We’ve Got It All, is the 4th album by Cumulus, the songwriting project of Alexandra Lockhart and William Cremin. Lockhart and Cremin have been collaborating as bandmates since 2018’s record “Comfort World” and now “We’ve Got It All” showcases their exciting growth into becoming co-writers and co-producers. Written in between long drives and voice memos, solo walks in the woods, and writing sessions in a cozy Seattle basement practice space, “We’ve Got It All” is a reflection on the most important things in life that carry us through the most difficult. It is songs inspired by childhood friendships, a hello from a neighbor, bookish escapes, winding highways, family connection, and of course, always, music.
In the vein of Lockhart’s biggest songwriting inspiration Jason Molina when he said “The real truth about it is no one gets it right /The real truth about it is we're all supposed to try…” the song Boxes and Letters holds the thesis statement and titular line of the record: “Take a deep breath of the cold air and watch the leaves fall, for a minute we’re pretending- we’ve got it all- figured out.” This is not a record of songs obscured by rose colored glasses. This is a record of two writers grappling with the full spectrum of pain and beauty that is being alive and understanding that sometimes we are okay and sometimes we have to pretend until it feels real. No one has all of the answers, but maybe singing our uncertainty out loud can help us figure something out.
Once Lockhart & Cremin had the lyrics and skeletal layout of every song, they brought in Bellingham musician Aaron Guest (Polecat, Jenner Fox Band) on piano to bring a fuller arrangement of the songs to life. Guest’s mastery of his instrument brought new colors and emotions to the lyrics that became integral to the stripped down direction of the record. Lockhart knew she wanted to make a record that was inspired by the singer-songwriters she spent most of her listening time with (Jason Molina, Damien Jurado, Waxahatchee, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Brandi Carlile, Tracy Chapman, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Maggie Rogers to name a few).
After assembling William Cremin on guitar, Aaron Guest on Piano and keys, John Van Deusen (Lonely Forest) on bass, and Aaron Ball (Dryland) on drums, the group had two practices, and then spent 4 days live tracking all 11 songs at The Unknown in Anacortes, Washington with Nicholas Wilbur as engineer. With additional tracking and engineering from Cremin at Recreational Psychoacoustics Lab in Seattle, the record was complete with 6 total days of tracking, with an emphasis on capturing whole vocal takes and as much live and collaborative energy as possible. Each song is its own story, attached to specific places and moments in time, but when assembled there is a shared story of resilience, and a refusal to let the darkest parts of our mind prevent us from moving forward, building connection with others, and sharing the most vulnerable parts of ourselves.
The release of We’ve Got It All marks the second offering from Cumulus on Share It Music. In furtherance of the label’s mission, a donation will be made to MusiCares, a non-profit that helps artists cover the cost of medical and mental health services, as well as providing financial support to artists needing natural disaster relief.
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