Folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Squires takes a new direction with his upcoming tenth studio album. Many Moons, due August 28 via Blackbird Record Label, is a collection of songs Squires wrote on his analog keyboard over the last several years. The experimental album explores themes of living with bipolar disorder and losing his mother to opioid addiction. Poignant songwriting and haunting melodies lay bare Squires’ most intimate thoughts.
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The North Carolina native premieres a video for the third single, “Hazy,” with an accompanying music video, today on American Songwriter.
When writing Many Moons, Squires focused on an expansion of his sound. His goal was to write something “special, emotional, and dreamy” to push past the folk-Americana bounds he had previously established for himself.
On the record, Squires experimented with different tunings and synth sounds, resulting in the overall feel that differentiates this collection from his previous nine. Besides guest pedal steel features from friend and fellow musician Whit Wright (American Aquarium, Jason Isbell, Willie Nelson), Squires played every instrument on every song from the album. While keeping true to his folk roots, Jeremy experiments with its sonic textures by recording the album partially at a local old abandoned church and his in-home studio.
Squires explained, “although it is a departure in some ways, it still has a familiar sound that I always hope to capture.”
The familiarity lies in the soothing vocals on his latest single. The album opener introduces the collection with attention-grabbing production. “I love the overall feel of ‘Hazy,’” he shares. “When sequencing the tracks, I always knew I wanted ‘Hazy’ to be first. It embodies what the whole album is about.”
His music video is set in his hometown of New Bern. The backdrop of familiar scenery places the listener at the heart of the narrative collection.
“The imagery in the video reflects my personality,” he shared. “ For example, there are shots the downtown area that I like to frequent. I used to skateboard downtown with all of my friends, so it seemed fitting to use some footage from my hometown. There are other images that I feel enhance or add to the music like the shattering lights and the images of being alone.”
Many Moons lands well amongst the current state of things. Although the inspiration is more intimate, each of the ten-tracks covers relatable topics such as grief, loss, stress, mental illness, and change.
“I think it’s an important album,” Squires insisted. “ It was written and recorded before the pandemic and this very important fight for racial equality and civil rights. However, I hope it speaks volumes to people and conveys a hopeful narrative.”
Take an exclusive first look at Jeremy Squires’s new music video for “Hazy,” due August 14.
