Pop/Soul Ensemble GADADU Announce Sophomore LP

Vibrant and expansive, GADADU's second album Outer Song builds on the sparse, soulful sound of their 2015 debut LP. Orchestral arrangements, R&B grooves and jazz harmonies bring to life over three years of songwriting by bandleaders Hannah Selin and Nicki Adams. After recording live with the full band at The Bunker in Brooklyn, Hannah and Nicki recorded overdubs in repurposed spaces including a subway platform, a deconstructed piano and a college gymnasium. GADADU later collaborated with The Rhythm Method quartet to record strings on "The Lion," "Makeshift Constellations" and "Chided." Outer Song takes the listener on a kaleidoscopic journey, from gamelan-inspired prepared piano in "The Lion," to seven-part vocal harmonies in "Exquisite Corpse" and oatmeal box backbeats in "Julia." Hannah's vocals move nimbly from the murky depths of uncertainty to crystalline moments of joy, carving striking melodies through forests of synthesizers, mellotron and strings.

GADADU received critical acclaim for their first album, And I See Night, which was recorded at their apartment in Harlem. The album won them a residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in rural New Hampshire, where the band developed much of the material for their next album during an intensive five-day retreat. With their November 2016 release "Bay Songs," a music video/single featuring animation by Danna Grace Windsor, GADADU established a new, bolder sound. "Bay Songs" caught the attention of filmmaker Delfine Paolini, who contracted Hannah and Nicki to score 222, a silent short film that highlights the plight of New York's iconic Chelsea Hotel. The score was nominated for the 2018 Peer Raben Award at the Soundtrack Cologne Festival. Nicki and Hannah's work together on the score had a strong influence on their production for Outer Song, which features cinematic string arrangements alongside analog synths and found-object percussion.

About GADADU
GADADU began in 2013 as an inter-city collaboration between vocalist/violist Hannah Selin and pianist Nicki Adams, who were living in Philadelphia and New York at the time. After writing a handful of songs over the internet, the duo convened at Hannah's family's 1950's-era bungalow on the Chesapeake Bay to record an EP. Their contrasting musical backgrounds combined to form GADADU's unique aesthetic, which merges pop melodies with extended song-forms and impressionistic textures.

Hannah started writing songs as an outlet while studying classical viola at Oberlin Conservatory. After graduating, she worked on a series of immersive sound installations in Philadelphia and Wilmington before moving to New York to study composition and work as a freelance violist. Hannah has since received a number of commissions, and in May 2019 the Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra will premiere her new song cycle, Six Narratives for six vocalists and chamber orchestra. With one foot in New York's indie music scene and the other in the art music world, Hannah Selin brings a colorful palette to songwriting and composition.

Nicki Adams has performed as a pianist and keyboardist with bands of many genres throughout New York. He has recorded with revered Cuban jazz drummer Fransisco Mela and appeared on NPR with British afro-punk star Ebony Bones. With a love for strings and synths, Nicki found a kindred musical spirit in Hannah.

In 2015, the duo expanded to include drums, bass and trumpet, adding color and flexibility to the band's sound. Arthur Vint (of Postmodern Jukebox) took the drum seat, Daniel Stein (of Possibilities Trio and the Sammy Miller band) joined on bass and Patrick Adams (of EarthTone) on trumpet. Most recently, the band brought on tenor sax player and composer Ayumi Iso. GADADU tours regularly throughout the Northeast, and has performed at many of NYC's renowned original music venues and concert halls including including Le Poisson Rouge, Manhattan Inn, LeFrak Concert Hall, Arlene's Grocery, Mercury Lounge and Rockwood Music Hall.

Tour Dates
September 21, 2018 - New York, NY - The Bitter End
October 26, 2017 - New York, NY - Coney Island Baby
November 12th - Portland, ME - Blue

Pre-order Link
https://gadadu.bandcamp.com/album/outer-song

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