Hurray for the Riff Raff is ready to kick off a new era with their upcoming album The Past Is Still Alive. Set for release on February 23 via Nonesuch, the latest project from acclaimed singer/songwriter Alynda Segarra grew out of a painful but transformative life chapter.
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Produced by Brad Cook and recorded in North Carolina, The Past Is Still Alive is Segarra’s creative response to grief and uncertainty. The 11-track LP offers musical vignettes of formative moments from throughout their life, from the fresh excitement of youth to the dark cloud of addiction.
The record’s lead single, “Alibi,” juxtaposes upbeat instrumentation with an impassioned appeal for a chance to rebuild a bond with another. Segarra’s emotionally charged vocals elevate the hopefully lyrical message, even if the voiced wish seems to be a lost cause.
“The Past Is Still Alive is an album grappling with time, memory, love, and loss, recorded in Durham, North Carolina, a month after losing my Father,” Segarra shared in a statement. “‘Alibi’ is a plea, a last-ditch effort to get through to someone you already know you’re gonna lose. It’s a song to myself, to my Father, almost fooling myself because I know what’s done is done. But it feels good to beg. A reckoning with time and memory.
“The song is exhausted with loving someone so much it hurts,” they add. “Addiction separates us. With memories of the Lower East Side in the early 2000s of my childhood, mixed with imagery of the endless West that calls to artists and wanderers.”
The Past Is Still Alive features guest vocals from Conor Oberst, S.G. Goodman, and Anjimile. Segarra is accompanied by an all-star cast of musicians, including Meg Duffy of Hand Habits, Libby Rodenbough, Matt Douglas, Phil Cook, Yan Westerlund, and Mike Mogis, who also mixed the record.
To coincide with their album announcement, Segarra also revealed an extensive 2024 headlining tour. The trek will make stops across the U.S., U.K., and European cities through the spring. You can find more information on the tour and album by visiting Hurray for the Riff Raff’s official website.
Watch the official lyric video for “Alibi” below:
The Past Is Still Alive Track List
1. “Alibi”
2. “Buffalo”
3. “Hawkmoon”
4. “Colossus of Roads”
5. “Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)”
6. “Vetiver ”
7. “Hourglass”
8. “Dynamo”
9. “The World Is Dangerous”
10. “Ogallala”
11. “Kiko Forever”
Photo by Tommy Khan, Courtesy of Shore Fire Media
