Blonder announces Crystal Ball EP & shares new “Glue” video via Atwood Magazine
Crystal Ball EP is due 4/24
WATCH: “Glue” (dir. by Hunter Airheart –
Atwood Magazine / YouTube / Spotify
Today, Blonder has announced the Crystal Ball EP & released a video for the lead single, “Glue,” via Atwood Magazine. Check out the premiere here. Regarding the single, Atwood stated: ““Glue” harbors ubiquitous sentiments of the cycles of love, floating along for three dreamy minutes … deftly navigates his emotions as the song swells and descends, illustrating a commendable honesty that aids in the song’s overall value.” Blonder’s Crystal Ball EP is due out on April 24th, 2020 via Cool World Records.
Blonder’s third release, the Crystal Ball EP, sees Constantine Anastasakis returning to a more pop oriented sound while simultaneously foraying into the psych rock world & utilizing certain tropes to create the most immersive batch of songs Blonder has released yet. Blonder enlisted frequent collaborator and producer Aaron Maine (Porches) and Waylon Rector (LA session player: Phoebe Bridgers, Talk in Tongues, A.G. Cook) to help bridge modern production techniques and to add a more psych rock-tinged approach to pop songwriting. Recorded in Chinatown, Brooklyn and Long Island, NY, and mixed by Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend) and Erin Tonkon (David Bowie’s Blackstar), the Crystal Ball EP sees Blonder leaving the 70’s studio vibe of his past release and returning to his pop-inflected origins- this time with a renewed sense of confidence.
The EP was partly influenced by a New Years celebration on LSD; a first-time, safe & low dose helped produce a chapter turning experience where mid-late career Beach Boys and Beatles began to make sense. This led to the epiphany that Constantine wanted to start experimenting more with psych rock elements to make his collection of music more of an immersive experience. The 6 songs on the Crystal Ball EP deal with themes of sobriety, substance abuse, romantic musings, and a critique on the notion of a “career” in music. The record features additional production by Joey Valley of New York outfit Wet and guest vocals from The Voice winner Chloe Mk.
