Today, Sea Wolf announced the anticipated new album Through A Dark Wood will release on March 20 via Dangerbird Records. The Los Angeles-based artist returns with his first new album in six years, featuring his most intimate material to date. Along with the announcement, Sea Wolf has released a new video for “Fear of Failure”, the captivating debut song that exemplifies the strength in confronting internal demons. Check it out below…
“This is the first new Sea Wolf music in a while, and the first time people have seen me in a while, so director Jacob Epstein and I liked the idea of the video being me reconnecting with people, and letting the viewer see me in a way we’ve never shown before,” explains Sea Wolf frontman Alex Brown Church. “I’m sort of vulnerable to attack in this video, but this also opens up the possibility of making a connection. I think this kind of vulnerability is reflected in the song and the upcoming album, so we felt it was fitting for the first video.”
Sea Wolf first captured attention with the breakout track “You’re A Wolf” off his full-length debut, one of three studio albums that have since garnered praise from NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New York Times and more. Following the release of 2014’s stripped-down LP Song Spells No. 1: Cedarsmoke, Church returned to the studio to write and record a new record, but felt the songs did not reflect the serious life changes he was experiencing and decided to scrap it. After taking time to score an independent feature called Julia Blue, a musically rejuvenated Church began digging deeper to create a compelling collection of new songs. The result is a profoundly personal album that highlights the strength in vulnerability and bravery in the face of fear, showcased by his powerful, poignant delivery and strikingly honest songwriting.
“The title comes from the period of time that I was in when I was making this record — going through this,” says Church. “And I’ve come out of it, and I’m on the other side, which is something that I want to start with. I’m through it.”
Through A Dark Wood is a raw, contemplative album that explores the complex feelings surrounding relationships, loss, the magnitude of current events, and ultimately the process of finding hope through it all. Church’s carefully crafted lyrics are wrapped around expansive indie/folk melodies, lush drum machines and a stunning string quartet, maintaining a sense of musical familiarity while still pushing his sound forward. From the resilient, evocative anthems “Blood Pact” and “Two of Us” to the sweeping arrangements and poetic imagery in “Frank O’Hara” and “Back to the Wind”, his ability to gracefully illustrate deep, complex human emotions is on full display. As cathartic as it is triumphant, Through A Dark Wood is a breakthrough moment for Sea Wolf.
Photographer Credit: Mia Kirby
