Los Angeles singer-songwriter Johanna Samuels is releasing her debut LP, Excelsior!, due out May 14 via Mama Bird Recording Co. It was recorded and produced by Sam Evian, and features guest appearances from Courtney Marie Andrews, Lomelda, Olivia Kaplan, A.O. Gerber, Hannah Cohen and Maví Lou. You can see the cover art and tracklisting below.
Following twangy first single "High Tide for One" and "Nature's Way," Johanna has shared the wry, melancholy "All is Fine," which has an Elliott Smith feel. "I wrote this in one sitting at 3am," she says. "It’s about a common human conflict I was exploring during the writing of this record. I felt a bit heartbroken by people not wanting to hear each other out. It sometimes felt that, if there’s any snag in the smoothness of dynamic in a relationship, I was finding it more and more common that people had no interest in truly understanding both experiences. We’ve grown accustomed to a binary. Right or wrong. Convenient for me or inconvenient. In or out. You’re somewhat powerless after someone creates a wall of protection around their inner structures that harshly. Romantic relationships, friendships, politically, communally… I noticed it everywhere. There’s only so much one can do to get through to an uninterested party. All has to be fine and you have to move on."