St. Paul & The Broken Bones Release “City Federal Building”
City Federal Building,” the new single from St. Paul & The Broken Bones is out now.
The song is taken from the band’s forthcoming album, Angels In Science Fiction, set for release April 21 on ATO Records—pre-save/pre-order here.
Throughout the new song, bandleader Paul Janeway shares a message to his daughter: “Don’t let them take your Holy Ghost. Don’t let them take what’s precious to you. Find meaning, and don’t let people take whatever that meaning is,” he says. “There is sometimes a desire that you want your child to grow up to do what you do, but ultimately you just want them to find happiness and some sort of meaning.”
City Federal Building” follows previously released singles, “Lonely Love Song”—named “a prayerful and powerful lullaby” by Garden & Gun—and “Sea Star,” which debuted to critical praise from NPR, Relix and Glide Magazine, alongside a video directed by Gus Black.
Angels In Science Fiction was written in the span of a few weeks after Janeway learned that his wife was pregnant with their daughter, Marigold. Following the examples set by greats like Aristotle, William James and John Steinbeck, Janeway penned the album as a series of letters to his then-unborn daughter.
“A few people told me it would be a good idea to write letters to my yet to be born daughter before she arrived into the world,” says Janeway. “That is what Angels In Science Fiction is. Themes throughout the album are faith, nature vs nurture, anxiety and beauty. This is a record I would have written whether I did this for a living or not. I don’t know if those records come along all the time.”
The new album was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee and was produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, John Prine, Elvis Presley). It follows the band’s critically acclaimed 2022 album, The Alien Coast. In celebration of the new music, St. Paul & The Broken Bones—hailed “one of the nation’s best live bands” by NPR—will take their dynamic live performances to the U.S., Europe and Australia on a run of headline dates throughout the year—see below and visit stpaulandthebrokenbones.com/shows for complete tour routing.
Founded in Birmingham, Alabama in 2011, St. Paul & The Broken Bones consists of Paul Janeway (vocals), Jesse Phillips (bass), Browan Lollar (guitar), Kevin Leon (drums), Al Gamble (keyboards), Allen Branstetter (trumpet), Chad Fisher (trombone), and Amari Ansari (saxophone). The eight-piece ensemble burst into the world with their 2014 debut,Half the City, establishing a sound that quickly became a calling card and landing the band a slew of major festivals including Lollapalooza, Coachella and Glastonbury. Critical praise from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, SPIN and NPR followed, leading to shared stages with some of the world’s biggest artists—Elton John and The Rolling Stones among them—and launching an impressive run of headlining tours behind what Esquire touted as a “potent live show that knocks audiences on their ass.”
The group has continued to expand their sound with every record, branching out well beyond old-school soul into sleek summertime funk and classic disco on albums like 2018’s Young Sick Camellia. Their forthcoming LP, Angels In Science Fiction, stretches their limbs further afield, building on the shadowy psychedelia and intricate, experimental R&B of 2022’s The Alien Coast. The new record finds Janeway at his very best. With Angels In Science Fiction, St. Paul & The Broken Bones have crafted their most moving, comprehensive work—spanning their entire sonic and emotional scope.
photo, credit: Paige Sara