OTHERWORLDLY VOCALIST AND RISING SINGER-SONGWRITER SHARES SOULFUL FOLK POP TRACK – LISTEN HERE
FLOATING ON A DREAM, HIS FULL-LENGTH DEBUT SOLO ALBUM PRODUCED BY SHOOTER JENNINGS DUE MAY 20TH VIA FANTASY RECORDS
WATCH “ALL IS WELL” VIDEO FEAT. JOY WILLIAMS HERE
HEADLINING TOUR ANNOUNCED
FLOATING ON A DREAM PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE HERE
Rising indie singer-songwriter and performer Avi Kaplan recently announced the upcoming release of his debut solo album, Floating On A Dream, on May 20th, 2022 via Fantasy Records. Today, he shared a new track, the moody and driving, “I Can’t Lie.” Kaplan multi-tracked his vocals to create an ethereal backing choir underscoring the song’s heartfelt, resonant lyrics.
Kaplan stated, “‘I Can’t Lie’ was the last song we recorded for the album when it turned out we had a little extra time to lay down one more track. The song came alive in the studio, and it took on this groovy 70’s vibe which ended up shaping the overall sound of the record.”
In addition, Kaplan recently shared the anthemic and haunting new single, “All Is Well,” featuring Joy Williams. Watch their new video and pre-order the album HERE.
Produced by GRAMMY Award-winner Shooter Jennings, (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker, American Aquarium) and mixed by Trina Shoemaker, (Brandi Carlile, Queens Of The Stone Age, Sheryl Crow,) Floating On A Dream is rendered in long shadows and moody high relief reflecting Kaplan’s Californian roots and fascination with the American West, broadening his artistry into enthralling new territory.
With country, blues, soul, tribal drums, and a touch of gospel underpinning his elemental acoustic driven rock, he explores matters of the heart, truth, morality, and the search for relevance across the album’s 11 original tracks. At the core though there is that voice. From a haunting falsetto to its deepest bass tones, Kaplan’s instrument is unlike anything else in modern music. While a few of these songs were penned shortly after Kaplan’s departure from Pentatonix in 2017; most were written specifically for this project. What ties them together is the richness and fluidity of his vocal range, which may even surprise longtime fans.
Deepening a musical evolution that began with 2020’s, I’ll Get By EP and carried through last year’s single, “Song for the Thankful,” Floating On A Dream explores Kaplan’s wide sonic palette and rootsy influences. Throughout the LP’s soaring choruses and deep valley passages, Jennings’ steadfast musical foundation helps keep Kaplan’s amazing voice, which has drawn comparisons from classic country crooner Lee Hazelwood to folk legend Richie Havens, firmly in place. Jennings’ influence can be heard in Floating On A Dream’s cinematic production using piano, pedal steel, varied guitars, and verbed-out layered harmonies, contributing to the album’s spacious western scope.
Jennings stated, “I always know it’s going to be a good process in the studio when I’m working with somebody who really loves music, but also really adores the music that has come before. We both collect music and we’re inspired by it. Avi is an amazing singer and songwriter, this album is Ennio Morricone meets Bill Withers.”
Many of the new tracks draw on Kaplan’s heartache following the separation he endured from his family due to excessive touring, and then continued through much of the pandemic.
“I spent a lot of time touring away from my family and then I moved to Tennessee. I find myself missing them a lot,” he says. “The album’s “On My Way” is a letter to each person in my family. I have a brother, a sister, and a mother and father, and I wrote a specific verse for each one of them. It’s not always the songs dearest to your heart that the world gets to hear, but when that does happen, it’s a beautiful thing.”
Avi stated, adding, “My journey has taken many twists and turns. It’s been a battle at times, but the completion of this album is a huge step towards the things I hope to achieve as an artist. I’ve been waiting a long time for this chance to give people my music, and to give people myself through my music,” he added. “It’s time to make that dream that I’m floating on a reality.”
Kaplan also announced a headline tour across the U.S. Find the full routing below.
Floating On A Dream – track list:
Avi Kaplan – vocals, guitar
Aubrey Richmond – violin
Chris Masterson – guitars
Daniel Ellsworth – piano, organ, synthesizer
Jamie Douglass – drums, percussion
John Schreffler, Jr. – pedal steel
Joy Williams – vocals on “All Is Well”
Kaleb Jones – guitar
Smith Curry – pedal steel
Ted Russell Kamp – bass
*Full credits available on request
TOUR DATES:
March 20 – Manchester, Band On The Wall – United Kingdom
March 21 – London, Lafayette United Kingdom (SOLD OUT)
March 23 – Leuven, Het Depot Belgium
March 24 – Luxembourg, Den Atelier – Luxembourg
March 26 – Cologne, Essigfabrik -Germany
March 27 – Nijmegen, Doornroosje – Netherlands
March 29 – Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg – Netherlands
March 30 – Hamburg, Grunspan – Germany
March 31 – Copenhagen, Lille Vega – Denmark (SOLD OUT)
April 1 – Berlin, Heimathafen – Germany
April 3 – Warsaw, Proxima – Poland
April 4 – Krakow, Kwadrat – Poland
April 5 – Vienna, Arena Wien (Grosse Halle) – Austria
April 7 – Prague, Palac Akropolis – Czech Republic
April 8 – Munich, Backstage Werk- Germany
April 10 – Zurich, Plaza, Switzerland
April 11 – Paris, Alhambra – France
May 21 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
May 23 – Washington, DC – Sixth & I
May 24 – Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live
May 25 – New York, NY – LPR
May 27 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
May 28 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
May 29 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
June 1 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
June 2 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads
June 4 – Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
June 6 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
June 8 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
June 9 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
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