Mat Kerekes Releases New Solo Album 'Nova'

'Nova', the new solo album from Citizen founder and vocalist Mat Kerekes is out today via Wax Bodega.

The album's title was inspired by two places-an early 2000s PC game and the state where he's living. He's been splitting time between his hometown Toledo, Ohio and Woodbridge in North Virginia-NoVa to locals. A rerelease of the fantasy hack-and-slash game Diablo 2 brought the second iteration with a character's special attack called 'frost nova.' The stars had aligned: 'Nova' would be the next record.

If this sounds like a shockingly chill way to name a record, that's the point. The new album is brimming with imagination, humor, romance, balls, and whimsy. 'Nova' isn't a record that feels like our grave, endlessly serious historical moment; it's a record that escapes it.

Previously released singles from the album include "Danger", "Look I'm A Famous Actor", and "Art Of Living". Fans can check out Mat performing the songs acoustic on the Wax Bodega YouTube channel.

Kerekes recorded and engineered the record in the basement of his Virginia house, but after tracking drums he discovered a new pet peeve: his own drum style. To redo the drums, he called up his friend, Turnstile drummer Daniel Fang.

The pair worked together over two days in Toledo with Steve Warstler, who mixed and mastered the record. At one point, Fang was blasting out drum fills while they were taking levels from his kit. Kerekes hit record. The result is track five, a nine-second percussion meltdown titled "Daniel Fang." "I thought it was funny, so I put it on the record," shrugs Kerekes.

'Nova' isn't an essential, high-brow distillation of a theme, angle, or topic. It's just good, fun music, plain and simple. In an industry full of on-the-nose branding, marketing, and sales of ideas, identities, and experiences, Nova feels like the anti-record; it feels honest and real.

Listen to the new album here: