Today, Laura Veirs has shared her new single and video “Pulse,” which is the latest off her forthcoming new album, Temple Songs, due out worldwide on August 14, through her own Raven Marching Band Records. The artist’s 14th solo LP showcases Veirs’ gift for simplicity and emotional precision, while also veering into art-experimental territory, as on the compelling and cacophonous “Pulse.”
The track slowly builds from Veirs’ expressive nylon-string guitar and vulnerable vocals to a brimming, lush soundscape featuring bold electric guitar embellishments and “Filthy” Lucre’s saxophone, which is the only outside contribution on Temple Songs Veirs herself wrote, recorded, arranged, produced and performed the rest entirely on her own.
“This song is about feeling the pulse of being alive and trusting that something good is still moving toward us, even in the middle of chaos and suffering. It’s the most sonically dense track on the album and building it piece by piece in the studio was fun. I played my niece’s bass and my stepkids’ drums, which gave it this layered, familial energy,” says Veirs.
The artist adds: “My favorite moment is the dissonant duet between my electric guitar and the sax, played by special guest ‘Filthy’ Lucre—I love the feelings of tension and release. We carried that energy into the video, which features my blended family in a home gym setting. The video takes some bizarre turns with cake and silly string, which fits the chaos and playfulness of the music. I liked the idea of making an exercise video—partly as a nod to the elevated pulse of the title, and partly because I’ve gotten into weightlifting in recent years. I can now deadlift 110 pounds, which still surprises me.”
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