Jehnny Beth (Savages) & Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream) have announced a collaborative album, Utopian Ashes, due out on July 2nd via Third Man. Inspired by duet records by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell, and Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot, the album is a grand, orchestrated concept album about a married couple whose relationship is on the rocks.
“In the same way you create characters for a novel, we’ve created characters here,” says Jehnny. “But you put yourself in it, because you’re trying to understand the human situation. The singing has to be authentic. That’s all that matters.” Bobby adds, “I was thinking about two people living alone, together but apart, existing and suffering in a psychic malaise, who plough on because of responsibilities and commitments. It’s about the impermanence of everything — an existential fact that everyone has to face at some point in their lives.”
Today, Beth and Gillespie have shared a Douglas Hart–directed music video for their lead single “Remember We Were Lovers.” Listen to the single and watch the video below:
Utopian Ashes also features Jehnny Beth’s partner, Johnny Hostile (bass), as well as Primal Scream’s Andrew Innes (guitar), Martin Duffy (piano) and Darrin Mooney (drums).
Utopian Ashes artwork & tracklist:
1. Chase It Down
2. English Town
3. Remember We Were Lovers
4. Your Heart Will Aways Be Broken
5. Stones of Silence
6. You Don’t Know What Love Is
7. Self-Crowned King of Nothingness
8. You Can Trust Me Now
9. Living a Lie
10. Sunk in Reverie