Speaking about the nostalgic video for ‘Time’, Ramirez says: I went into the studio with plans to document our time there and by the second day, after recording most of the song “Time”, I knew I wanted it to be the backdrop for the film. It’s easily one of the dreamiest songs I’ve ever recorded, and framed against the black and white montage of memories from the studio, it comes across with more nostalgia than heartbreak.”
For the first time, Ramirez – who has always co-produced or self-produced – hired a producer in the form of Sam Kassirer (previously helmed Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Bhi Bhiman) to help evolve and change the recording process. In January 2017 Ramirez and his band decamped to the Great North Sound Society, an eighteenth-century farmhouse in rural Maine that serves as Kassirer’s studio. “It’s very secluded, which was part of the appeal. We were able to get out of our touring headspace and stay completely involved with the record and what we were doing. That allowed the band to concentrate on the music, to pursue ideas without distractions and misgivings, but it also removed them from the world during a momentous event.”
We’re Not Going Anywhere marks a departure for Ramirez who builds on the rootsy sound of his early albums to create something new, bold and anchored in the present in both music and lyrics taking influence from the sounds of his childhood, the likes of The Cars and Journey. “We’re Not Going Anywhere” – these are four simple words informed and driven by Ramirez’s own background which identifies a record of promise and protest at a time of socio-political agitation, “so many cultures in this country are being viewed as un-American and it breaks my heart. My family has raised children here, created successful businesses here, and are proud to be a part of this country. Most of what I’ve seen as of late is misplaced fear. I wanted to write about that fear and how, instead of benefiting us, it sends us spiralling out of control.”
UK Tour
Jan 12 | London Old St Pancras Church
Jan 13 | Brighton Open Studios
Jan 14 | Sheffield Greystones
Jan 15 | Bristol Louisiana
Jan 16 | Nottingham Bodega
Jan 17 | Leicester Duffys
Jan 18 | Manchester The Castle
Jan 19 | Glasgow Broadcast
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