Josh Ottum embraces commitment on “Yellowband”
Photo Credit: Cian Hamilton
Today California-based songwriter Josh Ottum shares "Yellowband," a new single from his upcoming project Josh Ottum Sampler, Vol. 01. It’s the lead single from a sampler of ten tracks, each song representing an upcoming full-length album. The project is part of a bold 30-album cycle in which Ottum fully commits to the creative practice of songwriting and recording.
The song itself came together in a moment of stillness. “‘Yellowband’ came together very quickly at home while sick in bed," Ottum explains. "I had just restrung my nylon string to inverted tuning and wrote the lyrics thinking about the significance and power of commitment. Commitment to another person, a job, a practice... whatever it is, the yellow band is this symbol that has no beginning and no end, taking on an endless, circular meaning."
“Yellowband” opens with an energetic and upward synth intro, with the other instrumentation fading in slowly. Ottum is joined by Adam Nash (Donavan Frankenreiter, Goodnight Texas) on pedal steel and Ben Lumsdaine on drums and percussion (Durand Jones, Jeff Parker). The organic and electronic textures are well-balanced, creating a new connection that feels both fresh and inevitable.
Take a listen below!
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Josh Ottum's new single "Yellowband" is an exercise in balance. Its electronic and acoustic textures woven together into something that feels both fresh and inevitable. Written while sick in bed with a freshly restrung nylon string guitar, the song meditates on commitment in all its forms. It's the lead single from Josh Ottum Sampler, Vol. 01, the opening chapter of an ambitious 30-album recording cycle.