Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) presents 'Listening' single from eighth full-length album 'Blindness' (CD out July 5)

June 24, 2024

“Purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track... like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic... Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious" ~ Newport Naked

“Abong’s vocal delivery is a testament to his storytelling prowess. His voice carries the weight of experience, each phrase brimming with authenticity and emotion... connecting on a profound level with the emotions that make us human” ~ Skylight Webzine

“So unique that there is no possible way this music could be mistaken as being performed by anyone else" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

Modern-day American crooner-philosopher Fred Abong shares 'Listening', the latest audio-visual offering from his new 'Blindness' album. Released via Moochin' About Records. this third single from the album rounds out the album's sonic landscape. Following the drama-rock of 'Heaven' and the quasi-dance vibe of the title track 'Blindness', this new single adds a vaguely 80’s romanticism, somewhat in a Blue Nile vein.

Now based in New Orleans, Abong is no stranger to the US music scene, having got his musical start in the 1980’s on the Rhode Island hardcore punk scene. In the early 1990s, he played bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. Putting music on hold for academic pursuits, he then earned a PhD in Humanities and taught at various universities for eight years before returning to music. Now back as a solo artist, Abong also plays bass in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio. He has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

“'Listening' was actually the first song written for this album. It’s a chord progression and keyboard/piano sound that I feel has been lurking in my consciousness for a long time. It really did kinda write itself … the only impediment was my ineptitude on the piano, which took some time to correct. At the time of writing this, I had just purchased my first keyboard of any kind - a full size MIDI controller in this case. As soon as I hooked it up to Logic and started messing around with the plugins, I could feel all these latent songs beginning to wake up, to "show their faces". The songs came quickly, though not necessarily easily, as my piano skills, as I mentioned, were fairly rudimentary," explains Fred Abong.

"Making the video was much easier. I shot it in about an hour in my garage. Somehow it seemed the proper setting for the song. Turns out a garage is a good place to listen, to hear things in an unfamiliar way. It’s also a great place to take your favorite shovel for a spin."

A Filipino-American singer-songwriter, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Taking a detour from the musical road most traveled, Abong wrote the material for this album on the piano rather than bass or guitar, effectively opening up a new compositional and emotional space for him.

Between the bookends of the new 'Blindness' album and 'Homeless', the first set of songs as a solo artist, originally self-released in 2018, Abong has released several critically acclaimed records, including his self-recorded 2023 'Fear Pageant' and earlier albums 'Yellowthroat', 'Pulsing' and 'Our Mother of Perpetual Help'.

"I’ve actually gotten some feedback that the entire 'Blindness' LP sounds like a ‘departure’ from what I’ve done up to this point in my solo work. But from my perspective, it’s just another dimension of songwriting, which for me is not about finding a ‘style’ and sticking with it. I’m more interested in staying wide open to whatever shows up when there’s an instrument, familiar or unfamiliar, in my hands," says Abong.

"I’ve been listening to and "studying" a wide variety of musical forms my entire life, and so I guess I have also been unconsciously ‘composing’, too. And waiting for the moment or moments when those compositions would present themselves."

On July 5, the 'Blindness' album will be released everywhere digitally (including Apple Music and Spotify) and on CD. For now, it can be downloaded exclusively via Bandcamp, where the pre-order is now available for the CD, coupled together with Abong's 'Homeless' album as a bonus.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Fred Abong
All instruments performed by Fred Abong
Videos by Fred Abong
Album released by Moochin' About Records
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) releases eighth full-length album 'Blindness' via Moochin' About Records

May 7, 2024

'Blindness' album
https://moochinaboutltd.bandcamp.com/album/blindness
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/1qHuRR8HuuAkPb1VTPSExd
LinkTree https://linktr.ee/fredabong

Alternative crooner-philosopher Fred Abong presents his new 'Blindness' album, released via Moochin' About Records. Previewed by the lead track 'Heaven', these ten tracks comprise his eighth long-player to date. At the same time, he's shared a new video for the album's title track.

Now based in New Orleans, Abong is no stranger to the US music scene, having got his musical start in the 1980’s on the Rhode Island hardcore punk scene. In the early 1990s, he played bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly.

Putting music on hold for academic pursuits, he then earned a PhD in Humanities and taught at various universities for eight years before returning to music. Now back as a solo artist, Abong also plays bass in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio. He has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

"This album is a first for me. Composed entirely on keyboard/piano, I wanted to challenge my songwriting, to not rely on guitar to guide or limit what showed up. The first and biggest problem with this is that I don’t play piano. So I really had to have faith that the gods of music would show mercy on me … would be there for me if I was earnestly there for them. As always, I’ll let the listener decide whether or not my instrumental humility was divinely rewarded, but I personally feel that the Blindness album, if nothing else, reflects a willingness to follow artistic intuition wherever it may lead. This is something of a credo for me. In love as in music, I follow my heart," says Fred Abong.

A Filipino-American singer-songwriter, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Taking a detour from the musical road most traveled, Abong wrote the material for this album on the piano rather than bass or guitar, effectively opening up a new compositional and emotional space for him.

“Love is blind. Is this a truism or just true? I suppose it depends on where you are on the romantic journey. If the romance is fresh, then infatuation and sexual desire are usually foregrounded. You are ‘blinded by love’ and can see nothing else. Anyone who’s ever fallen in love is familiar with this. It’s dizzying," says Abong.

"As things progress, or in order for things to progress, another type of blindness must develop. Being blinded by love, in this case, means accepting or even loving difference - being blind to competing or incompatible attitudes. It means placing the other’s happiness on an equal footing to one’s own. It’s not dizzying; it’s grounding. True love, then, combines both forms of blindness. It’s ‘blind in both eyes’, you could say. I think Blindness, both the song and the album, reflects (among other things) a pursuit of this total love blindness - it’s hopeful and aspirational in that sense.”

Between the bookends of the new 'Blindness' album and 'Homeless', the first set of songs as a solo artist, originally self-released in 2018, Abong has released several critically acclaimed records, including his self-recorded 2023 'Fear Pageant' and earlier albums 'Yellowthroat', 'Pulsing' and 'Our Mother of Perpetual Help'.

On May 9, the 'Blindness' album will be released on CD, along with his 'Homeless' album, both of which can be pre-ordered via the label's Bandcamp. It will also be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Fred Abong
All instruments performed by Fred Abong
Videos by Fred Abong
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Album reeleased by Moochin' About Records

American alternative crooner Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) presents 'Heaven', previewing new 'Blindness' LP

April 8, 2024

“Purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track... like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic... Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious" ~ Newport Naked

“Abong’s vocal delivery is a testament to his storytelling prowess. His voice carries the weight of experience, each phrase brimming with authenticity and emotion... connecting on a profound level with the emotions that make us human” ~ Skylight Webzine

“So unique that there is no possible way this music could be mistaken as being performed by anyone else" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

New Orleans-based alternative folk-rock artist Fred Abong presents 'Heaven', the first taste of his new 'Blindness' album, to be released on May 9 via Moochin' About Records. While most famously associated with the bass guitar, Abong wrote this material for this album on the piano, effectively opening up a new compositional and emotional space for him.

His eighth long-player to date, Abong is no stranger to the US alternative music realm, having got his musical start in the 1980’s on the Rhode Island hardcore punk scene. In the early 1990s, he played bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. Putting music on hold for academic pursuits, he then earned a PhD in Humanities and taught at various universities for eight years before returning to music. Now back as a solo artist, Abong also plays bass in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio.

“Heaven is probably the most straightforward song on 'Blindness'. It's kind of an anthemic rock ballad, delivered in my own understated version of theatricality and drama. There's maybe even a touch of Broadway in there, much to my embarrassment … but there you have it. Lyrically, it's pretty downbeat, but what else is new? I am, always have been, and always will be a seeker after something truer and more ideal than what I find in the social and cultural sphere," says Fred Abong.

"Heaven is just one of many musical snapshots of an ongoing struggle to find or create an earthly paradise for myself and my loved ones and the disappointment and growing exhaustion of coming up empty again (and again). To be clear, Heaven is not an ode to the afterlife … it's more prophetic and atemporal, about finding eternity here and now rather than in an imagined future.”

This first single introduces one of the album's primary themes - salvation. In some sense, it's the album's only theme. Where and how is heaven found? Through some kind of spiritual awakening or realization of the ephemerality and impermanence of material life? In mystical union with the beloved? By living in the moment? By freeing oneself from the strictures of 'straight life' and going off the grid? By being blind to present reality and living in the glory days of the past? Or maybe there's only ever momentary salvation, such as experienced when being kissed? What about suicide? All of these questions and more are explored here… but hopefully temporarily resolved when set to music, which “hath charms to soothe the savage beast' in all of us.

A Filipino-American singer-songwriter, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Abong has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

Between the bookends of the new 'Blindness' album and 'Homeless', the first set of songs as a solo artist, originally self-released in 2018, Abong has released several critically acclaimed records, including his self-recorded 2023 'Fear Pageant' and earlier albums 'Yellowthroat', 'Pulsing' and 'Our Mother of Perpetual Help'.

As of April 9, 'Heaven' is available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. On May 9, the full 'Blindness' album will be released on CD, along with his 'Homeless' album, both of which can be pre-ordered via the label's Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Fred Abong
All instruments performed by Fred Abong
Videos by Fred Abong
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
Album released by Moochin' About Records

'Blindness' album pre-order
https://moochinaboutltd.bandcamp.com/album/blindness
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/1qHuRR8HuuAkPb1VTPSExd
LinkTree https://linktr.ee/fredabong

American alternative crooner Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) brings new offering - 'Shadows' from the 'Fear Pageant' LP

September 5, 2023

“Purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track... like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Thoughtful, minimalist. The ghost of Syd Barrett watches over everything... ‘another sonic leap forward” ~ Real Gone Rocks

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

“An ascent out of singer-songwriter folk territory into something bordering on punk and psychedelia” ~ Fatea Magazine

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic... Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious ~ Newport Naked

New Orleans-based alternative folk-rock artist Fred Abong presents the single 'Shadows' from his latest 'Fear Pageant' album, recently released via Seattle label Disc Drive. This is Abong's seventh long-player to date.

Shadows, swans, and spooky trees. An aged romantic lip syncing poorly. Carnival organs, distorted steel drums, and cheesy synth piano. Dramatic black and white footage. Understated color splashes and expert frame dissolves. This video has it all.

Fred Abong got his musical start in the 1980’s on the Rhode Island hardcore punk scene. In the early 1990s, he played bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. Putting music on hold for academic pursuits, he then earned a PhD in Humanities and taught at various universities for eight years before returning to music. Now back as a solo artist, Abong also plays bass in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio.

A Filipino-American singer-songwriter, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Abong has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

"Shadows came into being in much the same way as all my songs do … via a set of strong images or vignettes that flood into my head in response to a piece of music I’ve written," says Fred Abong.

"I mentioned that the song makes me want to slow dance with my woman. This is exactly what I was seeing when I first laid down the arpeggiated chord progression that constitutes the beginning of the song … that and her lovely silhouette dappling every surface in the room. Those images gave way to Homeric scenes, something like Odysseus returning to Penelope after the Trojan War. A sense of triumph is the idea, though in this case not over armed conflict, but over a long and bloody war of the heart. Prayers of gratitude are in order."

Creating music that is a blend of “ragged Replacements and lyric-driven Bob Dylan” and “Elliott Smith with balls”, his songs are existentially and romantically focused, poetic, and slightly off-kilter. Detuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and a raw and unpolished production aesthetic characterize the overall sound. Fred’s hypnotic, sometimes gravelly voice adds to the effect.

"Shadows is kind of the sleeper track on Fear Pageant, if you ask me. Blatantly and unapologetically romantic, it feels to me like Kenny G meets Leonard Cohen. It borders on, but never crosses into, total cheesiness. At least, I don’t think it does. But you will have to be the judge of that. In any case, the song makes *me* want to slow dance with my lady … I hope you find yourself in a similar state when you hear it," says Fred Abong.

Abong earlier teased several tracks from the album, including 'Father', 'My Way'and 'Fear Pageant'. This new record follows Abong's 'Yellowthroat' album, released in 2022 and recorded with Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh Electric Trio) and earlier albums 'Homeless', 'Pulsing' and 'OMOPH'.

The 'Fear Pageant' album is out now and available across fine music platforms, including Bandcamp. The record is available on vinyl or as a digital download.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
All songs recorded, mixed and performed by Fred Abong
All instruments by Fred Abong
Mastered by Fred Thomas
Videos by Fred Abong
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Alternative folk-rock troubadour Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) unveils 'Fear Pageant' title track from seventh album

August 12, 2023

Fred Abong got his musical start in the 1980’s as a drummer, bassist and guitarist on the Rhode Island hardcore punk scene. In the early 1990s, he played bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. He then put music on hold for academic pursuits, earning a PhD in Humanities and teaching at various universities for eight years before returning to music. Now back as a solo artist, Abong also plays bass in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio.

A Filipino-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Abong has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

"This album started with the love of a new guitar I had recently purchased - a gold Gretsch Rancher Penguin. As with all my guitars, I immediately adjusted it to baritone tuning and began writing. Pretty quickly, I had enough songs for a record. I knew these songs were going to get a fuller production treatment than previous efforts though. The main reason for this is that, like a good commie, I was finally in possession of the means of production, having been gifted a Mac Workbook, upon which to load my DAW of choice. With the aid of a keyboard MIDI controller, I could finally do everything myself, which has always been my dream. Fear Pageant is thus my first attempt at a truly DIY solo effort," says Fred Abong.

"Outside of these technical details, the songs are of course rooted in the same existential and romantic hangups as usual, i.e., in an ongoing anxiety about my tenuous place in the world and in the lives of intimates. Taken together, the subject matter of the songs struck me as a kind of never-ending personal drama, one that others might also identify with, of course, but one that feels incredibly ostentatious and elaborate ‘on the inside’. Like a one-man Fear Pageant, in other words."

In the lead-up to the album's release, Abong also released the lead singles 'Father' and 'My Way'. The new album itself follows Abong's 'Yellowthroat' album, released in 2022 and recorded with Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh Electric Trio).

His songs are existentially and romantically focused, poetic, and slightly off-kilter. Detuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and a raw and unpolished production aesthetic characterize the overall sound. Fred’s hypnotic, sometimes gravelly voice adds to the effect.

'Fear Pageant' is out now and available across fine music platforms, including Bandcamp. The record is available on vinyl or as a digital download.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
All songs recorded, mixed and performed by Fred Abong
All instruments by Fred Abong
Mastered by Fred Thomas
Videos by Fred Abong

Alternative folk-rock troubadour Fred Abong releases 'My Way', final single ahead of 'Fear Pageant' album

July 11, 2023

“Purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track... like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Thoughtful, minimalist. The ghost of Syd Barrett watches over everything... ‘another sonic leap forward” ~ Real Gone Rocks

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

“An ascent out of singer-songwriter folk territory into something bordering on punk and psychedelia” ~ Fatea Magazine

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic... Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious ~ Newport Naked

Ahead of releasing his 'Fear Pageant' album - his seventh to date - via Seattle label Disc Drive, alternative folk-leaning indie rock artist Fred Abong presents his latest single and video for 'My Way'. Though just as impressive, this is quite a different beast than the lead track 'Father'.

This follows Abong's 2022 'Yellowthroat' album, recorded with Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh Electric Trio). Here, Abong - a Filipino-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - upholds his reputation for creating music that is a blend of “ragged Replacements and lyric-driven Bob Dylan” and “Elliott Smith with balls”.

Currently based in New Orleans, Fred Abong got his musical start in the 1980’s on Rhode Island as a drummer, bassist and guitarist in various hardcore punk bands. He spent the early 1990s playing bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. He then put music as a profession on hold for academic pursuits, earning a PhD in Humanities and serving as a professor at various universities for eight years before returning to music.

Continuing as a solo artist, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Fred Abong is also currently bassist in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio and has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

"Unlike the Sinatra song of the same name, this is not a manifesto of self-determination or a reflection on individualism and world-beating fearlessness. It’s also not a send-up of that attitude or sentiment. My ‘My Way’ is, accidentally, closer to the subject matter (but not the sentiment) of the original French version of the Sinatra song. In the French version, of which I only recently became aware, the gradual erosion of marriage and love by the crushing boredom of mundane life is the focus," says Fred Abong.

"My ‘My Way’ is definitely a kind of self-portrait and a meditation on love and marriage. But it is not triumphant or regretful. It’s more about the mixing of romance and resignation than anything else. It also recognizes the omnipresence of death, both physical and spiritual. And it explores the longing, conscious or unconscious, for wholeness and 'completion' present in intimate relationships."

His songs are existentially and romantically focused, poetic, and slightly off-kilter. Detuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and a raw and unpolished production aesthetic characterize the overall sound. Fred’s hypnotic, sometimes gravelly voice adds to the effect.

'My Way' is out now across fine music platforms, including Bandcamp, where the 'Fear Pageant' album is now available to order. On July 20, it will be released on vinyl or as a digital download.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
All songs recorded, mixed and performed by Fred Abong
All instruments by Fred Abong
Mastered by Fred Thomas
Videos by Fred Abong

Alternative singer-songwriter Fred Abong presents pensive new single 'My Way', previewing 'Fear Pageant' album

June 29, 2023

“Purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track... like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Thoughtful, minimalist. The ghost of Syd Barrett watches over everything... ‘another sonic leap forward” ~ Real Gone Rocks

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

“An ascent out of singer-songwriter folk territory into something bordering on punk and psychedelia” ~ Fatea Magazine

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic... Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious ~ Newport Naked

Singer-songwriter / indie rock artist Fred Abong presents 'My Way', the second singe from his forthcoming 'Fear Pageant' album, slated for release in late summer via Seattle-based label Disc Drive. Earlier, Abong released the record's lead track 'Father'.

This is Abong's seventh album (most were self-released, as were his two EPs), following up his 'Yellowthroat' album, released in mid-2022 and recorded together with Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh Electric Trio). On this release, Abong - a Filipino-American alternative singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - upholds his reputation for creating a blend of “ragged Replacements and lyric-driven Bob Dylan” and as “Elliott Smith with balls”.

A musical and geographical wanderer, he grew up in the Northeast, has lived in Southern California, and currently calls New Orleans home. His songs are existentially and romantically focused, poetic, and slightly off-kilter. Detuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and a raw and unpolished production aesthetic characterize the overall sound. Fred’s hypnotic, sometimes gravelly voice adds to the effect.

"Unlike the Sinatra song of the same name, this is not a manifesto of self-determination or a reflection on individualism and world-beating fearlessness. It’s also not a send-up of that attitude or sentiment. My ‘My Way’ is, accidentally, closer to the subject matter (but not the sentiment) of the original French version of the Sinatra song. In the French version, of which I only recently became aware, the gradual erosion of marriage and love by the crushing boredom of mundane life is the focus," says Fred Abong.

"While I may be able to relate to both versions on some level, they were neither the inspiration nor the reference for my song. That said, ‘My Way’ is definitely a kind of self-portrait and a meditation on love and marriage. But it is not triumphant or regretful. It’s more about the mixing of romance and resignation than anything else. It also recognizes the omnipresence of death, both physical and spiritual. And it explores the longing, conscious or unconscious, for wholeness and 'completion' present in intimate relationships. Given that these things are universal, I probably should've called the song 'The Way' rather than 'My Way'. You can call it that if you want."

Getting his musical start in 1980’s Rhode Island as a drummer, bassist and guitarist in an array of hardcore punk bands, Abong spent the early 1990s playing bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. He then put music as a profession on hold for academic pursuits, earning a PhD in Humanities and serving as a professor at various universities for eight years before returning to music.

Continuing to write songs as a solo artist, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Fred Abong is also currently bassist in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio and has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

'My Way' is available from fine music platforms, including Bandcamp, where his 'Yellowthroat' record is also available in all formats. The full 'Fear Pageant' album will be released (digitally and on vinyl) on July 20.

Alternative singer-songwriter Fred Abong releases 'Father', first taste of forthcoming 'Fear Pageant' album

June 7, 2023

“Purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track... like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Thoughtful, minimalist. The ghost of Syd Barrett watches over everything... ‘another sonic leap forward” ~ Real Gone Rocks

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

“An ascent out of singer-songwriter folk territory into something bordering on punk and psychedelia” ~ Fatea Magazine

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic... Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious ~ Newport Naked

Indie rock artist Fred Abong presents his new single 'Father', the first taste of his forthcoming album 'Fear Pageant', slated for release in late summer via Seattle-based label Disc Drive.

This is Abong's seventh album (most of which have been self-released, along with his two EPs), following up his 'Yellowthroat' album, released in mid-2022 and recorded together with Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh Electric Trio).

On this release, Abong - a Filipino-American indie / alternative rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - upholds his reputation as a songwriter creating a blend of “ragged Replacements and lyric-driven Bob Dylan” and as “Elliott Smith with balls”.

A musical and geographical wanderer, he grew up in the Northeast, has lived in Southern California, and currently calls New Orleans home. His songs are existentially and romantically focused, poetic, and slightly off-kilter. Detuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and a raw and unpolished production aesthetic characterize the overall sound. Fred’s hypnotic, sometimes gravelly adds to the effect.

"This was one of the last songs to be written for this album. Though I never know what ‘inspires’ a song in any kind of obvious way (I don’t get ‘ideas’ for songs or anything like that), it’s possible the song is informed by the fact that my children are all adults now. But that’s too linear an interpretation. The song is both less and more than that, in my opinion. Nothing is that straightforward. You should be getting the idea that I’m not in control of the song, ever. Maybe the spelling … I’m in control of the spelling," says Fred Abong.

"Lyrically and imagistically, though, it suggests to me a spiritual crisis of some sort. The music, too, has a solemn, reverential quality, until it gets funky in the outro. Actually, now that I think about it, the whole song is both reverential and funky. It just gets funkier at the end. So, I guess that’s what the song is about – funky reverence."

Getting his musical start in 1980’s Rhode Island as a drummer, bassist and guitarist in an array of hardcore punk bands, Fred Abong spent the early 1990s playing bass for Throwing Muses and then Belly. He then put music as a profession on hold for academic pursuits, earning a PhD in Humanities and serving as a professor at various universities for eight years before returning to music.

Continuing to write songs as a solo artist, Abong's music has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Fred Abong is also currently bassist in the Kristin Hersh Electric Trio and has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

As of June 6, 'Father' will be released on fine music platforms, including Bandcamp, where his 'Yellowthroat' record is also available in all formats. The full 'Fear Pageant' album will be released (digitally and on vinyl) on July 20.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics by Fred Abong
All songs recorded, mixed and performed by Fred Abong
All instruments by Fred Abong
Mastered by Fred Thomas

Fred Abong releases 'Yellowthroat' album featuring Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh Trio)

October 1, 2022

This is Abong's sixth album, having self-released five on his own, as well as two EPs. Abong’s music has been described as a cross between “ragged Replacements and lyric-driven Bob Dylan,” and as “Elliott Smith with balls”.

Shortly ahead of this, Abong presented the song 'Passenger Side' along with a self-produced video, following earlier singles 'Twister' and 'Aurora', released ahead of his recent UK and US tours, where he supported Kristin Hersh.

Fred Abong is a Filipino-American artist, whose music represents an endearing mix of indie-alternative rock and folk singer-songwriter. His work is characterized by existential and romantically focused poetic lyrics, a hypnotic, sometimes gravelly, baritone voice, off-kilter and down-tuned guitars and unconventional song structures. He has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation.

“When I wrote 'Yellowthroat', I was (and still am, honestly) in a very romantic way. Of course, love and romance are impossible to straightforwardly convey, but I chose the straightforwardly romantic classical guitar as the primary instrument for the record, nonetheless. I grew up hearing my older siblings playing it around the house, and at an early age fell in love with its inherent drama and melancholy. I also learned to play the classical guitar (in my own way) but never felt compelled to write or record with it until now. I guess I had to wait until I was truly in love to feel I could approach it properly," says Fred Abong.

"Aside from attempting to capture the subtleties of new love, I also knew that I wanted 'Yellowthroat' to be more than just a collection of songs in the tradition of Leonard Cohen et. al. This is why I asked my pal Rob Ahlers (50 Foot Wave, KH Trio), a master drummer and all-around musical savant, if he would lend both his song-oriented ear and his multi-talented musical touch to the record. After I wrote all the songs and recorded the guitar and vocals at home between Dec 2020 and March 2021, Rob got busy, adding his parts and shaping the general direction of the production in fits and starts over the next year. The result is my version of an old fashioned crooner record (‘In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning’ was on heavy rotation during the writing phase, hence the cover). It’s a tribute to heartache and romance, existentially framed, colored with punk rock edginess, and filtered through a difficult-to-place, vapor-wave production.”

Until returning to music full-time, Abong spent nearly a decade immersed in academia, completing a Ph.D. in Humanities and working as an adjunct professor in the Religious Studies, Philosophy, and English Departments at various universities. He has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

'Yellowthroat' is out now, available on CD and 12-inch 160-gram black vinyl, as well as digitally via Bandcamp, where the record is available in all formats.

SELECT PRESS FEEDBACK
“There is a purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track. It feels like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Thoughtful, minimalist, sometimes even bleak, but all the better for it. The ghost of Syd Barrett watches over everything... ‘Yellowthroat’ takes another sonic leap forward” ~ Real Gone Rocks

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

“An ascent out of singer-songwriter folk territory into something bordering on punk and psychedelia” ~ Fatea Magazine

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic, these songs could easily serve as the soundtrack to a Jim Jarmusch film. Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious, they beckon the listener back to experience them over and over again” ~ Newport Naked

Keep up with Fred Abong
Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Fred Abong Astrology

Fred Abong releases 'Passenger Side' single ahead of new 'Yellowthroat' album

August 18, 2022

Singer-songwriter Fred Abong will be releasing his new 'Yellowthroat' LP on August 23 via Seattle-based startup Disc Disc, recorded together with Rob Ahlers, drummer in 50FOOTWAVE and the Kristin Hersh Trio, of which Abong is also a part.

This is Abong's sixth album, having self-released five on his own, as well as two EPs. Abong’s music has been described as a cross between “ragged Replacements and lyric-driven Bob Dylan,” and as “Elliott Smith with balls”.

Ahead of this, Abong presents the album's third single 'Passenger Side' along with a self-produced video. This follows 'Twister' and 'Aurora', which he released ahead of the UK and US legs of Abong's recent tour with Kristin Hersh.

Fred Abong is a Filipino-American artist, whose music represents an endearing mix of indie-alternative rock and folk singer-songwriter. His work is characterized by existential and romantically focused poetic lyrics, a hypnotic, sometimes gravelly, baritone voice, off-kilter and down-tuned guitars and unconventional song structures. He has a raw and unpolished production aesthetic with an overall direct, though deceptively imaginative and oblique, presentation.

"Early on, Rob (Ahlers) and I felt that 'Passenger Side' was a possible single because it seemed so ‘easy’. That’s not to say that it’s a ‘simple’ song in any way… just that it has a very accessible sound and vibe, says Fred Abong.

"In any case, like the rest of 'Yellowthroat', it treats of the romantic journey, in particular the sense of being ‘taken for a ride’ by the relationship, but not necessarily in the pejorative sense. It’s focus is the early stages, where the trip is dark and foreboding (maybe ‘mysterious’ is a better term). The lovers as ‘a pair of possums going through the crosswalk in the night’, suggests their desire to discover one another privately, away from the gaze of humanity, and the song culminates in a recognition of both brokenness and true intimacy as well as a fragile hope that for the full blossoming of love. Plus, there’s an awesome keyboard part by Rob!

Until returning to music full-time, Abong spent nearly a decade immersed in academia, completing a Ph.D. in Humanities and working as an adjunct professor in the Religious Studies, Philosophy, and English Departments at various universities. He has also been a practicing Vedic astrologer for the past 20 plus years.

As of August 13, 'Yellowthroat' will be available on CD and 12-inch 160-gram black vinyl, as well as digitally across the. It can be obtained in all formats via Bandcamp.

SELECT PRESS FEEDBACK
“There is a purity and honesty in his approach that gets more and more intense with each track. It feels like you’re riding a wave of energy” ~ Higher Plain Music

“Thoughtful, minimalist, sometimes even bleak, but all the better for it. The ghost of Syd Barrett watches over everything... ‘Yellowthroat’ takes another sonic leap forward” ~ Real Gone Rocks

“An almost painful intimacy to his words despite the oblique phrasing and imagery he conjures” ~ Isolation Records

“An ascent out of singer-songwriter folk territory into something bordering on punk and psychedelia” ~ Fatea Magazine

“Beautifully raw, uncluttered and quite cinematic, these songs could easily serve as the soundtrack to a Jim Jarmusch film. Melodically infectious and lyrically mysterious, they beckon the listener back to experience them over and over again” ~ Newport Naked

Keep up with Fred Abong
Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Fred Abong Astrology