Indie rock duo The Bolshoi Brothers present their new single 'Just a Girl', previewing their debut eponymous album, set for release on March 21. The accompanying video is an appealing black and white visual vignette, filmed by Matus Foris and Vegas Storm and featuring Nova Clark as "The Girl".
Now based in the USA, The Bolshoi Brothers is made up of Trevor Tanner and Paul Clark, both original members of legendary Beggars Banquet-signed 80s new wave band The Bolshoi. The two hadn't recorded or played together since the band's fateful breakup 35 years ago. Due to working on this album during Covid lockdowns, they recorded the tracks remotely from their respective home studios - Trevor in Florida and Paul in Seattle.
"Working with Trevor again after a significant hiatus was akin to find a little gate behind the bushes at the end of the garden that leads into a whole new world. Within days of passing rough musical ideas back and forth, we were making great music again, created at a time when the world was in lockdown, with a pandemic and all that comes with it, creating fear and confusion," says Paul Clark.
This album arrives, hot on the heels of two new vinyl releases from Beggars Banquet Records, including The Bolshoi's previously-unreleased album 'Country Life' and the re-release of their seminal album 'Friends'. Earlier, The Bolshoi Brothers also released the singles 'Suburbs' and 'Steam Funk'.
This is an exciting project, where echoes of the past meet the spark of the present, yielding a sound that is both recognizable and utterly new. Comprised of 11 original songs, this isn't an exercise in nostalgia. This project brings, imbued with grounded sophistication, presents a tapestry of rich tones and insightful lyrics - a welcomed original listening experience that feels familiar.
"While recording the music, I wondered if there would even be an audience to listen to it, making its creation feel like a true labour of love. Maybe the album is a little darker, a little stranger because of it. The process of receiving rough ideas, sometimes single lines, and adding to it was fascinating. Dropping one of Trevors ideas into Logic, the software we both used to record the album, was like dropping a precious jewel into a pool and playing with the ripples. The world outside my studio during those times was as quiet as it was inside while recording, so I never really got the sense I was closing up shop ready for the next day. The music was always with me," says Paul Clark.
Trevor Tanner adds, "Paul and I did not even set foot in the same room during the whole of the recording and mixing process, but the result is a surprisingly cohesive and powerful collection of intense songs. It was really exciting to work with Paul again and I think his hard work and genius talent really shines here. This is not an exercise in nostalgia however, it is a brand new project with obvious nods to our respective past, but a distinctive and sincere approach, resulting in a unique if slightly skewed musical identity, which I think is very relevant in these present days".
Trevor Tanner and Paul Clark first collaborated as members of The Bolshoi on the groundbreaking 'Friends' album, released by Beggars Banquet Records, which included the charted song 'Sunday Morning' (a number one hit in Brazil and Argentina).
The Bolshoi soon built a substantial live following worldwide. With their next album, 'Lindy’s Party', the band’s reach expanded into new territories. While working on their next album, the band ended up splitting in 1990, after which Trevor and Paul each went on to release several solo albums and collaborate with other musicians.
'Just a Girl'' is out now everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. On March 21, 'The Bolshoi Brothers' album will be available on CD, cassette, 180-gram vinyl, as well as digitally. All physical versions come with a download code for a 44.1kHz uncompressed WAV version of the album, along with the album artwork). This will be followed by live shows, featuring songs from the new album and select songs originally recorded by The Bolshoi.
CREDITS
Lyrics by Trevor Tanner
Music by Trevor Tanner & Paul Clark
Recorded and performed by Trevor Tanner & Paul Clark
Recorded in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and Seattle, Washington
Produced by Trevor Tanner & Paul Clark
Mixed by Paul Clark
Mastered by Steve Turnidge at Ars Divina / UltraViolet Studios
Album and singles artwork by Basehart Snitch
ISRC code - USGTJ2400087
Artist photos by Matus Foris & Cathy Sorbo
Video footage of Trevor Tanner by Matus Foris
Video footage of Nova Clark by Vegas Storm
Actress: Nova Clark as "The Girl"
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
