Jehnny Beth, of post-punk band Savages, has released her debut solo album, To Live is to Love, via Caroline Records. Stream it in its entirety below via Apple Music or Spotify.
For the new LP, the Savages rocker enlisted the talents of The xx’s Romy Madley Croft and Joe Talbot of IDLES. Actor Cillian Murphy also makes an appearance on “A Place Above,” as well as in the very intense music video for “I’m The Man”.
Beth’s solo music still follows the same disjointed, anxious vein as Savages, with her own unique poetic lyrics placed front and center. Speaking to the New York Times, Beth said that she was inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and David Bowie’s final record, Blackstar. “…An album can be a testament, an imprint of your vision of the world, and it will last longer than you will,” she said, adding that she felt compelled to make a record “as if I was going to die.”
Beth’s partner, Johnny Hostile, co-produced To Live is to Love with assistance from Flood (New Order, Depeche Mode), in addition to creating the album artwork seen below. Beth and Hostile also collaborated an erotic art book to accompany the record, entitled C.A.L.M.: Crimes Against Love Memories.
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The new album was originally scheduled to be out on May 8th, but was postponed as Beth wanted to ensure that independent record stores could stock the vinyl LP at the same time as the digital release. “To release my first ever solo album in a way that would leave [record stores] out felt wrong to me,” she said in a statement.
To Live is to Love Album Artwork:
To Live is to Love Tracklist:
01. I Am
02. Innocence
03. Flower
04. We Will Sin Together
05. A Place Above (feat. Cillian Murphy)
06. I’m The Man
07. The Rooms
08. Heroine
09. How Could You (feat. Joe Talbot)
10. French Countryside
11. Human
