New album ‘Azimuth’ by Mighty Brother navigates audiences towards their own North at the time of reawakening.
NEW ORLEANS, LA (December 8, 2022) - ‘Azimuth’ is the fourth studio release from Mighty Brother (releasing December 8th), who expertly knows how to sway listeners with the fluidity of rhythm in their new album that transports the hero myth into the modern day. The term azimuth describes the angle between North and a celestial object, essentially what sailors use to track their course. Hence, the title hints at the album’s themes of navigating difficult times and trying to maintain a sense of your own personal North. Throughout the themes of the album, ‘Azimuth’ deals with loss, normalcy, and rebirth.
Written during the pandemic, the writing process for the album began in the summer of 2020 when Nick and Ari took a month-long writing retreat in Oceanside, Oregon. The ocean view of the Bed and Breakfast they stayed at in company with the host’s generosity by bringing them baked goods daily translated into the album’s energy – a blue horizon mixed with homely sweetness. “Throughout the writing, we also imagined what it would be like to play these songs live. Like other bands, we had to cancel full tours for more than a year due to the pandemic and we were really missing the stage. We felt both nostalgic for the road and hopeful for its return, and poured that love for the journey and the friends you make along the way into the tracks,” they said. “Early on, we decided on making a concept album that would reimagine the Hero’s Journey. We’ve always written very narrative and character-based songs, and wanted to expand on that and see what we could do with a wider story arc. We [also] think it’s important to say that the hero of Azimuth is intentionally unnamed and ungendered,” they added. “I was having a ‘trans-awakening’ of sorts throughout the pandemic. You know, lots of downtime for self-exploration. I introduced a few tunes to the band that directly reference that journey – ”The Breakers” especially–and they ran with ‘em. Felt like a true ally moment, and the songs really blossomed further from there,” uttered Ari.
Indeed, Mighty Brother intends for listeners to feel invited to see themselves as the protagonist. “Every Drop of Moonlight” was one of the first songs the band finished, and is the perfect stage-setting song for an adventure album, as it identifies a character who is motivated toward adventuring out of their comfort zone by a mentor who has left on their own. Hereon, it was easy to imagine the character sailing forward to different islands, twisting and turning through adventures of the heart, art, society, and finally shipwreck. Azimuth is not only an auditory experience but also a visual experience. In addition to a traditional music video for “Rubia Marionet,” a single from the album, Mighty Brother has created an AI-generated music video for the second song on the album, "Weighed Down." "Weighed down" depicts the beginning of a tale when the protagonist has first set sail. It is here where the protagonist is experiencing doubt and is questioning their decision. The AI-generated video for the song did an excellent job of exhibiting these emotions by signifying the internal turmoil that occurs as a plan actualizes. The video displays images of a dark tower struck by lightning, a grim church choir, a bed-turned-galaxy, spiral staircases, and a bird floating above a blue expanse. William Huster, a friend of the band, created the AI video and used narrative work, mathematical prompting, and manual editing to create the final product that viewers see.
By the end of the album, the protagonist finds themselves marooned and hopeless, wondering ‘what was it all for?’. “I think a lot of us felt that way in 2020 when the work we had been doing, art we had been making, and life and career paths we had chosen were suddenly uprooted. In the end, though, the character finds some hope in the idea of sharing their experience with others, and understanding that there is still a future ahead of them. They have this sort of one-ness with everything, the ego-death moment in “Cliffs & The Ghost”, then are able to head back to the sea” expressed Ari.
‘Azimuth’ is the first album from the band to be available on 12” vinyl. For more information, you may order the vinyl record on Mighty Brother on Vinyl: Azimuth.
Album Credits:
Recorded at Marigny Studios in New Orleans, LA
Engineer: Justin Armstrong
Mixing Engineer: Nathan Feler
Mastering Engineer: David Farrell
Mighty Brother started as a songwriting duo in 2015, composed of Nick Huster and Ari Kirkman. Eventually growing to a five-piece indie rock outfit to include band members Jonah Devine Tarver (Saxophone), Quinn Sternberg (Bass), and Nicholas Solnick (Drums), Mighty Brother was quick to carve out two musical successes with Jettison, Reprise (2015) and The Vibe EP (2017). The band, who describes their sound as groovy and flavorful, has been influenced and inspired by the likes of Grizzly Bear, Radiohead, Bon Iver, The Decemberists, Avett Brothers, Alt-J, and several other musical acts. This menagerie of influences led to Mighty Brother’s indie-rock sound that also pays tribute to folk, singer-songwriter, funk, and alternative soundscapes. Having toured the globe on tours spanning from the United States to New Zealand, Mighty Brother performs as if they were actively conversing with the crowd, drawing listeners in for an engaging experience. This energy is translated into their music, proven through the tracks of their double album release The Rabbit and The Owl (2020). Now, the band is poised for even greater heights with their 2022 return for ‘Azimuth’. Stay tuned!
