A breathtaking alternative folk record full of light and introspection, addy’s stunning debut album ‘Eclipse’ moves us to slip into the depths of self for some much-needed self-discovery, reconnection, and renewal.
for fans of Hovvdy, Lomelda, Stephen Steinbrink, Andy Shauf
Stream: ‘Eclipse’ – Addy
Sometimes i think about the fruit – how it bruises just like your skin. I wish I could make it easier…
These days of distance and isolation make us yearn for connecting with others, yet they also give us a dear chance to reconnect with ourselves; to reflect on who we are and who we once were, where we were one year, two years, five years ago, and of course, where we’re heading next. Every journey begins with a thought, and Richmond’s addy give us plenty of room to think on their Eclipse, their stunning debut album. An inspired alternative folk record full of light and introspection, Eclipse moves us to slip into the depths of self for some much-needed personal reconnection.
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we laid out on the floor
in the pitch black
of the early morn
you said hold this lightly
things tend to erase
but sometimes it gets away from me
so i try my best to plant my feet
’cause it’s getting harder to tell
if i’m even here
think i’ll go away for a while
see if i grow
– “Planted,” addy
Released March 6, 2020 via Topshelf Records, Eclipse is a 31-minute escape into ourselves; a breathtaking record ready to sweep you off your feet and into the deepest, darkest crevices of your mind.
Stream: “Planted” – addy
For Virginia four-piece addy, this depth of lyricism and moving sonic work is nothing new. Consisting of Adam Watkins, Tim Peele, Kurt Bailey, and Taylor Noll, addy’s spellbinding EPs (2017’s debut Re Call, and 2018’s Rose Eyes) set the stage for the warm, lush, visceral music they’ve delivered across their haunting full-length. A DIY band blending folk, alternative, and electronic stylings, addy’s soundscapes are as full as those of Gregory Alan Isakov and as spacious as Hovvdy or Lomelda’s best work; meanwhile, their lyrics evoke poetic likes of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Andy Shauf, and the late Leonard Cohen.
The band craft gorgeous worlds into which we fall headfirst, our souls soaring despite the heavy emotion threaded through every song.
Beginning with the unassuming “Garden Snake,” Eclipse invites us to step away from our surroundings: To close our eyes and let our spirits wander. “Took you for a walk today ’cause the sun came out,” sings bandleader Adam Watkins against an increasingly bittersweet background of acoustic guitar and assorted chimes, birds, and electronics. It’s like opening the door for the first time after a dark, tempestuous thunderstorm: The world feels picturesque in its calm state, a condition you too often take for granted:
took you for a walk today
cause the sun came out
guess it’s time to make amends
cause it’s warm again
shed all of my skin
i’m a garden snake
there ain’t nothing truly bound
to permanence
– “Garden Snake,” addy
Thus begins a cathartic adventure that will bring a hearty smile to the face and a refreshing contentment to the soul. Lead single “Planted” is a dreamy folktronica kiss of bliss; “Easier” is a heavy-hearted attempt to be there for a loved one in their time of need; “Elevator” is an immersive dive into a love that once was, complete with an authentic, poetic expression of appreciation and understanding.
swallowed your love
like holy wine
like broken bread
slept by your side
warmed by your blood
bound by your eyes
lost our petals in the rain
the smell of funeral
and the aftertaste
oh the love that we made
it’s our eternal elevator
– “Elevator,” addy
Every song on Eclipse presents its own little wonder to our ears, and in turn, our hearts.
The album gives to listeners a world of color, yet its colors are muted – dampened by the weight of life and time that seems to get heavier with each passing day, and every consecutive song. addy reach their climax in title track “Eclipse,” a powerful dive into the self that sets fire to the past in its search for purpose, place, and meaning. Musically intense and lyrically arresting, “Eclipse” owns its namesake well, demanding that we yet again step out of the norm and look to our own sources of light and power. It’s a magnificent display of tension and release, and one that speaks as much to the ebb and flow of sound as it does emotion.
drew the shades, woke up late
in the light, bleeding in
took a drive up 95
what am I hoping to find
an image that you first saw
the night we slept in my yard
i wonder if I can be that
i wonder if i am
Eclipse is ultimately an album of wonder built on hope, space, and an innate longing for renewal.
As addy drown our ears in pools of beautiful haunting sound, they open us up to soulful meditation and spiritual healing.
Eclipse can be a coming-of-age album, or simply one of self-discovery and growth; however you hear it, addy’s music is sure to open new doors and help you close old ones. Experience the full record via our exclusive stream, and peek inside addy’s Eclipse with Atwood Magazine as Adam Watkins goes track-by-track through the music and lyrics of their debut album!
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:: stream/purchase Eclipse here ::
Stream: ‘Eclipse’ – Addy
:: Inside Eclipse ::
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Garden Snake
I wrote this song the first warm day in Virginia of 2018. My roommates and I were fostering a puppy at the time and I took him to this big park nearby and we went on a walk. The puppy was no more than 6 weeks old and this was probably his first time really outside for more than a minute or two. Walking in the grass, chasing birds around the trees. The metaphor of spring being played out so literally before me. I had had a really rough winter and I remember feeling a shift that day. Like this peace about moving on and it really set the tone for the whole record. Change, and seeing it through these small and everyday moments. It felt right starting the record off that way and we wanted to capture it honestly just with a room mic but slowly adding in elements that come in later throughout the record.
Planted
This song takes place In my apartment, with my roommate at the time. Trying to learn to live in the moment. I have a disposition to dwell and hold onto things longer than they need to be. The song is about learning to let go and grow into something new. Finally ending in that quiet room where a scented candle reminds me of the past but my friend tells me there’s no rush, take your time to heal. Originally the song was meant to be slightly slower but when I went to demo it I wanted to play with a beat. I used this old Casio and that beat ended up being the baseline for the whole track, giving it much more bop and groove pushing the song to an uplifting tone.
Easier
Easier is about a lifelong friendship with someone and seeing them change and being close as they experience pains in their life. Reminiscing on the sweetness of adolescence, trying to not let nostalgia turn bitter. The songs admits to life not be as easy as it once was and how relationships become complicated and life grows more complex with age. It’s hard to see the ones you love go through something and carry hurt and in the song I sing about wishing to make it easier even though it’s out of my own control.
Elevator
This song went through many iterations, it holds a lot of meaning for me. Sonically I love how it ended up having this kind of Neil Young twang and swing to it but retaining so much of what defines this project. The song is wrapped in religious imagery while detailing past love. It’s not in mourning, though; it seeks to acknowledge how all things come to an end but how the love itself past or present can continue to lift and inspire us forward.
Equinox
This song is kind of a combination of a lot of memories but is rooted in a time being with a friend out in the snow on the spring equinox last year. The song questions what role my relationships have on who I am or who I become. Have I always looked for myself in you, do I depend on it?
Strawberries
This song explores the euphoria and pain that comes from being in love. How it’s transformative, especially the longer the relationship is. There was this very vibrant memory I had with a past partner that shaped a lot of this song but also wanted to address how people change over time. The relationship was long and beautiful in many ways but at the end of something like that your left wondering was it worth it? and who am I really now? the ground you thought you had is no longer stable. The underlying drum sound is from this old Roland drum machine I bought when I first started playing solo shows as Addy, I love the pulsating rhythm and texture it brings.
Pond
It’s a bit of a baptism. feeling the air as you ride your bike or the cool water on your skin, it’s refreshing. Desperate to feel absolved and like a brand new person. But now I know it’s just a pond, there’s nothing holy about the water. I have to make peace with who I am and love that person, faults and all.
Eclipse
On the morning of the solar eclipse I had woken up feeling terrible. Depressed, fresh out of a bad dream, I just got in my car and drove and drove. In the song I ask myself what was I hoping to find on my panicked venture. The album reaches its apex here, all the growth and change, the self questioning. I wanted to find the person that someone else saw in me, that they helped make me be. And so the song ends with a realization of, what if I already am the person I want to be.
Pattern
This song takes place around a fire where I met someone who would later become very special to me. It was the beginning of summer and I had finally felt like I had gone through a little rebirth. Fluttery keyboards mimic the cicadas that soundtracked our conversation and I was excited and scared as I felt these things about someone new. It was romantic but it was also about something bigger, the feeling of change and new beginnings embodied in the moment.
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:: stream/purchase Eclipse here ::
Stream: ‘Eclipse’ – Addy
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