Two new tracks from TRAИƧA, nonprofit production company Red Hot’s upcoming 46-track compilation, have been unveiled today. Julien Baker and producer Calvin Lauber have joined forces for a cover of Belle and Sebastian’s ‘Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying’, which also features SOAK and Quinn Christopherson. Plus, there’s a new collaborative track from Yaeji and Teddy Geiger called ‘Pink Ponies’. Take a listen below.
On collaborating with Baker, Lauber said: “JB approached me with the idea to do this cover, and to bring in SOAK and Quinn Christopheron, both friends of ours and people we’ve played shows with, as guest features on the song. However we found ourselves all on opposite sides of the country (JB in LA, myself in Nashville, QC in Alaska, and SOAK in the UK) so this song ended up being produced totally remote Postal Service style, sending ideas back and forth over email. JB sent me her draft of the song and a rough arrangement and asked me to do my thing with it. I ended up playing drums, guitar, synth, pretty much everything laying around my studio. It’s a pretty dense track, I think we both wanted it to feel dynamic but big at the same time. We were both pretty inspired by 80s new wave and like, Interpol for this one.”
Speaking about ‘Pink Ponies’, Yaeji said: “When I heard the demo and lyrics Teddy sent for the first time, I was packing my bags to return to the US from another brief stay with my family in Korea and it brought me to tears. It’s rare to be invited into a space where I can fully let my artistry and intentions sing in this way. What Teddy laid down was a beautiful invitation that allowed me to flow exactly the way my soul intended. The artist’s role is that of a truth teller, and this song and project is one example of the power of music and collective artistry.”
Geiger added: “Pink Ponies grew out of a little harp improvisation and a melody/title from my friend, Danny Parker. From there, a few words and phrases began to hang around—one about meaning something to a pearl at the bottom of the sea. At that time, I was spending a lot of time with a new friend whose name meant “pearl”. Halfway through the process of working on the song, that friend passed away, and working through that grieving process, I completed the first 2 verses. Yaeji wrote the closing verses, the first time I heard her singing them I cried happy soft tears! I’m so happy we got to collaborate on something so meaningful together. It was an honor to be asked to contribute to the album and be a part of the story of TRANSA.”
TRAИƧA is set for release on November 22. Last month, Sam Smith and Beverly Glenn-Copeland shared their contribution to the compilation, which also features Sade, André 3000, Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, Adrianne Lenker, and many more.