Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat

Vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist, and all around musical machine Alexis Taylor, known as the frontman for the band Hot Chip, has just announced that he will be releasing a new studio solo-album Piano. The new LP will feature only Alexis Taylor and his piano as he takes the listener on a musical journey, pairing his vocal range with his distinguished skill on the keys Taylor is looking to create a sort-of private recital that captures each beautiful moment live, up-close and personal, as if you are sitting right there next to him. The album is set to be released mid-June via Moshi Moshi. Alexis Taylor seeks to achieve his goal of creating his own piano record.

The new album that Alexis Taylos is releasing appears to be very personal, as if a private record, one which is looking to celebrate lost friends rather than mourn, as well as the music itself and the people around us. Alexis claims “The idea with this record was to choose songs of my own and others’ that were personal to me and to document live performances which were intimate and unadorned. I wanted to reduce everything to the barest elements, record a great piano well and do as little as possible to the recordings EQ or effects-wise. The mood created on the record is pretty different from that on other records I have been involved with. It feels like a special place to be able to go to.” which  leads to  this record sounding extremely raw, as if just pressed and recorded that minute, giving the listener an unbelievably real relationship with the musician.

Alexis talks about how this LP is inspired and driven by the loss of his friends, but not discovering it towards the end of recording “After a close friend and collaborator passed away during the making of this record – actually someone who I had asked to contribute small string parts to it – I felt I understood it all too well Life a miracle – a miracle that’s hard to bear”. This is a incredible opportunity for the audience to truly feel the way the artist feels.

Recorded at Hackney Road Studios by Shuta Shinoda, Piano is a testament to Taylor’s creative mind, which he claims did not come together too quickly “I had always wanted to make a loose and to some extent unplanned piano record – partly inspired by an un-made but suggested Alex Chilton solo piano LP that a friend of mine told me about 15 years ago or so. I began one a few years back which then morphed into the second About Group LP – but the idea stayed in the back of my mind all the while”.

However, after all the hard work he has put it, finally the record is ready to be released, Taylor announced that the album will release June 10th, just at the right time for some summer tunes. In order to help support and celebrate the upcoming album, Alexis Taylor has chosen to release the first track written for the LP “I’m Ready”, a track capturing the essence of the positive mind starting a creative endeavor.

Fans can look forward to hopefully hearing of a tour announcement in the upcoming season to help further support the new album.

Piano Official Tracklist:

01. I’m Ready
02. So Much Further to Go
03. Crying in the Chapel
04. Without Your Name
05. In The Light of the Room
06. Lonely Vagabond
07. Repair Man
08. Don’t Make My Brown Eyes Blue
09. I Never Lock That Door
10. Just For A Little While
11. Don’t Worry