August, Yours truly takes you on an unsettling sonic journey with his experimental new soundscape and avant-garde video Easy Listening — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Inspired by the emotional uncertainty felt within relationships, Easy Listening is a whirling maelstrom of intensely intimate communication projected through a sonic framework. “It’s this surreal stream of consciousness, like a bunch of intrusive thoughts appearing in the middle of the night,” the Niagara Falls artist explains. “It acts as a sort of mission statement for the album, the people want a show and I’m going to give it to them.”
The blistering single comes from his upcoming album Performance Of A Lifetime, set for release in June. This album is not just an experimental soundscape; it’s a visceral manifestation of ideas surrounding more than just uncertainty. “It’s also about becoming more sure of yourself and the confidence and clarity in life that brings you,” August says. “I’m taking on more indie art-rock influences, things are a bit noisier, and my vocals are more present than ever before.
“This record is about worrying if you belong. That’s definitely what I was thinking of making this album, being bisexual and worrying about coming out and not fitting into different spaces. Being scared of not fitting into straight spaces but also queer spaces, and I was more afraid of that than anything. I’m also writing about being an artist a lot, being somebody who is constantly looking for praise and validation through my art and the frustration of feeling the need to do that.
“On this album I talk about searching for that validation that you might not find from your loved ones, and finding in an audience of strangers. WIth Performance Of A Lifetime, I’m speaking about sexuality and gender identity and how we perform these things to each other on a daily basis. At the same time, I’m talking about myself as an artist and the way I’m performing through my art as a way of connecting with people.”
The inspiration behind the distinct musical style of August, Yours Truly is based heavily on one of the most iconic sample records of all time: Since I Left You by The Avalanches. The discovery of that album changed what August, Yours Truly thought was possible when it came to turniung samples and soundbites into music.
“My music is sort of forced to be experimental because I can’t sing and I don’t play any instruments, so I have to just throw stuff at the wall and see what happens,” he says. “And honestly, it’s a really fun and interesting process. Everything is so loose and fluid, it feels like anything could happen, and that’s very exciting as an artist.”
Watch Easy Listening above, sample more sounds from August, Yours Truly below, and follow him on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
