Aldrich is the recording project of Minneapolis songwriter and producer Caleb Anderson. Having been brought up in Central Minnesota, Anderson credits his musical style to his experiences of the slower pace of life in such rural environments. Starting out with self-produced demos that he recorded at home, Anderson began to develop a style both earnest and playful, and this compassionate and searching sound soon became the Aldrich aesthetic.
After debut EP, Hindsight, in 2018, this month sees Aldrich return with Under A Softened Gleam, a brand new release that further hones this style. The development is principally achieved by self-imposed challenge, Anderson stepping outside of his self-produced comfort to invite Con Davison into the fold. The collaboration pushes Aldrich beyond its previous limitations, utilising a finger-picked style to double down on the sincere tones, and thus get closer to the ultimate goal of communicating something of Anderson’s true heart.
Lead single ‘Find Out’ gives a good indication as to what to expect from the EP. With acoustic guitar emerging from a gentle dawn of ambient tones, the song has a hushed warmth which belies the immediacy of its emotion. For within the quiet intimacy of the sound burns something bright and urgent. A need to share something, to find something, to move beyond the stilted present into something more honest and fulfilling.
The song comes complete with a video directed and produced by Carsten Johnson, and you can check it out below:
https://vimeo.com/497711643
Under A Softened Gleam is out on the 22nd January.