Begin your week by rocking out to the powerful sound of Kurt Deemer’s ‘Dead of Night’. Featuring a pounding, forceful beat and wailing harmonica, the song hangs on a melodic, memorable bass line. It’s a well-crafted heartland rocker and, in the best tradition of the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Deemer sings of escaping his life, fleeing under the cover of night. In the accompanying video, we see the band at work with moody lighting and a subtly overlaid image of a highway creating a suitably dark atmosphere.
The new single is the opening track from Deemer’s brand new album ‘Reclaim the Night’, his third full-length record. Alongside his powerful vocal performance and song-writing, Deemer took on production duties for the album. Working alongside post-punk veteran J. Robbins (Jawbox, Government Issue), who mixed the project, Deemer aimed for a raw, immediate and dynamic sound. The songs were recorded with a new band in the humble surroundings of a local warehouse and the environment was well-suited to the rawness of the songs Deemer was writing at the time. “At first, we weren’t sure if we were making demos or the final product. We left some of the rough edges. We did it old-school.” The result is honest, authentic and absorbing. Featuring a blend of acoustic and electric numbers and changes of pace, ‘Reclaim the Night’ is a guitar-driven roots-rocker, full of energy and hope.
Deemer told AUK about the song and album: “The song, ‘Dead of Night’ kicks off the new album, Reclaim the Night. Throughout the record, I was grappling with the swirl of darkness that has become our political landscape and our endemic public health reality. The dark energy in the global psycho-sphere and the push to reckon with some of our larger existential dilemmas pervaded and I wanted to capture all of that and the resolve to push through it. In this first song, I talk about basically just grabbing a few things and getting the hell out of where we are. It’s not a break-up song or anything like that – quite the contrary. It’s about two lovers realising what really matters to them in this life – each other – and the willingness to let go of the things that don’t. I felt it was the best song to open the record – a song about digging deep into ourselves, finding our inner grit, keeping our loved ones close and setting off. It’s not about running away from our problems or issues either, but about moving through them with conviction and the knowledge that in the end all we have is who we’ve become. We set off into the darkness determined to make it on our own, regardless of where it takes us…’We just have to let everything go. Don’t bring anything but your soul.’ I enlisted my old friend, film-maker and fellow musician Skizz Cyzyk to produce the video. Skizz and I played together many years ago in my band, Shadowmen. He’s a multi-talented artist on so many levels, and I knew he would be the one who could produce a video that would have the look and feel needed for this album. I felt that Skizz really got the concept and captured the energy of the song visually. He and John Kinhart and Jen Talbert just set to work creating the perfect atmosphere to convey the vibe of this opener song.”
After previous album ‘World Upside Down’ chronicled the crazy world of 2021, the Baltimore-based rocker has themed the new collection around the idea of new beginnings, leaving everything behind and starting anew. It seems particularly apt, given the uncertainty and upheaval of recent times. As we look to the future, this is confident, well-crafted rock to lose yourself in. Check it out.
