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Feb 13, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Atlas Sound

In 2015 San Francisco born Tim Presley of White Fence and Welsh singer/songwriter/guitarist Cate Le Bon teamed up as DRINKS and released their debut album together, Hermits On Holiday. Now they have announced a new album, Hippo Lite, and shared its first single, “Real Outside.” Hippo Lite is due out April 20 via Drag City. Listen to “Real Outside” below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art. There are also statements from Presley and Le Bon about the making of the album, which was recorded in a small French town in an old mill where they had no Wi-Fi and only access to three DVDs (the first three Jurassic Park movies). There’s also a brief statement from Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound praising the album.

Cate Le Bon had this to say about recording the album:

“A month spent in an old mill in the under belly of France.

River swimming thrice a day.

Hot nights soundtracked by the rattle of randy frogs. Scorpion fear. In the sheets, on the face.

Hours of bird watching - no phone service. No Wi-Fi. 3 DVDs; Jurassic Park 1, 2 & 3.

Violin practice. Bread scoffing.

Early morning coffee drinking before the sun was too hot to do anything but snooze in the thick walled house. Music in the afternoon after a dip in the river and a cold beer on the square.

An album made for each other by one another with no hands, eyes or ears piercing the bubble other than that of dear friend Stephen Black who kept note of it all.”

Tim Presley issued this statement:

“In a town, so very still and quiet.

A month in St. Hippolyte Du Fort, South France.

Where completely all of their brave young men vanished forever from the death machine of the first world war.

At one time left with only women and young girls.

Only relics of time standing still.

All the deceased names of men chiseled under a stone angel, that watches over the town square.

We set up a recording unit in an old stone mill turned house and began to write and record with the attention of tree trimmers or gardeners.

It got so hot we had to swim in a local river near by just to be able to think, then back to our home to make sounds and songs. Any sounds we could think of or wanted.

We used night sounds, night insects and used frogs as instruments. Did you know frogs have saxophones in their throats?

This is a broken music. A crumble. It’s the music of the building we called home for a month. We’ve never made and recorded music in such a simple living environment.

With all the ease, and air we needed. We were in a town 8 miles over from Robert Crumb’s hidden residence

We lived in a mysterious place.

We had a flock of bats over for dinner many nights. No internet, or a phone to look to.

We had a beautiful big stone house, a river, and from time to time a lovely elderly yet young-hearted couple who would visit.

It was the opposite of what a typical recording experience usually is for any of us.

We tried to capture all of this and put it on record.”

And for some reason the press release also includes this statement from Bradford Cox: “I have not listened to anything except the new Drinks album…. At first I was like, this is a mind f**k. then I became addicted. It is totally brilliant.”

Read our 2015 interview with Le Bon and Presley about Hermits On Holiday.

Hippo Lite Tracklist:

1. Blue From The Dark
2. IF IT
3. Real Outside
4. When I Was Young
5. In the Night Kitchen
6. Greasing Up
7. Corner Shops
8. IF IT… (reprise)
9. Ducks
10. Leave The Lights On
11. Pink or Die
12. You Could Be Better

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