COMPLETIONS Releases New Single From Upcoming Album

Earlier this month, Portland OR multi-instrumentalist COMPLETIONS announced that his forthcoming debut full-length album - titled I Needed Help - will be released on September 23, 2022 and is available for pre-order now.

Today, COMPLETIONS has released the second single from the album - "Ornamental" - alongside a MUSIC VIDEO for the track. The single is available across all digital streaming platforms and Bandcamp now.

COMPLETIONS is the songwriting project of Shawn Alpay who is primarily known for his work as a session and touring cellist performing alongside FATHER JOHN MISTY, WHITNEY, LAURA STEVENSON, MATT POND PA, HOW TO DRESS WELL and many others.

Alpay is also a producer, formerly working as the in-house engineer at John Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone Studio in Oakland, CA. But being occupied by all of these projects meant that his own creations remained de-prioritized and half-done. Alpay named his project Completions as an internal reminder to finish things he starts.

The last couple of years have presented Alpay a great, if grim, opportunity to reckon with a lifetime of only relying on himself. Extensive work in mindfulness therapy, becoming newly married, and enduring a major spinal surgery all laid the creative foundation for a batch of songs that circle around a singular theme: how can we let other people in, especially when we don't want to?

With that in mind, Alpay fleshed out the album arrangements by leaning on several friends to contribute to the album aptly titled I Needed Help, including Dave Depper (Death Cab for Cutie), Kelly Pratt (Father John Misty, Beirut), and Laura Stevenson. 100% of the album was self-recorded by the players in their home studios while the world had ground to a halt. Alpay mixed the album himself (some self-dependent habits never die!), and it was mastered by Adam Gonsalves (Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens).

While his stage and studio output have primarily been through the medium of cello, and though the composition of I Needed Help began in the solitary expression of just cello and voice, many of the album's arrangements are fully fleshed-out rock band arrangements, seeing Alpay performing vocals, guitar, and bass.

Watch the new music video here:

Completions Tour Dates

Thu 9/1 Portland, OR @ Sofar Sounds
Fri 9/2 Seattle, WA @ Sofar Sounds
Sat 9/3 Vancouver, BC @ Sofar Sounds
Sun 9/4 Eugene, OR @ House show
Wed 9/7 Sacramento, CA @ Sofar Sounds
Thu 9/8 San Francisco, CA @ Sofar Sounds
Fri 9/9 Modesto, CA @ Cafe Deva
Sat 9/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Sofar Sounds
Sun 9/11 Los Angeles, CA @ Sofar Sounds
Tue 9/13 San Diego, CA @ Sofar Sounds