Charlie Nieland is set to release his new album titled ‘Divisions’ tomorrow (March 5). Charlie is an artist with a long history in the music business, and ‘Divisions’ reflects that. The songwriting is as solid as it is diverse. And, what I mean by that, is that this is not a ‘filler’ album. This is an album with 13 tracks of differential personality. Something will be relatable to the listener regardless of what kind of listener that is.
There is also enough diversity to show that these tracks could be in any order you want them to be in. That is a good thing in the age of playlists. You can construct this album to your liking. And that is what is at the heart of Charlie Nieland’s mindset as an artist. That accessibility that those talented in music can possess. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder let the music be the soundtrack to the soul.
The ‘Divisions’ LP is out tomorrow (March 5) and will be available digitally everywhere, including Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be ordered directly from the artist via Bandcamp.
Check out our other features with Charlie Nieland HERE.
About Charlie Nieland
NYC-based producer indie music veteran Charlie Nieland presents his new ‘Divisions’ LP, out tomorrow (March 5), as well as a new video for ‘The Land of Accidents’. Directed by NYC-based multi-faceted artist Hypnodoll, this expansive, visceral music video is inspired by our beautiful earth. She notes “Where we’re from can often feel as if it were projected onto us”.
“As the pandemic took hold, so did my plan to produce ‘Divisions’ and I began a listening expedition through my inspirations, from The Beatles to Yes, Cocteau Twins to Interpol, Peter Gabriel to Blur, U2 and The Flaming Lips. I wanted these tracks to be mini-epics, where you hear something new every time you listen. I started recording in my apartment this summer and reached out to drummer Brian Geltner and cellist Patricia Santos, who recorded their parts at home and shared them with me,” explains Charlie Nieland.
“As restrictions lifted, I started a marathon tracking process at my studio that included violinist Heather Cole, both Susan Hwang from my band Lusterlit and Billy Loose from Her Vanished Grace on drums and Susan on backup vocals. I called into service all my instruments, from lap steel to 6 and 12 string electric and acoustic guitars; fretless, fretted, and 8 string basses; analog synths, virtual mellotrons, TR-808s, and more. This whirlwind journey is heard here in the obsessive and passionate, surreal and visceral, dream-like progressive rock and the dream pop of Divisions”
Nieland’s musical backstory is extensive, having written and produced material with such notable artists as Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Dead Leaf Echo, Blondie and Scissor Sisters. He scored the feature film ‘The Safety of Objects’ (starring Glenn Close), the pilot episode of ‘The L Word’ on Showtime and the VH-1documentary ‘NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell’. Charlie was awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production work on Blondie’s ‘Greatest Hits Sight & Sound’ and achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry’s single ‘Two Times Blue’, which he co-wrote and produced.
Nieland also played power dream pop with the band Her Vanished Grace for over 20 years before establishing himself as a solo artist with a mix of nuanced songwriting and sonic exploration. He is currently half of the literature-inspired songwriting and performing duo Lusterlit with Susan Hwang.
Nieland elaborates on ‘The Land Of Accidents’: “This is a dark anthem to not-belonging, inspired by a passage in the novel ‘White Teeth’ by Zadie Smith: a dialogue between the thirst for acceptance and freedom. The suffering we feel in our estrangement can just as easily be liberation. “Nothing happens the way you expected”. It was written as part of the international performance series, Bushwick Book Club,” says Charlie Nieland.
LINKS:
https://charlienieland.com
https://www.facebook.com/CharlieNieland
https://charlienieland.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/charlienieland
https://twitter.com/CharlieNieland
https://soundcloud.com/charlienielandmusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_wz-YdpGS8roW0tPfHQNQ
https://open.spotify.com/artist/70I9duCgmppXweNM7yjPxs?si=pGfn12ppRkueL-7ePMCt0g
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/charlie-nieland/1136844408
