New EP, Night Blooms in the Apocalypse, Out Now!
Photo and painting by Anna Maynard
Nightblooms
What began as a panic attack in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic gave way to a regenerative creative outlet for songwriter Sam Logan.
It was a visceral moment, underscored by night sweats, labored breathing, and full-body aches. The experience left an indelible mark, and in the following days, the chords and lyrics that eventually evolved into “Matters of Time” began to take shape.
But before that, Logan had spent more than a decade anchoring various bands in North Carolina’s vibrant Triangle music scene. His output during this period mostly hewed to the higher end of the decibel spectrum. From Strokes-inspired garage rock to anthemic 00’s-era folk-pop to moody, rhythmic post punk, the music was always thoughtful, but never quiet.
“Matters of Time,” however, was immediately different. As early demos progressed, the song revealed itself to be gentler, more patient, less prone to outburst. Its bassline thumped along happily; the drums grooved accordingly. The contrast between the song’s lyrical content and sonic palette felt strange at first. But that dichotomy — a little bit of honey to mask the vinegar — began to inform more and more creative decisions.
Like many other musicians, Logan spent his time during those early pandemic lockdowns reevaluating his relationship to music and songwriting, searching for new sounds and themes to distract from the stilted reality of quarantine. There was, finally, a chance to pause, to process, to absorb the melancholy and systemic rot that underpins our modern world.
And while he was nearly finished with a new full-length album for his band Lilac Shadows, Logan felt that “Matters of Time” signaled an artistic sea change.
So the Lilac Shadows album was released alongside the announcement of a new project called “Nightblooms.” A group of friends from his home base of Greensboro, NC, formed the early live band. Lyrics took a decidedly more personal, more vulnerable turn. Demo after demo poured out until a dozen or more songs were completed.
When it came time to turn demos into songs, Logan’s longtime friend and former bandmate Saman Khoujinian (Chatham Rabbits, Sylvan Esso, Mipso, Mountain Man, Wye Oak) was the immediate choice as producer.
At various studios around the Triangle (including Sylvan Esso home base Betty’s in Chapel Hill and Small Pond Music studios in rural Chatham County), the pair worked in short stretches over the better part of two years. Aided by friends and collaborators like Ellis Anderson (No One Mind, The Toddlers), Chessa Rich, Reed Benjamin (CALAPSE, Raund Haus), Charity Lane, and Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), they crafted more than a dozen tracks together.
The songs take Nightblooms’ original palette of acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, and expand its scope to include vintage synthesizers, lap steel guitars, pianos, drum machines, and string arrangements.
The economic realities of recording a hi-fidelity record soon set in, however, and Logan was forced to find an alternative path to finishing and releasing such a large batch of songs.
During this time, Khoujinian’s role as a cofounder of Sleepy Cat Records also came into play, and he worked alongside label partner and co-founder Gabe Anderson to usher Nightblooms into their stable of artists. It was through this collaboration that Logan and Anderson conceived of the three-part “Apocalypse” trilogy that the Night Blooms in the Apocalypse EP kicks off.
Rather than release all 13 songs at once, Nightblooms will slowly introduce this universe of music in three distinct EP releases. Beginning with Night Blooms … in fall 2023 and continuing with songs centered on love and emotional turmoil on Love Songs for the Apocalypse (early 2024), the cycle culminates with the more rollicking, psychedelia-inflected Free Time in the Apocalypse (summer 2024).
Across the Apocalypse trilogy, Logan explores our shared anxieties: the deterioration of the planet and those who profit from it, the comfort and corruption of religion, our global slide into chaos, the grief of living through end times. These heavy themes float across tracks that bounce and shimmer — fun songs about the end of the world.
On stage, Nightblooms is brought to life with the help of Logan’s former TOW3RS bandmate, Derek Torres (lead guitar), fellow Sleepy Cat labelmate Chessa Rich (keyboards), Lenwood Edwards (bass), and Steven Diaz (drums).
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