Though perhaps best known as a photographer, director and producer, the creative vision of Rochester’s Robert Ascroft extends into music too. His debut album Echo Still Remains exists within the same stylistic universe as his other work, proving every bit as ambitious and cinematic in scope. Forthcoming on Hand Drawn Dracula, the record enlists a diverse cast of collaborators to help achieve this sound, with singles so far seeing the likes of Ruth Radalet (on ‘Faded Photographs’), Zumi Rosow of The Black Lips (‘Empty Pages’), Britta Phillips (‘Where Did You Go?’) and Kid Congo Powers (‘Devil Opens The Door‘) all lending their talents. A series of songs rich in both narrative and atmosphere which build what we’ve described previously as a “seductively shadowy style” through a combination of pop, psych and rock tendencies.
With the release of the album fast approaching, Robert Ascroft has returned with new single, ‘Should’ve Stayed in Bed’. The track sees Christopher Owens (formerly of Girls) take a turn as Ascroft’s guest, lending vocals to another rich and romantic song which seems to exist within the sweet, aching space between longing and regret. Lynchian is an over- and often misused descriptor, but Ascroft’s ability to locate ethereality within the real and real within dreams seems to owe a lot to a specific dimension of Lynch’s work. The midnight croon of a reminiscing lover, or else lonely figure yearning for the lost warmth of home. Watch the video, again directed by Ascroft himself, below:
Echo Still Remains is out on the 14th February via Hand Drawn Dracula and you can pre-order it now from the Robert Ascroft Bandcamp page.
