LUCAS OSWALD’S NEW RECORD WHET
OUT TODAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, ON COSMIC DREAMER MUSIC
TOURING THE UK THIS WINTER WITH JESCA HOOP
Lucas Oswald and Cosmic Dreamer Music are thrilled to be celebrating the release for Oswald’s brand new album, Whet, out worldwide today, Friday, September 1st. After years as a performing and touring musician with Shearwater and The Appleseed Cast, Oswald embarked on a long and cathartic songwriting and recording process that resulted in the songs that now make up Whet, which has received advance praise from the likes of Stereogum and Consequence of Sound. The Austin-based musician will be touring across the pond this winter, playing a multitude of UK shows with celebrated singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop. All upcoming tour dates are listed below.
Order Whet via Cosmic Dreamer Music
Listen via BandCamp or Spotify
Stream “Starving” on Consequence of Sound via SoundCloud
Stream “Dark On Us” on Stereogum via SoundCloud
Growing up on a farm outside of Boonville, Missouri, Lucas Oswald’s initial interactions with music were driven by both boredom and a sense of exploration. Born to a musical family, Oswald grew up in a house rife with instruments to experiment while developing his craft as a musician.
The songs on Whet are deeply personal and close to Oswald’s heart. This aspect of the record is audible in tracks like “Passenger” which was “definitely influenced by working as a ‘sideman’ or playing ‘second fiddle’ to other artists’ visions,” Oswald shares, adding that “‘Long Long Year’ is also about being exhausted, trapped, and broke.’’ The writing and recording process for Whet took about 18 months, with Oswald moving three times in the process while actively touring with Shearwater. His nomadic lifestyle, along with financial and mental struggles, meant the recording of Whet served as the constant in his life. As such, the creation of this record served as both a coping mechanism and outlet for his creative release.
When writing, Oswald would flesh out the music first. The lyrics for each song falling into place afterwards, sometimes months later. Contextually, this makes a lot of sense as Oswald wanted to write a record about depression, or more specifically, the stagnancy of depression. So he mulled over lyrics for months until he got them right. “I always liked the phrase ‘whet your appetite,’” he shares. “So much of being an artist with compulsion problems,” he continues, “is this need to constantly whet a certain appetite. I love the definition of whet – ‘a thing that stimulates appetite or desire.’ When you’re depressed, there’s such a lack of that. So I liked the idea of the album being my own cathartic creation that would stimulate my own desire again.”
Whet also means to sharpen a tool, which Oswald took as a great metaphor for growth. “It took a lot of growth to make this album, and for me, as an artist, to sorta become the person I am now.” The homophone “wet” means almost the opposite of the “sharpened tool” definition of “whet” and the album (sonically) is just that: juxtapositions between sharp, punchy, abrasive sounds, and washy/reverby textures. In Oswald’s exploration of those extremes, he ultimately came to better understand himself, making Whet a record that not only encapsulates a seminal time in his own life, but invites listeners to join him in the midst of his ongoing journey.
All upcoming tour dates are listed below.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
*w/ Jesca Hoop
SEPTEMBER
16 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk w/ The Dan Ryan
OCTOBER
14 – Kansas City, MO @ The Rino Room
15 – Columbia, MO @ Rose Music Hall
28 – Austin, TX @ Radio Coffee w/ The Dan Ryan
NOVEMBER
26 – Guilford, UK @ Boiler Room*
27 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds*
28 – Manchester, UK @ Stoller Hall*
30 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla*
DECEMBER
01 – London, UK @ Union Chapel*
02 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt*
03 – Milton Keynes, UK @ The Stables*
06 – Dublin, IRE @ The Workmans Club*
07 – Belfast, UK @ The Strand Art Centre*
08 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tuts*
09 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club*