Likened by Rolling Stone to sounding “somewhere between Red House Painters and The Beach Boys”, Germany’s Green Apple Sea make wondrously timeless pop music.
The Green Apple Sea release a new album entitled ‘Directions’ on May 18th. In the meantime, you can watch the video for a new track, ‘Doc Watson Dream’.
Part dream pop, part 60s haze, part alt-country, the new track’s sound has traces of Wilco, traces of the quieter aspects of New Pornographers and more besides. It’s the kind of retro sound that’s almost guaranteed to make you feel good.
A full press release follows.
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Nuremberg’s The Green Apple Sea have taken their time to finish newest album ‘Directions’. About eight years ago Stefan Prange, creative head and songwriter of the band, decided to move to the countryside to get away from modern city life. He said a fond farewell to the indie music scene he had very much been part of and went instead, to plant potatoes and train a local kids football team. Quite a change.
Stefan didn’t want to be a musician anymore and he was sure he never wanted to play live again but the problem was, his songs wouldn’t stop coming. He began secretly recording new ideas into his phone, scribbling down lyrics on old electricity bills. He shared the new material with his former bandmates and began to enter open-mic nights..
A trip to London followed to play a Communion Records club night and then a Daytrotter Session was recorded. Shortly afterwards, the band went into the studio and began recording a new album. It did take four years but here it is, ‘Directions’ is about to be released, worldwide on May 18th.
The recording of this, their fourth full length, was more difficult than any of its predecessors for The Green Apple Sea. They wanted to create something to be hugely proud of after Prange’s long creative break and following their previous album ‘Northern Sky/Southern Sky’ (2010), which had received fantastic reviews.
What evolved is the truly organic band sound typical to The Green Apple Sea. Everything is intertwined and yet every instrument and melody has its place and remains distinguishable. Choirs and harmonies are here, one of their trademarks and almost every song starts with a signature melody, most of them played by producer Christian ‘Wuschi’ Ebert on keyboard or piano.
The Green Apple Sea know how to connect melancholy and bitterness with sparkling, country influenced pop songs. The splendid contrast between the mood of the lyrics and of the music, truly make this band extraordinary. These hand cut, finely crafted songs contain a disarming radiance that make it crystal clear, why ‘Directions’ took eight years to complete. It could be described as a collection of singles, as no song depends on another.. each one deserves it’s own space.
Previously The Green Apple Sea have toured all over Europe with artists such as Catpower, Ben Lee, The Church, Smog, I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness and a zillion others in recent years and Stefan now returns to London on 29th April to perform live at Green Note, 106 Parkway, London NW1 7AN.
‘Directions’ follows previous albums ‘All Over The Place’ (2000), ‘Forever Sounds Great’ (2007) and ‘Northern Sky, Southern Sky’ (2010).
‘The Green Apple Sea are so breezily cool they make the
heart ache a little’ Vulturehound
‘The first German band to ever remind me of the harmonies of Laurel Canyon in the 60s’
Kdr gives you 5
‘Please slow down delivers their well-tested formula of sweet melodies and pretty harmonies warmly delivered’ For Folk’s Sake
Northern Sky / Southern Sky is traversed by longing and homesickness, sadness and isolation, sleepless nights and golden sunrises (…) It ought to stand in between “Ocean Beach” by Red House Painters and “Friends” by the Beach Boys’ Rolling Stone, 10/2010, ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘
‘..and then there is «Northern Sky, Southern Sky» by the Nurmenberg Indie-Folk-Band The Green Apple Sea. Their fifth album is a collection of 10 incredibly great and wonderfully arranged songs – one better than the other, unspectacular in a spectacular way, with meldioes that others would kill for, and hamronies that leave you floating a few inches above the ground’
Loop 9/2017 (Favorite records of the past 20 years)
