New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Green Light Go) There's a sense of searching and mystery nestled in the music of Owls of the Swamp, the atmospheric indie-folk project of Australian singer-songwriter, Pete Uhlenbruch.
His forthcoming album ATLAS was mixed in Reykjavik by Sturla Mio Thorisson (Damien Rice, Markéta Irglová, Owen Pallett) and features guest performances from Markéta Irglová (The Swell Season), Ryan Karazija (Low Roar), Myrra Rós, Svavar Knútur and Phia. Recorded on his mobile studio across Germany, Iceland and the UK, ATLAS heralds a new voice for Owls of The Swamp -- sweeping synthesizers, dynamic textures and rhythmic programming alongside his characteristic finger-picking and earthy vocals. The album, due out May 6th, 2014 on Labelship, ignites the never-ending desire to better understand one's expanding environment. ATLAS offers a friendly and internal comfort for those carrying the weight of the world upon their shoulders, especially for those in search of a place to call home.
ATLAS acts just like the soft voice of reason. "Garden" is an airy, dream-like waltz that lends simple yet elegant guitar phrases. It feels just like a heartbeat, one that shows Uhlenbruch's ability to create a grandiose and angelic landscape of sound. "Shapeshifter", a rhythmic lullaby, is a soft and breathy sing-a-long. "The Hypnotist" tells the story of a haunted relationship between a hypnotist and his estranged lover. Cascading piano melodies and ghostly backing vocals from Irglová and the subtle production of Thorisson add a surreal and otherworldly dimension to this memorable song. "
Shelter" shows Uhlenbruch's ability to turn a pop song on its head with his combination of haunting vocals and his prudent reflection: no matter where we set up our home, one day we'll have to pack up and move on.
His last album Go with River (2011) was received as "one of the sleeper hits of the year" (Timber and Steel) and "new folk music at its best" (Sony Ericsson
Music Blogger). There is no doubt that location has played an influential role in the development of Uhlenbruch's sound. His debut album Smoky Bay (2007) was an ambitious concept album that sought to capture the strange coincidences, connections and charismatic characters that shaped his experience living in Iceland. Uhlenbruch's deeply embedded Wanderlust has also led him to perform extensively throughout Australia, Germany, Iceland, the UK, Poland and the Czech Republic. His arresting yet personal live performances have led to tours with artists such as Zambosi (CZ), Myrra Rós (IS) and Svavar Knútur (IS) as well as supports for Machine Translations (AU),
Old Man River (AU), the Paradise Motel (AU) and
Jens Lekman (SE).
Check out "The Hypnotist", first single off ATLAS, featuring The Swell Seasons Markéta Irglová, and nearing 50,000 hits on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/owlsoftheswamp/the-hypnotist
Find Owls of the Swamp on Facebook and Twitter.
Praise for Owls of the Swamp
The first single off the coming album, "The Hypnotist" sees a slightly new direction for Uhlenbruch with the introduction of synth layering. Still containing the delicate finger-picking he's become known for, he's moved away from the classic-folk style, giving him a fuller, more complete sound. [Featuring] some spectacular backing vocals from Markéta Irglová, whose ghostly tones provide the perfect contrast for Uhlenbruch's earthy voice." - Hugh McClure - Indie Shuffle
"Owls of the Swamp is the creation of Australian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Pete Uhlenbruch. His music holds an earthy humbled innocence focusing around his disticntive guitar fingerpicking which is cushioned on ambient drifting sounds that may feature piano, cello or subtle electronic resonance." - Folk
Radio UK
"...a gorgeous new single, "The Hypnotist" which tells the story of a haunted relationship between a hypnotist and his estranged lover. It is a masterpiece of elegiac fingerpicked folk, softly spun melody, and ghostly backing vocals from special guest Markéta Irglová (The Swell Season)." - The Mad Mackerel
