On my own time, I listen to all different kinds of music, so I like to branch out and experiment with writing and playing in different genres. “There Is This Thing” is me trying my hand at a straight-up rock song.
I started this one back in 2015, off the back of playing the inaugural Eaux Claires festival, with Bon Iver, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, members of The National, and others. Before that, I had been recording and playing with midwest indie rock titans, Elsinore and Rebecca Rego & The Trainmen.
Weirdly enough, through all of this, my Southern Gospel roots began to show, along with some influence from countless hours of Motown radio on Pandora, with some Arcade Fire thrown in there as well, and then, of course, my time spent with Foxygen.
I first got connected to Sam & Jonathan through Trey Pollard from Spacebomb, to play on their ‘Hang’ album in 2016.
After that, they invited me to go on tour with them, alongside Tennishu from Butcher Brown and Rob Quallich from No BS! Brass, to be their live horn section.
So then, fast forward a couple of years, I was revisiting “There Is This Thing” when I was starting to put together ‘Accretion’, and it just clicked that Foxygen would be the perfect fit for it. I had already recorded the rhythm section at Jellowstone with DJ Harrison, and then sent that to Sam for him to sing over. He recorded it at home and just absolutely killed it – I really love how he interpreted my melody.
Then to seal the deal, I met up with Rado in Brooklyn, while he was on tour with Jackie Cohen in 2019. We recorded his guitar parts right there in the green room, backstage at Music Hall of Williamsburg. And, of course, he just shredded it. And there it was – this thing called love.
lyrics
What is this thing called love
Soothing from above
There is this thing called love
The greatest gift, a precious gift of love
Well, you know, it’s like fire
Shut up... all shut up in my bones
Don’t you know, it’s like fire
And it won’t leave me alone
What is this thing called love
Soothing from up above
There is thing called love
The precious gift of love
Don’t you know, it’s like fire
All shut up in my bones
You know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know,
It’s like fire
And it won’t leave me alone
credits
from Accretion,
released June 9, 2023
Written, Produced & Arranged by Reginald Chapman
Sam France - vocals
Jonathan Rado - guitar
Reginald Chapman - bass trombone, bass trumpet
Sean Durkin - trombone
Andrew Randazzo - bass
DJ Harrison - drums
Jacob Ungerleider - keys
Mixed by James Treichler
Recorded by Devonne Harris (DJ Harrison) @ Jellowstone – Richmond, VA, except –
Vocals recorded by Sam France – Austin, TX
Guitar recorded by Reginald Chapman @ The Green Room at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
Horns recorded by Reginald Chapman @ Jazz Hole 1 – Richmond, VA
Mastered by Kelly Hibbert @ Almachrome
Sam France & Jonathan Rado appear courtesy of Foxygen
DJ Harrison & Andrew Randazzo appear courtesy of Butcher Brown
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