New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Fresh off the road with The
Hives and Spoon,
Nicole Atkins shares a new version of her song, "Mind Eraser," today. The shadowy noir song Rolling Stone called a "hazy dream," was co-written by My Morning Jacket's guitarist Carl Broemel. It comes from a milestone new album and full-length performance film called MEMPHIS ICE. The album arrives via Single Lock Records Friday, December 10 on limited-edition vinyl and at all DSPs and streaming services; pre-orders are available now.
A reimagined companion project to last year's acclaimed ITALIAN ICE, MEMPHIS ICE was recorded live and an official music video taken from the performance film is streaming now at YouTube.
"Mind Eraser was the first song we worked on for this record," says Atkins. "I wanted to start the rehearsal with it because I thought stylistically it would be the most difficult song to get through, so, better to knock out the hard work first. The string arrangements got to shine through in a bigger way than on the original, Dan Chen's piano work carried the song, and I got to play the role of the storyteller in a new way. More upfront and present than ever. And, I have to say, the middle section of the song is maybe my favorite moment on the whole album!"
The album was heralded last month by the first song and video, "Promised Land," which was recorded during the Italian Ice sessions, but never released.
Hailed by UNCUT as "clear-eyed, warm, and stylish," ITALIAN ICE was among the best albums of 2020, its warmth, vivid color, and a tilt-a-whirl variety of musical grooves providing much-needed positivity in what proved a very difficult year. Unable to tour behind the album's release, Atkins began hosting a variety show from her attic. "Live From The Steel Porch with
Nicole Atkins" soon received support from Amazon Music, with new episodes shot at Asbury Park, NJ's famed Paramount Theater with such special guests as
Kurt Vile and the Dean Ween Group.
The back-to-basics performances inspired Atkins to explore new and previously untapped flavors in her vocals and songcraft. Backed by an ace trio of Dan Chen (piano),
Laura Epling (violin), and Maggie Chaffee (cello), Atkins recorded MEMPHIS ICE live in one day at
Memphis Magnetic studio, simultaneously filming the performance with painterly shadow and light. The stripped-down, smoky style of both brings all-new emotional vistas to fan-favorite songs like "Domino," "Captain," and "Forever," while opening the door even wider to where Atkins would like to go next as a singer.
