After the stellar response they received for their forthcoming album’s title-track ‘Click Click Domino’, and follow-up singles ‘Road To Avalon’ and ‘Little Liars’ earlier this year, which were supported by WONDERLAND, Rolling Stone, The Independent, The Guardian, CLASH ‘Track of the Day’, Under The Radar, NME Radio, American Songwriter, Songwriting Magazine and many more, British duo Ida Mae return once again with their next captivating cut ‘Learn To Love You Better’.
Bringing back more of that undeniably infectious swagger they inject into everything they release, ‘Learn To Love You Better’ gives us a chance to experience their more romantic side. While there are still plenty of smooth and jangled grooves layered throughout this new offering, there is a heartfelt passion running the length of this new song, showcasing a warmer and more intimate side to their sound.
Speaking about the new release, Ida Mae said, “‘Learn to Love You Better’ came out of nowhere. I’d picked up the same late 1800s American made Mandolinetto that we used on ‘Little Liars’ and this song just fell out. This was written from the perspective of a friend of ours who was trying to find a way to better support the person they loved who was struggling with their own personal demons.
Again we wanted to offset the Americana / Folk connotations of the mandolin with another vintage analogue drum machine often sampled on hip hop records. We found ourselves trying to land the production somewhere between Hiss Golden Messenger and a trashy Robert Plant & Allison Krauss after an all nighter.”
The record ‘Click Click Domino’ was inspired by their transatlantic travels during the release of their critically-acclaimed debut album ‘Chasing Lights’. Forced by the pandemic to cut their tour short, they ended up writing and recording this album at their Nashville home while in quarantine last spring. Ever the dream team, Ida Mae’s Chris Turpin took on the production, having honed his skills over the years observing Ethan Johns, T Bone Burnett, Ryan Hadlock, M Ward and more, while Stephanie Jean has crafted the art and other visuals. The album features electrifying guest appearances from Marcus King and Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet on a few tracks, and drumming throughout by Ethan Johns.
‘Click Click Domino’ Tracklist:1. Road to Avalon2. Click Click Domino (feat. Marcus King)3. Line on the Page4. Raining for You5. Little Liars6. Deep River (feat. Marcus King)7. Heartworn Traders8. Calico Coming Down9. Learn To Love You Better10. Long Gone & Heartworn (feat. Jake Kiszka)11. Mountain Lion Blues12. Sing A Hallelujah13. Has My Midnight Begun
For nearly two straight years following the release of their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Chasing Lights’, Ida Mae lived on the road, crisscrossing the US from coast to coast as they performed hundreds of dates with everyone from Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss to Marcus King and Greta Van Fleet. And while those shows were certainly formative for the electrifying British duo, it was what happened in between, the countless hours spent driving through small towns and big cities, past sprawling suburbs and forgotten ghost towns, across deserts and mountains and forests and prairies, that truly laid the groundwork for the bands transportive new album, ‘Click Click Domino’.
Written primarily in the backseat of a moving car, ‘Click Click Domino’ embodies all the momentum and possibility of the great American unknown, but its more than a simple road record. In fact, Turpin and Jean rarely reference their own travels in any explicit terms here. Instead, the duo offers up a series of cinematic vignettes drawn from the world outside their window, a collection of intimate, empathetic snapshots full of hope and disappointment, promise and regret, connection and loneliness. The songs on ‘Click Click Domino’ are raw and direct, fuelled by an innovative mix of vintage instruments and modern electronics, and the performances are loose and exhilarating to match, drawing on Delta blues, classic country, British folk, and 50’s soul to forge a sound thats equal parts Alan Lomax field recording and 21st Century garage band. Turpin and Jean produced the album themselves, recording primarily on their own in their adopted hometown of Nashville during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the collection is certainly bolstered by appearances from high profile guests like Marcus King, Greta Van Fleet’s Jake Kiszka, and Ethan Johns, the heart and soul of the record remains Ida Mae’s intoxicating chemistry, which has never felt more vibrant, ambitious, or self-assured.
Ida Mae have always managed to follow their own compass. And as ‘Click Click Domino’ proves, the best stories are often found off the beaten path.
Ida Mae have a string of forthcoming live shows, including a host of festival dates, a headline London show and a global live stream.