Thomas Powers, a member of New Zealand band The Naked and Famous, has announced the release of his debut solo album. Titled ‘A Tyrant Crying In Private’, the LP will feature collaborations with Julian Baker, Now Now and Rob Moose, and is set to be released on May 17. Powers has described the album as “unapologetically me,” and has said that it showcases a range of genres, including “alternative, electronic, and neo-classical”.
One of the collaborative tracks on the album is ‘Permanent Holiday,’ a single created with Now Now. Powers explains that the song details a decade of his life, and expresses nostalgia for a time that has passed. He has also released several other tracks from the album as teasers for fans, including ‘Li’.
Powers has described the album as a passion project, one that had been long in the making. He says that while many of its elements had been stewing for years, the first fully-realized song was ‘Li’. He worked on the album during breaks from work with The Naked and Famous and during lockdown periods throughout 2020.
Julian Baker, who appears on two tracks from ‘A Tyrant Crying In Private’, helped Powers to create ‘Empty Voices’. Powers explains that he contacted her during the quiet of lockdown, and that she was honored to collaborate with him. Baker recorded her vocals remotely, then joined Powers in a recording studio to add final elements, during which they spent much of their time enjoying the sunset and sipping beers.
Earlier in 2021, Powers’ Naked and Famous bandmate Alisa Xayalith released her debut solo single, ‘High Fidelity’
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