Photo: Josie Hall

Kelly Lee Owens will release her new album on Smalltown Supersound later this month.

LP.8, a nine-track album, was created in the aftermath of Owens’ sophomore album, Inner Song, during the early days of the pandemic. Facing the realization that her world tour could no longer go ahead, and keen to make use of her untapped creative energy, Owens made the spontaneous decision to go to Oslo, Norway for some undisturbed studio time. There she spent time with Lasse Marhaug, known for his work with Merzbow, and Jenny Hval.

Together, Owens and Marhaug envisioned making music somewhere in between Throbbing Gristle and Enya, artists who have had an enduring impact on Owens. In doing so, they paired tough, industrial sounds with ethereal Celtic mysticism, creating music that “ebbs and flows between tension and release,” we’re told. One month later, Owens called Smalltown Supertown to tell them she had created something of an outlier; “an album that will ripple infinitely with me personally,” she says.

LP.8 is Owens’ third studio album, following Inner Song and her 2017 self-titled debut.

Tracklisting

01. Release
02. Voice
03. Anadlu
04. S.O
05. Olga
06. Nana Piano
07. Quickening
08. One
09. Sonic 8

LP​.​8 is scheduled for April 29 release. Meanwhile, you can stream “Sonic 8” and “Olga” in full below and pre-order here.