The lovely Mr Ruston Kelly has announced the release of his third album ‘Shape & Destroy’ which is due out on 28th August via Rounder Records, and to accompany the news he’s today released a new song from it called ‘Rubber’ which you can watch below.
Co-produced by Kelly and longtime collaborator Jarrad K and recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in upstate New York, ‘Shape & Destroy’ documents Kelly’s journey through maintaining his sobriety and facing his past. He addresses these experiences and setbacks across thirteen new songs including ‘Brave’ which premiered earlier this year.
Reflecting on the album, Kelly says: “Making this record definitely taught me that I don’t want to be selfish: I want to channel something larger than myself and give myself to the process as fully as possible, because these songs also become the story of whoever hears them. Whatever someone might get out of listening to this record and hearing me express myself in this way, it’s completely theirs.”
In addition to Kelly (vocals, acoustic guitar, high-strung acoustic, electric guitar, piano, percussion, sandpaper, mandolin) and Jarrad K (electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, piano, Rhodes, Hammond M3, percussion, student bells, background vocals), the album also features Kelly’s father Tim “TK” Kelly (steel guitar, background vocals), Eli Beaird (bass, background vocals) and Eric Slick (drums, percussion, background vocals) as well as special guests Gena Johnson, Abby Kelly and Kacey Musgraves on background vocals.
Ruston Kelly released his full-length debut album ‘Dying Star’ in 2018. Also co-produced by Kelly and Jarrad K, the album landed on several “Best of 2018” lists including Rolling Stone, Paste, American Songwriter, NPR Music and us too – we described it as “a solid foundation for what should become a promising and long-lasting career.” Kelly also released ‘Dirt Emo Vol. 1’ this past autumn —a project consisting of eight new covers of his favourite emo songs including Dashboard Confessional’s ‘Screaming Infidelities’ featuring the band’s lead singer Chris Carrabba, Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag,’ The Carter Family’s ‘Weeping Willow’ and Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well,’ which earned praise from Swift herself.
‘Shape & Destroy’ Track List
1. In The Blue
2. Radio Cloud
3. Alive
4. Changes
5. Mid-Morning Lament
6. Brave
7. Clean
8. Rubber
9. Jubilee
10. Closest Thing
11. Pressure
12. Under The Sun
13. Hallelujah Anyway
