Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remixes Leon III's 'This Whisper Is Ours'

Today, Leon III shares the exciting collaboration and remix of the recently released single "This Whisper Is Ours." For this release, Leon III teamed up with the legendary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry for a delightful remix rendition of "This Whisper is Ours."

Leon III is Andy Stepanian (vocal, guitar, keyboard, piano, omnichord) Mason Brent (guitar, bass, vocal, banjo) who were both members of Wrinkle Neck Mules, a long running Virginia based band with a significant cult following, and founders of the popular Austin apparel brand Howler Brothers.

The remix premiered exclusively via FLOOD Magazine earlier this week, who called the track "psych-tinged Americana." Stepanian spoke with FLOOD Magazine about how the collaboration came together, reminiscing: "sometime during the mixing of this album, I located an email address for Lee Perry on the internet. I reached out but I got no response. I was a bit bummed but not at all offended, considering. I tried again on a whim about 6 months later and got a nearly immediate response from his wife Mirelle. We ended up talking on the phone via WhatsApp and lining it all up. A few weeks later, I got the mix and even some video of Mr. Perry working on the song and singing on it. It's kind of hard to fathom actually. I love it. He is the living embodiment of dub and the evolution of reggae and having him touch a piece of our work is an honor. Sometimes cool things happen."

"This Whisper Is Ours Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remix" follows the release of "This Whisper is Ours," a song that dives into the mechanics of secrets between people. "It's a song about a secret between two people that turns out to be a total misconception. But, they believe it and navigate their lives around this false truth nonetheless" and "Fly Migrator" a rich and exploratory track that stretches over nine minutes, it is the track that sets the tone for the forthcoming album Antlers in Velvet.

Leon III, sounds like a relic from another age. In a time when so much of today's music seems as disposable and temporal as a tweet, Leon III is standing athwart the tide; and here, the band conjures the spirit and ambition of Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead. Make no mistake, this is an album with the potential for a serious shelf life - and one that begs for an immersive listening experience. So sit down, pour a whiskey, let the needle find the groove, and prepare to float downstream.

Even though this is only the second effort from Leon III, the project can trace its roots to the late '90s when Andy Stepanian (vocals, guitar, songwriter) and Mason Brent (guitar, bass, banjo) started a band in Charlottesville, Virginia called Wrinkle Neck Mules, a honky-tonk outfit that made six albums, had a song featured in a GEICO commercial, and built up a dedicated and far-ranging fan base. Stepanian and Brent also collaborate in the form of Howler Brothers, a popular outdoor clothing line based in Austin, Texas, which they operate and which bears their artistic imprimatur.

Stepanian and Brent grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where country and roots music informed much of their musical development. But the two have always been drawn to the progressive, exploratory ethos of the psychedelic masters, as well as left-of-center folk artists like Vic Chesnutt and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. This new record is the consummation of that vision.

The advent of Covid-19 and the "safer at home" mantra has disrupted the supercharged tempo of 21st - century life. As difficult as it's been, the period has also been a time for reflection, for patience, for a new way of looking at things. With that in mind, Leon III's forthcoming record, Antlers in Velvet is the perfect album for an imperfect time - a song cycle that allows for a deeper dive into some of the darker and more complex corners of American music that speaks coherently to the very strange times in which we find ourselves.

To post a comment, you must register and login.