New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Throughout her already impressive & celebrated career, Gavin Turek has been called "a classic triple-threat, with singing, acting, and dancing all on stock in her formidable repertoire" by Flaunt, while Stereogum said her music "utilizes a colorful palette of deep bass, starry keys, and Turek's own voice, which is practically a throwback in its own right." And today she announces her much-anticipated full-length debut album 'Madame Gold' which will be released on her own label (the fitting titled
Madame Gold Records) on July 23.
But while Gavin's music is known for its sparkle, effervescence, and intoxicating essence, the journey to her debut LP was not an easy one. Produced and co-written by
Childish Gambino collaborator Chris Hartz, 'Madame Gold' is a record fortified in themes of perseverance, self-trust, & hope amidst chaos. While COVID limitations, personal traumas, and the soul-crushing weight of expectations within the modern music industry plagued Gavin throughout the process of the album's inception, she turned to her inner solace as a songwriter to help guide her.
In a way, Gavin has used the alter ego of
Madame Gold as her own personal superhero, providing her the encouragement and strength to carry on amidst spells of personal self-doubt and the numerous global crises of the last year. An enemy of the inner saboteur and a fierce advocate for social justice,
Madame Gold is Gavin's philosophic incarnate.
Sonically the album trades some of the starlit disco vibes of her earlier work for an irresistible groove-heavy, R&B foundation. Taking inspiration from badass divas like
Grace Jones and Diana Ross, 70s soul icons like Curtis Mayfield and the Isley Brothers, and modern day pioneers like
Tame Impala and
Raphael Saadiq, Gavin's sound is an honorable throwback to the past while also undeniably fresh and current in the modern music world.
Gavin calls the record "a story of a woman in flux, vulnerable and full of fear who found the courage to get back up and fight, ultimately saving herself. The transformation that was taking place internally needed a new vehicle to carry the message and I allowed that to happen in every writing session. The freedom to express difficult things and experiment sonically ended up being my therapy."
Of the personal journey she herself went on through making this record, Gavin adds "Releasing this album is my way of taking back my power and stepping into the role of my own superhero. I don't need a man, a label, or the government to save me. I needed to find the hero in myself."
Also out today is her latest track/video "ILLUSIONS". Inspired by a real relationship and listening to lots of Curtis Mayfield, that track is a bittersweet love song that ponders the ways we convince ourselves to stick with someone we know isn't right for us. The video (which she co-directed with Nina Reyes-Rosenberg) is a cinematically gorgeous visual accompaniment that finds a gold-skinned Gavin embracing with a lover amidst the massive boulders of Joshua Tree
National Park.
Of today's track release, Gavin says "ILLUSIONS is about loving something or someone that brings you as much joy as pain, yet your commitment is unwavering due to your ability to maintain an illusion of the experience. To write about a romantic connection that is difficult yet intoxicating came naturally. But the more I sit with it today, I can't help but to see the song as a metaphor for my relationship with music. I love making music but it has broken my heart many times. Like the words in this song, I continue to devote myself to it for better or for worse, even if people say I'm a fool for continuing. It's a sentiment that all artists can relate to;
Blind love for the thing that makes you feel alive."
Of the music video, she added "the video introduces the concept of
Madame Gold, an otherworldly being and the embodiment of this new body of work and chapter in my life. Like
Madame Gold the album, this alter ego is simultaneously bold and vulnerable, powerful yet soft, magical and honest."
Through the writing sessions for the album, Gavin exorcised deep feelings of personal pain, confusion, loss, love, moments of magic, and pressure. The result is an eclectic, pristine, and cathartic unveiling of an artist truly coming into her own -- be it on "
Whisper" (a futuristic take on personal faith that includes a heartwarming interview snippet with Gavin's mother), "Hero" (a certifiable bop about leaning into your own personal strength), "
Elevator" (which Refinery29 called the "perfect soundtrack for a fresh start") or the album's most recent track release "SLIDE", a captivating collab with bLAck pARty which earned praise from Stereogum, Cool Hunting, NME, & KCRW who called it "smooth yet pumping with energy, it's a perfect fit for your rollergirl weekend on the boardwalk, or late-nite cruising down the boulevard."
According to NPR, "one way or another, Gavin Turek is going to entertain you", whether through her live performances or her music. You may have heard of Gavin in the past through her entrancing solo work, acclaimed collaborations with TOKiMONSTA, her performance on CONAN or performing backup on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Tuxedo,
Mayer Hawthorne and Cee Lo respectively. From growing up with a father who played piano and tagging alongside her mother who toured coffeeshops singing gospel, to studying dance in Ghana, to cutting her teeth as a working musician in Los Angeles, performing has been in the forefront of Gavin's mind for her entire life, and with 'Madame Gold' the future is looking nothing but bright.
'Madame Gold' Track Listing:
Crashing Landing Overture
Elevator
2AM
So What
Pressure
Circulate The Goods
SLIDE (feat. bLAck pARty)
Whisper
Illusions
Thank You
Sad Ice Cream
Hero
Simple Reasons
All Of The Noise.
