New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The highly anticipated new album from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ondara, Spanish Villager No: 3, is out now. The album is predominately produced by Ondara and Mike Viola (Jenny Lewis, Dan Wilson) with contributions from Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes,
Sebastian Steinberg, Tim Kuhl and Jeremy Stacey. The new collection of songs features a much more full, electric sound.
Of the album, Ondara states, "This collection of work and the work that lies ahead in presenting it to the world, is a metaphor for my spiritual path. There is death and resurrection in it, a peeling of layers, a pursuit of the truest form of the self in the universe. Ironically, the adaptation of the Spanish Villager character has made me more acquainted with myself. By creating an obvious demarcation between the art and the artist, I have charted two paths of maturation. One path is the maturation of the Spanish Villager as a work of art, as a character in a narrative, as a commodity partaking in the mandatory sport of capitalism; The other is my own personal maturation into a spiritual, integrated, and useful member of society."
The namesake behind the new album is The Spanish Villager: a mysterious man with a potent message who has proven to be a versatile guy: he's the subject of a short story Ondara wrote and turned into a graphic novel, and now a new album.
He has released a number of tracks from the album leading into release, including "An Alien In Minneapolis," "A Nocturnal Heresy," and "A Prophet Of Doom." His U.S. fall tour has been postponed to next year and new dates will be announced soon.
Spanish Villager No: 3 follows his 2020 sophomore album, Folk N' Roll Vol 1: Tales of Isolation, and his 2019 debut album, Tales of America, which was released to widespread critical praise, receiving a nomination for Best Americana Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards. Ondara also received a nod for Best Emerging Act at the 2019 Americana Awards.
Ondara grew up in Nairobi,
Kenya listening to American alt-rock and making up his own songs for as long as he can remember. At an early age he fell in love with the music of
Bob Dylan and was granted a visa through the immigration lottery system. He chose Minneapolis as his home to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter with Dylan in mind. He began making his way in the local music scene, continually writing songs about what he saw, felt and experienced in a place far different from home. Ondara has toured extensively including sold out European performances, a completely sold-out headlining U.S. tour, appearances at festivals nationwide including Xponential Festival, Newport Folk Festival and Edmonton Folk Festival, and opened for the likes of The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, Neil Young, The Head & The Heart, and more.
"It's a completely new sonic package that embraces both his intriguing voice and a unique accent that remains present when he sings." - NPR Music"… continues the narrative found throughout his discography, but it feels more weighty and soulful compared to his previous acoustic folk releases." - Consequence of Sound
"Ranging from a whisper to roar, soaring through lyrics that few would have the courage to sing, Ondara's voice is a beautiful and powerfully evocative instrument." - No Depression
"...it's a rockier, more refined and atmospheric collection than its predecessors…" - StarTribune
SPANISH VILLAGER NO: 3 TRACKLIST
An Alien in Minneapolis
A
Blackout in Paris
A Seminar in Tokyo
A
Shakedown in Berlin
A Drowning in Mexico City
A Prophet of Doom
A Seasonal Amnesia
A Nocturnal Heresy
A Suspicious Deliverance
A Witch and A Saint
A Contrarian Odyssey
An Alien in Minneapolis
- Edit (DIGITAL ONLY)
