Nightjar by SPOUSE
On a weekend in early January, John and I both headed to José's home in Florida for a 48-hour conversation, with songwriting, recording, birdwatching, and ocean-dipping somehow squeezed in among all the talking. SPOUSE has had so many incarnations, but this is the first time the three of us original members have been together since college ended in 1995. The joy and connection haven't changed, and neither has each of our lovely quirks, musically and otherwise.
Ornithology grew from John's bass line, as did Threeology, which is a loose homage to the Low song Words, a song we sometimes sang together way back. (Bless you, Mimi Parker.) Tiny Lineman is not about football. There's a painting in José's guest room that features little fine-lined drawings of stick figures on an undulating line. It is from a print by an Ecuadorian artist created in response to a tragic 2016 earthquake that shook the coastal provinces of the tiny South American nation where José spent much of the past decade. He and I began writing together on one of my many visits to Florida. (How convenient that he recently moved to the same town where my husband's family lives). Clatter (Giant Ego) was fashioned over Pibox—a coveted tool for remote musical collaboration (see SPOUSE albums Emergency and Feel Good Everywhere)—during the pandemic, as was Fire Sale. The latter started with a midi, four chords on an acoustic guitar, and an old version of Garage Band. Somewhere on the street, I saw a sign for an estate sale; the song's about material objects, solitude, and nostalgia, in no particular order.
Thirty years passed. We hope you enjoy what we’ve created!
— Alisha Goldblatt
Tracklist
| 1. | Ornithology | 4:09 |
| 2. | Clatter (Giant Ego) | 2:42 |
| 3. | Fire Sale | 2:53 |
| 4. | Tiny Lineman | 4:09 |
| 5. | Threeology | 3:24 |
Credits
Written, recorded, and produced by SPOUSE
Published by SPOUSEMUSIC (ASCAP)
Alisha Goldblatt – vocals, guitars, midi
John Cowden – vocals, guitars, bass
José Ayerve – vocals, guitars, bass, synth
J.J. O'Connell – drums, percussion, drones
Liz Bustamante – keys, field recordings, engineering support
Photos:
Cover - Tree: Anya Heiden
Credits - Blue Sky: John Cowden
License
All rights reserved.
Hailing from New England, SPOUSE formed in 1995. The band, led by José Ayerve and J.J. O’Connell is a collaborative of several musicians that come together to create, record, and perform frenetic, melodic, anthemic indie rock and pop, drawing from a multitude of influences. To date, their catalog features seven full-length albums, several EPs, singles, compilation tracks, and live recordings.