After recently following up their highly-acclaimed 2021 sophomore LP 'Click Click Domino' with their stunning Marcus King collaboration "When Eden Was My Girl" earlier this year, British duo Ida Mae are back to announce the details behind their eagerly-awaited third studio album 'Thunder Above You', showcased by the swaggering new single "My Whispers Are Wildfire".
Continuing to explore more of that warm and effervescent indie-rock aesthetic they have become synonymous with since they first emerged, 'Thunder Above You' looks to become one of their most alluring and heartfelt offerings to date. Previewed by its boldly sophisticated indie-rock infused first single "My Whispers Are Wildfire", their narrative-driven ideals combine with sprawling compositions throughout this new collection, making for a wonderfully warm and inviting listen.
Speaking about the new record, they said, "My Whispers Are Wildfire” is written from the perspective of an avaricious lover, in a haze of derealisation. It's a response to the modern cacophony of fake news, click bait and the circus confusion of social media and material gain.
"We felt we were living in the shadow of the American Dream, traveling 46 states, hotel to motel, meeting a wild array of characters; from boat captains, marines to gamblers. We've found ourselves sharing coffee with prom queens living on the fringes, divorcees in San Francisco cellar bars and sharing stories about dead Kings with bartenders. This has all been duetted by the anxiety inducing craze of TikTok and targeted ads.
"I wanted to capture moments of these conversations, slam the flirtatious absurdity of the way we live into a musical cocktail somewhere between Ry Cooder and The Kills. It was all recorded live, on the second take, in a studio we built in a day in a mansion house in the English Countryside with Ethan Johns on drums and Nick Pini on Bass."
Their previous album "Click Click Domino" was supported by WONDERLAND, Rolling Stone, The Independent, The Guardian, CLASH, Under The Radar, NME Radio, American Songwriter, Songwriting Magazine and many more upon its release. In the wake of its release, the duo went onto support the likes of Allison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Greta Van Fleet, The Marcus King Band and many more, as well as opening the main stage at the illustrious Newport Folk Festival.
'Thunder Above You' Tracklist:
1. My Whispers Are Wildfire
2. Into Your River
3. American Cars
4. Doing It For Badness
5. Lost On Your Time
6. To Your Love
7. My Wild Flying Dove
8. Feel The World Turning
9. Landslide
10. Thunder Above You
11. Hold You Like Fading Light
Let Ida Mae take you on a joyride across the vast American expanse. Be introduced to all manner of eccentric characters along the way - drunken poets, fallen oligarchs, heartbroken country music stars - and revel in the chaos and carnage of a world on the brink. This is the British folk-rock duo's spectacular third album, 'Thunder Above You'.
Recorded in just seven days, 'Thunder Above You' marks the most significant creative period in Ida Mae's astounding career to date. It followed months of touring the states with legendary artists including Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams, driving from clubs to arena shows and, all the while, being inspired by the dramatic landscapes that surrounded them.
Ida Mae are husband and wife duo Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean Ward. They met while studying at university, quickly bonding over their mutual passion for music and later forming their first band, Kill It Kid. Penning three critically acclaimed records they spent their early twenties touring extensively across Europe.
As Ida Mae, Turpin and Ward have garnered further acclaim with their bold sound that traverses classic English folk, sprawling Americana and scuzzy, frenetic rock. Moving to Nashville in 2019 led to the release of their debut 'Chasing Lights', produced by Ethan Johns (producer of Laura Marling, Kings of Leon, Ray Lamontagne). Praised by national publications including The Independent and Rolling Stone, Ida Mae set out on the road on a tour that would serve as the backdrop for their second album, the self-produced 'Click Click Domino'. Recorded in the strange isolation of lockdown, the record melded familiar country blues and folk tones with more synthetic sounds. On the swing and grind of the title track, Turpin duels with guitar hero Marcus King; the foot-stompin' riff is reminiscent of Howlin' Wolf or Jack White.