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The Friction I Demand

by Willow Waters & The Earth Tones

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1.
Lyrics Take me down to the bottom of the ocean Take me down below Take me down to the bottom of the barrel Take me down to the dregs To see what lies in the minds of the callous heads It’s been a while since I felt so certain About the state of the world I spent some time in the belly of the beast But we’re all caught up in this theater of the absurd It’s not something that I ever really wanted But it’s something that I need I’m taken down to when those bottom dwellers feed Taken down to the bottom of the ocean Taken down below It’s been a while since I felt so certain About the state of the world I spent some time in the belly of the beast But we’re all caught up in this theater of the absurd
2.
3.
Lyrics The wheels just won’t stop turning I dug my heels into the sand I couldn’t stop the burning From the friction I demand Another chapter concluded So much faster than I thought I’m bruised, used, polluted Far from anything I sought All alone again Crawled into the open wind I pawed my heels into the sand Alone as I began
4.
Lyrics Buried down compacted like stone A mess of weeds left overgrown Forgotten dreams and parts unknown Buried down compacted like stone Let it rise up to the surface Let the grief unfold and bloom All that has been carried Lives reflected in the moon Hurried forth perplexed in love A mind like clouds dispersed above Distracted by the mourning doves Hurried forth perplexed in love Let it rise up to the surface Let the grief unfold and bloom All that has been carried Lives reflected in the moon Heavy as humidity
5.
Lyrics My body reels on the heels of a dream All my desires set fire at the seems All falls apart and to the start I repeat Decomposition positions my feet Death brings renewal But not without grief When death is in bounty How do we find relief? My body bends and it pretends not to break Holding my footing like an ungrounded stake All falls apart and to the start I repeat Decomposition positions my feet Death brings renewal But not without grief When death is in bounty How do we find relief? Death brings renewal But not without grief When death is in bounty How do we find relief?
6.
Lyrics Tears live suspended at the back of my throat Held back as I swallow; hollowed bones begin to float The burden of my body left tangled in your web My sense of self distorted; into your mind I am fed Finally the welling brings a wetness to my eyes You will not keep a hold on me; I am leaving you behind Your weight is a heavy one, but I will not be your mule I am not your evil; No I am not your, I am not your fool I wonder why I let you cause this scism My mind scrambles on in discordant rhythm I let out another moan Feeling the eternal drone Hands held tightly to my heart Falling backwards into the void Back to where we start
7.
Lyrics Why must I whine and pine I live undue privilege to unending time Complaints still arise and I utter with ease Leaving knots in my gut I am sickly diseased But it’s never too late to be grateful To be sowing the seeds, letting gratitude breed Not that the bitters are a meaningless taste But alone and out of context we will suffer and waste Yes alone and out of context we will suffer and waste Relate to this life with a forgiving heart In the beauty and strife we will replenish, we will restart What does it all define All this undue privilege to unending time It all feels designed and its out of my hands Or so i say to myself to escape your demands But it’s never too late to be grateful To be sowing the seeds, letting gratitude breed Not that the bitters are a meaningless taste But alone and out of context we will suffer and waste Yes alone and out of context we will suffer and waste So forgive this life with a relative heart In the strife and the glory we will replenish, we will restart
8.
Lyrics War is not over just because you want it You can’t just close your eyes The truth is still out there and people are dying You can’t just close your eyes The earth is revolting to our destruction We forgot to honor the bees But it’s not too late now to change are habits We’ve got to honor the bees I know it’s a little bit harder than I’ve made it out to be But please don’t walk away We’ve internalized all that we despise But please don’t let it stay Breathe it in and feel it deep within your skin And breathe it out again Breathe it in and feel it deep within your skin And breathe it out, breathe it out, breathe it out again There aren’t two genders just ‘cause you said so No no no, we can express infinitely No matter your body, you bestow beauty And you deserve love intimately I know it’s a little bit harder than I’ve made it out to be But please don’t walk away We’ve internalized all that we despise But please don’t let it stay Breathe it in and feel it deep within your skin And breathe it out again Breathe it in and feel it deep within your skin And breathe it out, breathe it out, breathe it out again
9.
Lyrics Abundant life in a time of decline One can find a depth and beauty divine Moments drifting in the midst of the blaze Ferments lifting our senses from the haze But we can’t ignore all that is broken Laws written for the white rich and powerful But we can’t ignore all that is broken Love in time restores We can be comfortable when we’re allowed to breather We can be comfortable in the soft sunny summer breeze Even then we still need some relief Sent to those reaching up from beneath But we can’t ignore all that is broken Laws written for the white rich and powerful But we can’t ignore all that is broken Love in time restores Love in time, time restores Love in time restores

about

ALBUM DESCRIPTION:
Willow Waters is no stranger to shadows. Yet on her expansive, fractallate new record “The Friction I Demand”, she does not merely sing of the darkness, she invites us all to an underworld nightclub where she is both riveting emcee and chanteuse backed by a virtuosic orchestra. A Virgil to our Dante, a Charon to our lost souls, Willow becomes our guide on a musical journey like no other, all the way to death and back. As she sings on the stirring opener “Theater of the Absurd”: “Take me down to the bottom of the ocean/Take me down below”. And we follow.

This album is a stunning explosion of color, a dawn chorus of birds or an evening chorus of frogs. Like those choirs each piece fits together with brilliant and seemingly effortless precision. Saxophones bleat and glitter over rampant, shimmering drums. Rapturous choirs swirl around billowing piano flourishes. The instrumentation is abundant and teeming, more than holding its own on the instrumental “Pastel Sky”. And soaring above it all is Willow’s confident, declamatory voice, leading listeners on a rollicking journey through death, through grief, to renewal. Willow is a multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, and her decades of relationship with her musical craft show their flying colors in the magnificent composition of this record. She blends a sweeping soundscape of inspirations into a genre that has no parallel, ranging from the jazz-infused skitter of “Death Brings Renewal”, to the crooning balladry of “The Friction I Demand” and the blistering rock and roll of “Hollowed Bones”. A dark night of the soul that has never felt this groovy.

And listener, when you emerge from this transportive experience, bleary eyed and grimey from the tumult of this nightclub of the spirit, you will greet the brilliant sun in the closing track that brings us back into the light. Blinking and awestruck, you’ll note the taste of a bittersweet ecstasy on your tongue, and a chorus tumbling through your mind… “Love In Time Restores…”


BAND BIO:
Like the countless variegated hues of a landscape, Willow Waters’ band The Earth Tones overflows with sonic abundance. The orchestra in its fullest incarnation includes drummer Lars Johnson, bassist Ry Hays, saxophonists Anna Dolde and Thomas Strommen, keyboardist Peter Breen VanKoughnett, guitarist Abby Zak LeGare, cellist Julia Floberg, and a trio of vocalists Alexandra Griffin, Emily Kastrul, and Carlisle Evans Peck. At the center of it all is Willow Waters - composer and multi-instrumentalist - dancing with ease between guitars, piano, horns, mandolin, melodica, and percussion. You’ll hear the Earth Tones perform in many different smaller incarnations, displaying the versatility of this music to shapeshift with whichever arrangement of players is performing it. A truly mesmerizing feat - no two performances will be the same and each will be a uniquely transportive experience.

credits

released May 4, 2023

ALBUM CREDITS:
Julia Floberg - Cello (7)
AZ LeGare - Guitars (1, 4, 6)
Carlisle Evans Peck - Vocal Harmonies
Alexandra Griffin - Vocal Harmonies
Emily Kastrul - Vocal Harmonies
Anna Dolde - Alto Sax
Thommas Strommen - Tenor Sax
Peter Breen - Piano, EP, Synth
Ry Hays - Bass
Lars Johnson - Drums

Willow Waters - Songwriting / Arranging, Lead Vocals, Piano (1, 2, 3, 7), Guitars, Mandolin (3), Trumpet / Trombone / Tuba (5, 9), Melodica (7), Aux Percussion (7, 8, 9)

Recorded and Mixed by Jason McGlone at Hideaway Studio

Mastered by Rob Schlette at Anthem Mastering

Released by Aura Vortex Records

Artwork by Ry Hays

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Willow Waters Minneapolis, Minnesota

As the ripples on the surface of the river mingle and transform the lines and reflections of our world, so Willow Waters' music shapeshifts and defies categorization. Dancing lithely between rock and roll, folk, country, and jazz; bolstered by rich, intricate, and often surprising arrangements and instrumentation, her music exhibits exhaustive precision and delightful variety. ... more

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