The Tell share adventurous 80s new wave inspired “Burning”; New project from James McAlister (Taylor Swift) and Noah Dickie (Coastwest Unrest)

THE TELL
NEW COLLABORATIVE PROJECT FROM NOAH DICKIE (COASTWEST UNREST) AND JAMES MCALISTER (SUFJAN STEVENS, TAYLOR SWIFT)
RELEASE ADVENTUROUS NEW INDIE ROCK SINGLE “BURNING”
1980’S NEW WAVE INSPIRED TRACK HITS ON THE FEVER OF DESIRE
ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM ‘SOMEWHERE RIGHT NOW’ OUT JUNE 18 ON RECLAIM RECORDS
LISTEN TO “BURNING”
May 21, 2021 – The Tell, a new project from indie singer-songwriter Noah Dickie of Las Vegas duo Coastwest Unrest and LA-based composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist James McAlister who has worked with everyone from Sufjan Stevens and The National to Taylor Swift, share their second single “Burning”. The new song, which features Tyler Chester of Andrew Bird’s crew on bass, follows the captivating debut single “Clap Clap”, released last month. Today The Tell also announced that a full album, Somewhere Right Now, is set to be released on June 18th via Reclaim Records.
The Tell have received a lot of early praise in the tastemaker blog world for their new sound, with comparisons to The Hold Steady meets The National (BuffaBlog). They’ve also been cited as “trippy and upbeat” (The Joy of Violent Movement) with “some great unique elements that makes [The Tell] stand out all on its own.” (From The Strait)
The beauty of “Burning” is that it evokes themes of lust and regret against a backdrop of ‘80s new wave meets disco, with waves of orchestral sounds, that take listeners on a universal quest (“I hear the journey calling/I know I’ll take it someday”). It’s all about sensational desires that touch the spirit, like when Noah sings “I hope I find you someday,” beseeching the object of his adoration. The fever of desire and longing is stoked by a mythical incantation, the creative process itself the destination, underlining the importance of being “somewhere right now” – the universal theme behind the album.
Noah shares, “‘Burning’ was a fun one to make and be a part of….Tyler Chester (Andrew Bird) was in the studio that day as well and he and James really locked-in rhythmically, with Tyler on Bass and James on drums. It made my job easier with the vocals once we had laid down this energetic, rhythmic bed to stack everything else on top of.  Out of all of the songs we recorded, this one definitely has James’ ‘fingerprints’ all over it…especially the ending coda where he goes full-ham and unleashes a storm of buzzing synthesizers.”
The Tell is a long overdue venture for Noah and James, who have been friends for quite some time but have been working on various projects throughout the ages. Originally starting on this collection of tracks in 2018, 2021 seemed prime to complete the record together and share it with the world. Noah brought the songs and the collaboration bloomed from there. They recorded a majority of the forthcoming album, due out later this year, by themselves between their respective home studios – Noah in Henderson, NV and James in Eagle Rock, CA, adding producer Luke Vander Pol for two tracks on the record via his home studio in Burbank, CA.
Noah and James decided to name themselves The Tell as a double entendre, that includes the behavior of a poker player (the antithesis of a poker face) and the sonic narrative of their musical work, an aural journey from borderline despair to well-being, using music – and its creation — to try to heal psychic and physical wounds. The music combines Dickie’s narrative song craft and folk roots with McAlister’s sprawling, buzzing soundscapes, wrapping the former in a fully realized interior world that inadvertently reflects the pandemic everyone has had to face over the past year.
Stay tuned for more music and updates by connecting with them on Instagram and Facebook as @TheTellMusic.
CONNECT WITH
THE TELL:
Instagram: @thetellmusic
Facebook: @TheTellMusic
ABOUT THE TELL:
Noah Dickie formed Coastwest Unrest in 2009 with his older brother Josh on drums, releasing a series of indie albums on their own Reclaim Records label, the last, The Crazed Ones, in 2017, juxtaposing the desolate sands of the desert with the neon glitz of the Sin City strip to create an uneasy balance between roots Americana and stripped-down punk-folk. James McAlister, the tour drummer for The National and a much sought-after programmer, worked with that band’s Aaron Dessner (most notably on Taylor Swift’s last two critically-acclaimed albums) and Sufjan Stevens, while currently releasing an album as a solo artist on Bon Iver principal Justin Vernon and Dessner’s prestigious 37d03d label. Among his recent accomplishments are contributing to the soundtracks for Oscar nominees The Big Sick, The Two Popes and Call Me by Your Name and his 2017 collaboration with Stevens, Nico Muhly, and Bryce Dessner entitled Planetarium released by 4AD.
With its multi-layered themes, The Tell’s new music evokes the awe of the human condition and a shift in perspective to appreciate the beauty and magnitude of this world and our place in it. Consider it the perfect antidote for these times, as we stumble out of the darkness into the light at the end of a long tunnel. The Tell celebrate the beauty and magic of the creative gesture, a supreme organizing principle in a world threatening to come undone.