Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist The Suitcase Junket (aka Matt Lorenz) has released the captivating new single “Light a Candle” from his upcoming album The End is New, out November 20th via Renew Records/BMG. “Light a Candle,” featuring a guest appearance from Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis on guitar, offers gritty, smoldering vocals, haunted by grief. The video captures the solemn feel of the song, as Lorenz trudges solitarily through the lush New England woods. Watch the “Light a Candle” video HERE.
Lorenz will share songs from The End is New with fans on December 6th, with a pre-recorded livestream from Shea Theater in Turners Falls ,Massachusetts. Fans can watch alongside Lorenz (he’ll join the live chat) as he winds his way through the album, from the vast sound of “Prelude” to the closing notes of “More.” Through the night, Lorenz works in his inimitable style: singing, throat singing, and playing all instruments, with notes and comments on the songs. To purchase tickets, go HERE.
From Matt Lorenz / The Suitcase Junket:
A story of devastating loss told through the mundane memory of sharing a cup of coffee. When loved ones leave, what is there to do but light a candle? I was deeply moved by the playing of J Mascis on this track. It was recorded during the peak of the first wave of the virus with so many people dying and so much fear and uncertainty in the air and he really nailed the simmering doom of the moment. It still gives me the feels every time I hear it. My sister Kate added vocals to a bunch of tracks on this record, but her singing on this one is so haunting and effective it really helped to make Candle one of my favorite songs on the album. “Then I got sadder than I thought I ought to be, sadder still for trying to keep the sadness out. Because I could not sink into my sense of Me, I was left with several galaxies of doubt.”
Lorenz and co-producer, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, categorized The End is New as “doom-folk” with the 11-song collection balancing between the grand and the solitary. Epic sound and imagery meet thrift and self-reliance. With a heavy mix of hope and desperation, Lorenz mirrors society using truth, confessions and stories in his lyrics while tackling issues he holds dear. From environmentalism and the politicization of climate change to coping with loss and the unrelenting news cycle, The End is New is a testament to Lorenz’s endless inventiveness and finding a deeper, more refined sound with each new release.
‘The Suitcase Junket’ is a nod to Lorenz’s longtime love of collecting old suitcases, including an antique that he’s refurbished into a bass drum, and to a secondary definition of junket, i.e. “a pleasure excursion.” The End is New is his sixth full-length album and his first for Renew Records/BMG. Renew is BMG’s recently launched Americana/ Roots based label. The End is New is its third release.
For press information about The Suitcase Junket, please contact
Karen Wiessen karen@alleyesmedia.com or Conner McKiever conner@alleyesmedia.com at All Eyes Media (615) 227-2770