After recently returning to deliver his comeback single ‘How Close We Came‘ near the end of last year, Dan Croll is now ready to announce the details behind his new studio album Fools, showcased by new single ‘Slip Away‘.
Returning to his familiar haunt Montrose Recording in Richmond, VA, where he also recorded his 2020 LP Grand Plan, Dan Croll has now stepped into the role of co-producer this time around alongside his regular recording partner, Spacebomb’s Matthew E. White.
Fools finds Dan Croll at a crossroads, documenting recent events with warmth and wit to help him decide which direction to take. Five years after leaving his beloved Liverpool for sun-soaked L.A., a move made on a whim, which transformed his sound, Fools poses a fundamental question – is it finally time to come home?
Explaining the inspiration behind Fools, Dan said, “This album came at the end of a turbulent few years for me with the isolation of covid, a break-up, and the homesickness for all that I left behind to move to America. But whilst these were all challenging moments there were some moments of beauty and resilience that allowed me to get through it all. These songs document that tumultuous period that not only I but I’m sure a lot of others went through in what can only be described as a challenging moment in time.
“I decided to go back once more to Richmond, Virginia, to work with Matthew E. White and the incredible musicians there. Each time I’ve been back I feel we grow and understand each other more and more, and there was a particular ease in capturing these songs that I hope comes through in the record.”
As the record’s opening offering, ‘Slip Away’ perfectly illustrates the more groove-laden direction Croll is taking on his latest collection. Moving away from the largely acoustic-led aesthetic that filled his previous outing, he is looking to bring a sense of joyous vibrancy to his new release, despite the anxiety and frustration he still suffers from since moving to the US.
Adding about ‘Slip Away’, he said, “I recently hit my five-year milestone of living in Los Angeles, and ‘Slip Away’ is about the fatigue and struggle I’ve felt over the past year. It’s frequently had me questioning how realistic it is to carry on living here, and whether draining my savings, living without healthcare, and being so far away from home/family is really worth it. I found myself on occasions fantasising about throwing in the towel and slipping away into a much simpler life, a life possibly even outside of the music industry. Having been in music my entire adult life, a part of me has wondered whether I could ever exist outside of it. A 9-to-5 job has always been something I’ve seen from the outside looking in, and to me, the structure and steadiness have always been so attractive. ‘Slip Away’ is about the lure of escaping to a simpler existence.”
‘Slip Away’s accompanying video was shot entirely by Dan on a go-pro. Speaking about the process and inspiration he explains “Having been self-employed pretty much my whole life, I constantly find myself burning out and craving structure or some sense of normalcy. ‘Slip Away’ as a song was a way for me to vent some of those frustrations, and the video more so a way to document them through my normal week.
I grabbed a GoPro and took it all over town with me over the course of a week. I didn’t want to just focus on the negatives like constantly sitting in LA traffic, so instead highlighted some of the ways that I escape these ruts that I can frequently find myself in by running, cycling, and generally being outdoors. It was a cathartic way of displaying the slightly chaotic nature of being freelance and trying to find some sort of space and order within it all.
The sumptuous Fools, Dan’s fourth album, follows 2020’s Grand Plan, a critical hit which captured his early experiences of life in L.A. and effortlessly exchanged his synth-pop of the past for sepia-tinged folk rock with Laurel Canyon leanings.
Fools jumps forward through Covid to the end of an intense three year relationship, the death of Dan’s grandmother back in Britain, and rare trips home as restrictions lifted. Sonically it spreads its net wider — country, disco and woozy psychedelics join the Carole King and James Taylor nods on Grand Plan.
Both albums were recorded largely live at the legendary Spacebomb Studios and Montrose Recording in Richmond, Virginia with Matthew E. White (Natalie Prass, Flo Morrissey, Slow Club) and his four-piece house band. This time, Dan co-produced, tinkering with sounds late into the night to add his own stamp to the record.
Fools Tracklist:
1. Slip Away
2. Talk To You
3. Friend Of Mine
4. Red And The Green
5. Sunshine
6. Second Guess
7. Fools
8. Piece Of The Action
9. Stephen
10. How Close We Came