Boston screamo/post-hardcore band The Saddest Landscape are releasing their first new album in a decade, Alone With Heaven, next month, and they’ve given us another preview with “The Invisible Hurt,” which features Julien Baker. Her voice soars alongside vocalist Andy Maddox early in the song, and later rises to meet his in aggression. Maddox says:
For a long while this existed solely in my head, I could picture how it should sound, feel the overall movement of it, but what was difficult was how to articulate that to my bandmates. Largely, it was that reason it was the last song completed for the album. What was clear from the start though was that I wanted it to be more of a duet (not like Dolly and Kenny, despite what Daniel may tell you), or at least a call and response, with the female voice being sort of the mantra I heard in my head as I lived out the anxiety that I was experiencing in the verses.
What was also clear was that the voice I heard was Julien Baker, so much so that Daniel affectionately titled the song “JulienHopeful”. We hold her in the highest esteem as an artist. Her records get inside and leave marks in the best way possible, we are in forever awe of her talent. After nervously approaching her we were beyond elated when she enthusiastically agreed to take part. After a few phone calls it was clear she puts so much of herself into what she does, and this would be no exception. She is incredibly astute and had some great ideas that lifted the song to new heights we never saw coming. Daniel and I are not ashamed to admit we teared up the first time we heard her part, it did everything we had hoped for and more. Also this song should act as an important reminder, you are not alone.
Julien adds:
I’ve been listening to The Saddest Landscape for a long time, they are a unique and completely legendary band in the scene. When I was growing up in Memphis, the bands I watched at house shows were referencing TSL albums. I remember listening to ‘You Will Not Survive’ and hearing a familiar beautiful voice singing among the screaming, so I looked in the liner notes and saw it was Laura Stevenson (who I loved) doing guest vocals . I was playing shows with a bunch of dudes in heavy bands, I really connected to the music but I hadn’t yet seen a lot of examples of someone with my voice integrated into that style.
I was so elated. To see this aggressive band collaborating with someone with such a different sound, it set a precedent for me. When the band reached out I was so excited to be on the song, it felt very cyclical. I also felt very encouraged by them. I’ve definitely felt that there are certain qualities of performance that people expect from me as a musician, which is fine – one of those though is a certain emotionality or formal prettiness or something. Andy and I talked before recording about how to approach the song and when I offered wanting to explore a deliberately uglier more aggressive vocal performance they were excited and really affirming.
To me, one of the most exciting things about making music is forming a community of artists to share with. Getting to collaborate with artists who make music different from my own is a gift in that it reveals new dimensions of music-making to me I might not have otherwise discovered on my own. It’s such an honor to have had this experience and really special to be a part of a TSL song.
Hear “The Invisible Hurt” below, and pre-order our exclusive “Where Angels Ascend” cloudy vinyl variant of Alone with Heaven, limited to 100 copies.
The Saddest Landscape also have a couple of shows coming up: Endless Fest in NYC and a Philly benefit show for Juntos Philadelphia.