Indie folk artist Rocky Votolato follows his 2015 album, Hospital Handshakes, with a new EP, Sawdust and Shavings, as he heads out on tour in Europe. Sawdust and Shavings features several new versions tunes from the recent album that have been reimagined in sparer fashion. “Shortcuts” and “Kids As Kids” are two previously unreleased tracks and Votolato re-records “Hospital Handshakes” with Emily Kokal of Warpaint. Votolato says that “the new EP deals with overcoming and casting out demons, but there is a light at the end of tunnel in these songs. It’s really about recovery, healing, and the renewed sense of purpose we can find after hard experiences.”
Votolato snagged Wim Wenders’ director-assistant Luca Lucchesi to direct the visually gorgeous video.
Votolato tells PopMatters that “Luca Lucchesi is such a brilliant director and I think he did a perfect job of capturing the mood and spirit of the song with this video, together with the amazing director of photography Sönke Hansen. The setting of an old bunker in Berlin, his use of lighting, and slow motion camera techniques were the perfect medium to communicate the feeling I was going for with the song. I couldn’t be happier with how this one turned out.”
Rocky Votolato’s new EP, Sawdust and Shavings, releases March 11th via Glitterhouse Records.
UK TOUR DATES
03/03 – London – Sebright Arms (Chantal Acda, Sea + Air)
03/04 – Manchester – Castle Hotel (+ Chantal Acda)
03/05 – Glasgow – Audio (+ Chantal Acda)
03/06 – Leeds – Brudenell Game Room (+ Chantal Acda and special guest Dakota Suite)
03/08 – UK – Bristol – Crofters