The Naked And Famous‘ Thomas Powers has announced his debut album as a solo artist.
Titled ‘A Tyrant Crying In Private’, the LP will drop on May 17 and features collaborations with Julien Baker, Now Now and Rob Moose.
To coincide with the announcement, Powers has released his collaboration with Now Now, ‘Permanent Holiday’. Discussing the song in a press release, he said: “’Permanent Holiday’ is a reflection on a decade of my life, seen through the lens of a cherished friendship.. it carries a deep sense of nostalgia for a time that can never be recovered.”
Check out ‘Permanent Holiday’ below:
Discussing the album, Powers said that the album is “unapologetically me” and traverses a wide array of genres, including “alternative, electronic, and neo-classical genres.”
“Bits and pieces of this record had been sitting around in my archives for as long as I’ve been working on The Naked And Famous,” he said, “but the first fully realized song was “Li.” When I finished that demo, I knew I’d found my center – my sound. The band was on hiatus, and it was the first lockdown of 2020, so I thought, “If not now, when?!”
“When making music for myself, I don’t need to think about what I’m doing. I make my parameters and rules as I go. It’s quite a flow state. Without being conscious of it, I’m drawing from every song, album, and soundtrack I’ve ever loved.”
Baker appears on two songs across the album., one of which is ‘Empty Voices’. Explaining how the collaboration came about, Powers said: “During the quiet of lockdown, I reached out to Julien, whom I had connected with years prior. It was an honor when she expressed interest in singing on ‘Empty Voices.’
“Julien recorded her parts and a handful of improvisations remotely. Initially, she sang in unison during the chorus, but I’m a stickler for a well-arranged duet, so I asked if she had time to jump in the booth to record some harmonies in LA. We met up, blasted through it, and spent most of our studio time drinking beers up a hill in Echo Park, watching the sunset.”
In 2021, Powers’ bandmate Alisa Xayalith shared her debut solo single, ‘High Fidelity’.