ALAIN JOHANNES NEW ALBUM HUM – OUT NOW!

by the partae August 3, 2020

written by the partae August 3, 2020

“Rather than the fuzz fury that characterizes much of his collaborative efforts, Hum rests upon Johannes’s equally accomplished fingerpicking… that harks back to Nick Drake’s Pink Moon – and carries just as much emotional depth.” – Guitar World

“…Alain Johannes’s Hum is basically the record I’ve wanted Queens of the Stone Age to make since Lullabies to Paralyze and the record I’ve wanted Masters of Reality to make since Give Us Barabbas…” – The Obelisk

Alain Johannes, who released his third solo album, Hum, on Friday via Ipecac Recordings/Liberator Music, has debuted a video for the song ‘If Morning Comes’ via American Songwriter.

“’If Morning Comes’ was one of the most cathartic for me during the making of Hum. Many difficult nights while I was ill those words were like my mantra,” explains Johannes of the song which encapsulates the personal nature of the 10-song album, a release written during a period of illness and mourning that found Johannes taking stock of his existence, and his future.

The psychedelic video, which echoes the meditative quality of the song was directed by Liam Lynch. Johannes says of the clip: “My dear friend Liam Lynch created this intense world so visually stunning and resonant with the song. He’s the man!”

A series of eye-catching videos have been released in the lead-up to Hum’s arrival: ‘Hallowed Bones’, ’Free’ and the title track, ‘Hum’. The clips have celebrated the beauty of life and the world we inhabit.

Alain Johannes first came to international prominence with Eleven, a trio that featured Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Johannes’s beloved late wife, Natasha Shneider. Eleven released five albums between 1991 and 2003. Johannes and Shneider became sought out contributors, working with Chris Cornell on his celebrated 1999 solo debut, Euphoria Morning—which the couple co-wrote, co-produced, and toured in support of. They also lent their talents to Queens of the Stone Age’s chart-topping 2005 Lullabies To Paralyze and the subsequent two-year touring cycle that followed its release. Along the way, Alain either wrote, produced, or engineered projects for No Doubt, Mark Lanegan, Jimmy Eat World, Brody Dalle, and Arctic Monkeys, to name a few. Not to mention, he performed in PJ Harvey’s live band as well as Them Crooked Vultures where he shared stages worldwide with Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones. A sought-after composer for film, television, and video games, he has penned music for HBO’s Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) as well as Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Breakpoint. Plus, Grohl enlisted him as part of the Sound City Players, co-writing and performing various cuts on the soundtrack for Sound City. Following Natasha’s passing, he unveiled his first solo effort, Spark, in 2010 before delivering the follow-up Fragments and Wholes, Vol. 1 three years later.

Hum
Alain Johannes
Album out now through Liberator Music/Ipecac Recordings
Available to buy/stream here

Hum tracklist:
1. Mermaids’ Scream
2. Hum
3. Hallowed Bones
4. Someone
5. If Morning Comes
6. Free
7. Sealed
8. Here In The Silence
9. Nine
10. Finis