Semisonic Debuts First New Music In Nearly 20 Years

Courtesy: Pleasuresonic Records/Megaforce Records

Semisonic has returned.

After being away from the industry for nearly 20 years, the band has released some new music.  The band debuted its new single ‘You’re Not Alone‘ Friday.  The song is the lead single/title track and opening number from the band’s forthcoming EP by the same name.  The Ep is scheduled for release Sept. 18 through Pleasuresonic Recordings/Megaforce Records.

The song’s musical arrangement is a mid-tempo, guitar-driven work that takes listeners back to the 90s, and will keep them engaged and entertained throughout its three-minute-plus run time.

Front man Dan Wilson said in a recent interview, that the song’s lyrical content is a social commentary that come to being from his own experiences.

“I wrote ‘You’re Not Alone’ a couple of years ago at a time when a lot of people, including me, were feeling isolated and despairing about the state of the world and the direction our country was going,” said Wilson.  “We recorded the song last year and I’m really happy that it’s now coming out.  Coincidentally, the song is coming out when both a global pandemic and racial justice protests are compelling us to re-imagine our relationships to each other and the communities we live in. Just as I had hoped when I first wrote it, I hope the song will communicate a sense of connection and comfort, an awareness that we’re not alone.”

Wilson’s fellow Semisonic founding member John Munson added to the discussion, talking about the creation of Semisonic’s new EP.

“I think these songs have a really important and relevant story to tell,” said Munson.
“They embody this spirit of optimism about the possibility we can offer each other in times of hardship and struggle. I’ve always believed that a Semisonic song is one that gives you hope, one that sends you out into the night happy, one that leaves you feeling more connected to whatever it is that makes you human, and that’s something we need now more than ever.”

The EP’s track listing is noted below.

You’re Not Alone Tracklist:

1) You’re Not Alone

2) All It Would Take

3) Basement Tapes

4) Don’t Make Up Your Mind

5) Lightning

In the years since Semisonic released its last album All That Chemistry (2001), Monson, Wilson and fellow founding member Jacob Slichter all kept themselves busy even though the band never officially broke up.  Slichter went on to become a contributor to the New York Times newspaper and to National Public Radio (NPR).  Wilson became a first-call writer and producer.  Wilson has worked with American Public Media and has performed with a variety of bands.

The band officially reunited in 2017 to celebrate the anniversaries of its albums Great Divide and Feeling Strangely Fine.

More information on Semisonic’s new single and EP is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

 

Website: http://semisonic.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/semisonicband

Twitter: http://twitter.com/semisonicband

 

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Anchor Bay Announces Home Release Date, Details For ‘At Middleton’

Courtesy: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Anchor Bay Entertainment will release its new romantic comedy At Middleton this Spring.

At Middleton will be released on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, April 1^st.  It features an all-star cast headed by Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel, Up in the Air) and Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven, City Island).  It also stars Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), Spencer Lofranco (Jamesy Boy), Peter Riegert (Dads), and Tom Skerritt (Picket Fences).  The story follows George (Andy Garcia) and Edith (Vera Farmiga) as they meet while joining their children on a tour of the campus of Middleton College.  The pair meet thanks to a divide between themselves and their children.  Their meeting leads to a reminiscing of their own college years.  That reminiscing leads to personal revelations for both figures.

At Middleton has been praised by both audiences and critics alike.  New York Times writer Neil Genzlinger wrote of the movie, that it is “delicate and restrained” and “a surprise of a film.”  Rex Reed writes for The New York Observer.  He wrote of Farmiga’s performance that it was her “best role since she tamed George Clooney in Up in the Air.  Kudos have come in from other major media outlets including: NPR, The Huffington Post and many others; each one as complimentary as the last.

Audiences are treated to a number of bonus features in the home release of At Middleton.  There is an audio commentary with director/co-writer Adam Rogers, producer/co-Glenn German, and producer/actor Andy Garcia.  Also included as bonuses are: a gag reel and bonus music track of ‘There Was A Day.’  Andy Garcia wrote the song’s lyrics and sang the song and partnered with Arturo Sandoval to write the song’s music.  Sandoval arranged the song.

The DVD presentation of At Middleton will be available Tuesday April 1^st for SRP of $22.98 and on Blu-ray for SRP of $26.98.  More information on this and other releases from Anchor Bay is available online at http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com and http://www.facebook.com/AnchorBay.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.