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Long distance love can you make you do the most daring things. In 2016, on the cusp of recording their first full-length album, Nightjacket singer Holland Belle told her bandmates that she was moving to Berlin to chase the love of her life. The band took it in stride. For a group whose music was largely inspired by the trials of relationships, it seemed almost appropriate that their lead singer would follow her heart 6,000 miles away. "I met with (guitarist/co-founder) Jordan (Wiggins) and told him that I had to give Berlin a shot, but I didn't want to lose the band," says Belle. "I was afraid he'd be done with it but he was so supportive. I had even more faith in the project after that moment."
A year of zigzagging between continents - between music and love - helped bring about the songs that would eventually become Beauty In The Dark, the band's debut full-length. Tracked in separate blocks of five songs each in four different studios, the album features guest drummers Kyle Crane (Crane Like The Bird, Kurt Vile, Neko Case) and Kiel Feher alongside Nightjacket multi-instrumentalist Louie Schultz.
From the sultry shoegaze of the album's opener "I Can't Believe" and swirling atmospherics of "You're Trying Too Hard" to clear single standouts in the romantic "Pink and Yellow Roses" and "Waking Up With You," Beauty In The Dark introduces new analog synth textures and smoky, Nico-like vocals to the Nightjacket sound all while touching upon those universal feelings we all grapple with. "I think all of us have experienced the ups and downs of relationships - and this album certainly paints a picture of that arc - but I hope it ultimately gives comfort to listeners who might be going through some of the same things. If it does, then we've done our job," says Wiggins.
In 2015, Nightjacket released Eternal Phase, a six-song EP that evoked the nocturnal imagery of the later hours of the band's hometown through hypnotic and airy compositions firmly rooted in pop tradition. The collection would go on to receive acclaim by the likes of SPIN, Consequence of Sound, FLAUNT, Los Angeles Magazine, LA Weekly and more. The band has also played shows with like-minded acts such as The Mary Onettes, Phoebe Bridgers and Miya Folick, as well as supporting The Besnard Lakes on a west coast tour of the U.S.
With the release of Beauty In The Dark, Nightjacket is once again united in Los Angeles and poised to bring new fans into the fold via insistent pop songs that remain true to their sound while taking listeners both old and new on a journey through their lives since Eternal Phase.
If you're wondering about the fate of Belle's relationship, she has only this to say:
"Love's a journey, and sometimes it doesn't give you what you want. It was a whirlwind year but I wouldn't take back any of it. If there's anything you should fight for, it's love. And in the end, heartbreak made all of us stronger, and created some beautiful fing music. "
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