La Neve Debuts New Single 'Soft Power'

La Neve, the dance-punk project of Rhode Island-based musician, organizer and historian Joey La Neve DeFrancesco, is set to release their gripping new History Solved EP on April 15. Today, they debuted "Soft Power," a compelling new single serving exploring the cultural manifestations of economic power.

The song moves with a similar propulsion as title track "History Solved," pairing digital programming with Karna Ray's (The Kominas) driving live percussion. The track's closing section includes a sample of labor historian E.P. Thompson reciting a chant that was first adopted by early socialist opposition groups such as the Levellers and Diggers.

Combining themes of power, labor, sex and possibility with elements of blistering punk, dance, and house music, La Neve conjures a unique space where sound and form hold equal importance. The project-produced by Marco Buccelli (Giovanni Truppi, Xenia Rubinos, Lady Lamb) and mastered by Heba Kadry (Animal Collective, Big Thief, Courtney Barnett)-sees Karna Ray join on drums, adding a commanding new percussive energy to the songs.

Outside of La Neve, DeFrancesco has been a long time songwriter and guitarist with punk band Downtown Boys. DeFrancesco has also long worked as a labor organizer, most recently co-founding the organization Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) which, among other efforts, has led a worldwide effort to demand better pay from streaming companies. DeFrancesco's writings on labor, history, and Rhode Island have appeared in Jacobin, Newport History, In These Times, Art Forum, Uprise RI, Providence Journal, and elsewhere.

Listen to the new single here: