Drab Majesty have announced details of a new EP, entitled An Object in Motion, to be released on August 25th via Dais Records.
Along with the announcement, they have shared the majestic first single “Vanity” which features a rare guest vocal appearance from Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell. On the Cure-esque ballad, her iconic freefall voice adds poetic gravity to the doomed refrain: “If the valve breaks / then the earth quakes / and history finds a way / to put you in your place.”
The collaboration came as the result of a mutual admiration for each other’s work. Drab Majesty’s Deb Demure comments: “As a long time listener and devotee of Slowdive, a band that literally shaped my DNA as a listener and musician, it was truly humbling to have Rachel offer her iconic vocal stylings to this song. Her voice is a sonic treasure and unmistakable. I’m infinitely grateful to call her a friend and am still pinching myself wondering – how did we get here?”
Rachel Goswell adds: “It’s no secret that I am a long time Drab Majesty fan so when Deb asked me some years ago now if I would be interested in collaborating it was an immediate yes. Honoured to give my voice to Vanity.”
At 32-minutes, the release sits somewhere between an EP and a mini-album and marks the start of a stirring new chapter in Drab Majesty’s majestic legacy. Written during a 2021 retreat to the remote coastal Oregon town of Yachats, Deb Demure leaned into the neo-psychedelic resonance of a uniquely bowl-shaped 12-string Ovation acoustic/electric guitar. After early morning hikes in the rain, Deb would record ambient guitar experiments the rest of the day, tapping into “flow states,” letting the sound lead the way. These sessions were then refined or recreated, and later elevated further with key collaborations by Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Justin Meldal-Johnson (Beck, M83, Air), and Ben Greenberg (Uniform, Circular Ruin Studio).
An Object In Motion is true to its title, capturing the chrysalis moment of an artist evolving, reborn and untethered, silhouetted against an open horizon. It presents a showcase of potential futures from Drab’s evolving domain, their sound poised to bloom at the precipice of transformation.
See Drab Majesty at Oblivion Access Festival (Austin, TX) on June 17th and pre-order An Object In Motion ahead of its August 25 release date here.
