On 3rd December – THE JOSHUA HOTEL – makes his debut on the No Big Deal Music label with the heavenly, heartbreaking: âSomebody Newâ.Â
The latest work from the alias of Scottish solo songwriter and producer Joshua Mackenzie is an understated, melancholy pop masterclass.
Written and recorded at his home studio deep in the Highlands of Scotland and loosely inspired by the peerless score of the 2010 film Drive, âSomebody Newâ is a spacious and contemplative listen that thrives on isolation.
A song of separation told in reverse, âSomebody Newâ takes the listener deep into the aftermath of a difficult break-up. Sung from the cool shadows that set-in long after the heat of the moment has passed, The Joshua Hotel retraces the moments that brought a relationship to its end. Narrated with that sense of clarity that is gifted only with hindsight, it finds an artist lost in the what-ifs and whys, and wondering whether things could have worked out differently.
As The Joshua Hotel reflects of the track:
ââSomebody Newâ deals with the end of a complicated relationship. It gives a brutally honest account of looking back at the mistakes and mishandling of emotions that led to heartbreak and fantasising about everything you would change if somehow you could relive it all with the newfound clarity and growth of hindsight.â
Pairing the drifting, reverb-washed productions of Chromatics or The XX, with the immersive bedsit confessionals of 80s forebears like Soft Cell or Chris Isaac, it’s a release as crisp and modern as it is timeless and poetic.
Written and produced by The Joshua Hotel, âSomebody Newâ was mixed and mastered by Jason Shaw (Cambodian Space Project).
âSomebody Newâ follows The Joshua Hotelâs debut EP, âCloset Romanticâ, which was released earlier this Autumn. Once the vocalist of Inverness indie outfit Lional, the singer set out his solo stall with a diverse collection of tracks that diverged into electronica, psychedelic dream-pop and lo-fi. Turning over a new leaf, its tender songs chronicled the ups-and-downs of navigating life, relationships and battles with mental health with an honest relatability.
The Joshua Hotel kicked off 2021 with the release of debut single âThe Momentsâ, which was included in BBC Introducing Scotlandâs pop- out playlist and received support from BBC Rapal, Vic Galloway and Jim Gellatly; with lo-fi synth-pop infused follow-up âI donât want to goâ also receiving praise from the likes of Tenement TV who hailed it as: âretro and nostalgic, slightly left-field yet heartfelt and refreshing.â
Capping off an active year for the rising Scottish talent, he now joins the roster of Charlie Clarkâs No Big Deal Music to release âSomebody Newâ; a label which aims to showcase the most essential new talent emerging from the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
THE JOSHUA HOTEL – âSOMEBODY NEWâ – OUT 3 DECEMBER, VIA NO BIG DEAL MUSIC
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
w/Â https://www.facebook.com/thejoshuahotel/
Or please contact:
thom@sonicpr.co.uk