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ARC IRIS share new single “If You Can See”- New album ‘Icon of Ego’ due Oct 12th via Ba Da Bing Records

September 25, 2018

ARC IRIS

– Share new single “If You Can See”
– Album ‘Icon of Ego’ due Oct 12th via Ba Da Bing Records

 

With their new album Icon of Ego due Oct 12th via Ba Da Bing Records, Providence trio Arc Iris, fronted by Jocie Adams, formerly of The Low Anthem, are sharing new single “If You Can See“.

Speaking about the track Jocie said “This song is a reminder that the world is giving us gifts of support and love from many places all of the time. We need to remember and acknowledge the good as well as the bad in order to maintain our positivity, which is needed to create change.  If we all consider our grumpy egos to be justified by our ideas of a dystopian present and future, there is no motivation to be conscientious.  Here we offer a “keep your chin up” song for everyone.  Life is hard.  Don’t forget to vote.”

This autumn, Arc Iris releases Icon of Ego, their third groundbreaking album, as a trio that packs the heft of a far bigger band with fully realised sonic and visual intensity. Overcoming rebuffs and rejections, Arc Iris has become an unstoppable force out of necessity. On Icon of Ego, they deliver heavily and ask nothing in return.

The group’s two previous albums, Arc Iris and Moon Saloon, were both released to critical acclaim and fervent fan embrace. Originally formed in Providence, R.I., by singer-songwriter Jocie Adams who was coming off a term with The Low Anthem, the group initially embodied an eight-piece rock orchestra, creating innovative dynamics of rhythm and melody with a full color palette. Four years on, Arc Iris are just three musicians: lead vocalist Adams, keyboardist and sample artist Zach Tenorio-Miller, and drummer Ray Belli. They have crafted a vividly expressionistic new album that reflects both the group’s protean talents as well as its journey of survival.

Soon after its self-named 2014 debut, Arc Iris faced considerable adversity. Critical acclaim, tours with St. Vincent and Jeff Tweedy and festivals like Bonnaroo followed, all creating for Arc Iris the belief that they had beat the long music industry odds. However, the group lost its manager, followed by its booking agent, then was dropped from the label. Band members departed. Opportunities evaporated. Through it all, Adams, Tenorio-Miller and Belli worked with undiminished energy and reinvented themselves as a quartet, which included Robin Ryczek on cello. Within two years, Arc Iris self-released Moon Saloon, in the US while British independent record label Bella Union released the album in Europe. Soon after this release, Ryczek left to teach cello in Afghanistan, and the three remaining members once again set about adapting. Arc Iris assembled its own promotions team and booked its own shows. Notable is what Arc Iris has achieved completely by itself: tours supporting Kimbra, Gene Ween, a complete re-imagination of Joni Mitchell’s Blue performed at Washington’s Kennedy Center, and a growing, international fan base that has remained dedicated throughout.

Icon of Ego finds a happy middle with a smaller label, a more focused support team, and a stronger, more experienced band. Recording at Providence’s Columbus Theater, home to silent movies and vaudeville during the 20s, the band has evolved into a concentrated pop-prog explosion, mixing styles with disparate elements that captivate and surprise.

In Icon of Ego, the band interrogates the notions of celebrity, fame, and idol worship. What makes an icon? How do people fall under the spell of a charismatic other? What is it like to be that icon?

Arc Iris is never more self-defined than when faced with difficulty. Icon of Ego is about Arc Iris overcoming adversity and ultimately coming out leaner, sharper, and more fully realised.

Pre-order Icon of Ego here – https://tinyurl.com/ArcIrisNewLP

Icon of Ego track list:
1. $GNMS
2. Dylan & Me
3. If You Can See
4. Turn It Up
5. Icon of Ego
6. Chattermachines
7. Beautiful Minds
8. Everybody’s Counting on Her
9. Suzy

Icon of Ego artwork:

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