangles and Circumstance, and the groups have been playing together in collaborative concerts since last fall. Ringdown will perform more of those concerts as well as their own headlining shows this spring and summer. See below for details and tickets.
RINGDOWN ON TOUR
Apr 24 Soundshop at Club Curious Brooklyn, NY
May 1 JOINT Portland, OR
May 3 Long Play Festival Brooklyn, NY
May 7-10 Brooklyn Academy of Music* Brooklyn, NY
Jun 1 Open Ears Kitchener, ON
Jun 6 Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY
Jun 28 Spiegeltent, Fisher Center at Bard Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Jul 10 Caramoor* Katonah, NY
