New Originals - Wasteland
New Originals Latest is a Sonic Tour de Force
Both singles off the forthcoming debut album Shed My Skin set the bar high.
By: Greg Croak
“I’m sick of it all oh it’s enough already
I wanna shed my skin”
The opening lines of New Originals’ debut single “Wasteland” set the tone for a rebirth for longtime collaborators Dave Brandwein and Rob O’Block. Brandwein, the former singer and band leader of funk powerhouse Turkuaz, belts the line, teeth gnashed and eager to confront his demons in the wake of Turkuaz’s sudden and unexpected break-up midway through their 2021 tour.
“After more than ten years of touring and friendship,” Brandwein says, “I had to find out via social media that the band members were leaving without any explanation. This left Taylor (co-founder) and I behind and in a very bad position to say the least. While I, too, was itching to get off the road, this was not how I pictured it.”
While Turkuaz had most of their now final album recorded, the onus fell to Brandwein and co-producer O’Block to complete the band’s epic double LP eulogy, Paradiso/Apollyon. A longtime friend of the band turned collaborator, O’Block is based in Nashville, where he works as a songwriter, producer, and guitar player and always knew there was a subsequent project to be had with Brandwein.
“We had been working on these other tracks outside of Turkuaz for a while,” O’Block reflects. “We never knew exactly what they’d be for, but we were having fun working on them when we weren’t working on Turkuaz stuff, so we just kept going. As we went along, we realized not having to work within the confines of the 9-piece funk configuration gave us a lot of creative freedom to explore some different things.”
“Wasteland” sets the bar high with a danceable, grimy groove that features a murderer’s row of special guests. Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew of the Talking Heads contribute their signature synth and lead guitar sounds that inspired and defined the new wave rock sounds of the 80s, while Daru Jones’ unique drumming style brings the heat that makes him one of Jack White’s favorite hires.
Danke’s vocals on both “Wasteland” and “So Sad,” the second single off the forthcoming debut album Shed My Skin, round out the sonic tour de force that announces the arrival of your new favorite hit-makers.
