NYC-based songwriter-producer Charlie Nieland releases his new EP 'The Ocean Understands' on June 20. Four years since releasing his acclaimed ‘Divisions’ album, he once again brings us a collection of sweeping melodies and restless rhythms, tastefully blending post punk, dream pop and prog rock.
The material from this EP and the forthcoming album 'Stories From the Borderlines' (out later this year) took root through the NYC performance series "The Bushwick Book Club" in response to various literary sources and was inspired by Nieland's deep love of David Bowie, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Cocteau Twins, Love & Rockets and The Cure.
"This set of songs is a kaleidoscope of styles. They are luminous secret rooms that reflect one human’s heart in a world at the precipice. Staying creative is resistance. As authoritarians attack culture, they make the mistake that imagination can be controlled when it actually emerges from the bottom up. Culture is not imaginary. It’s is rooted in imagination but it’s more real than what can be measured," says Charlie Nieland.
"These songs tell stories of growing up, of how we got severed, and how we connect. I burrowed into each idea over several years that were filled with love, uncertainty and family drama. The time allowed me to create and explore sound worlds with a cinematic eye; finding contrasts in texture and time. To create an experience that shifts with each listen."
Nieland recently shared the dream-pop single 'Redshift', delving into the profound experience of creating your own chosen family, viewed through the lens of cosmic expansion and astrophysical wonder, following the stunning reverb-laced lead track 'Drown'. The video, directed by multi-faceted artist Hypnodoll, was inspired by a dystopian vision of a mythical, psychedelic siren song that explores a dark, authoritarian past through jumbled stories of the future. Sifting through present wreckage, 'Drown' searches for grace amidst violent, oceanic forces.
Nieland’s musical backstory is extensive, having written, performed and produced music for decades, focused on the atmospheric and the imaginative. He also wrote for and produced such notable artists as Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Blondie and Scissor Sisters, as well as scoring the feature film 'The Safety of Objects' (starring Glenn Close), the pilot episode of 'The L Word' on Showtime and the VH-1documentary 'NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell'.
Charlie was awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production work on Blondie's 'Greatest Hits Sight & Sound' and achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry's single 'Two Times Blue', which he co-wrote and produced.
His dream pop band Her Vanished Grace made music for over 20 years before establishing himself as a solo artist with a mix of nuanced songwriting and sonic exploration, debuting 'Ice Age' (2014) and then 'Hopeful Monsters' (2016). Half of the literature-inspired songwriting and performing duo Lusterlit with Susan Hwang, he also produces and co-hosts the 'An Embarrassment of Prog' podcast.
As of June 20, 'The Ocean Understands' EP' is available from fine digital music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. 'The Ocean Understands' EP, now available for pre-order directly from the artist.
CREDITS
Music & Lyrics written by Charlie Nieland
Recorded at Saturation Point Studios (Brooklyn, NY)
from January 2023 to April 2025
'Elegy' recorded live at KGB Bar, NYC, October 3rd, 2021
Charlie Nieland - vocals, guitars, basses, piano, keyboards, percussion, G-Force M-TRON Pro IV
Billy Loose - drums
Dan McAssey - guitar on 'Shame'
Produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by Charlie Nieland
Cover Art by Hypnodoll
© 2025 Athame Music
'Drown' video directed By Hypnodoll™
Photography by Alice Teeple
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
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