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Jul 14, 2021 By Mark Redfern Photography by Kai MacKnight

Shannon Lay has announced a new album, Geist, and shared two songs from it, “Awaken and Allow” and title track “Geist,” via a joint video. Geist is due out October 8 via Sub Pop. Kai Macknight directed the video. Check it out below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover art.

Geist includes “Rare to Awake,” a new song Lay shared in May. Check it out below as well.

Lay had this to say about the new songs in a press release: “‘Awaken and Allow’ is a prayer and a promise. A quiet moment to reflect on transformation and what it means to me. California represents my comfort zone and in this song, I am urging myself and everyone listening to move out of their comfort zone in order to push ourselves to grow and evolve. We are all in a constant state of change and the way we can learn to move and flow with that change completely elevates our experience with it. The most amazing thing we can do for ourselves is recognize where and how we are standing in our own way and move aside. ‘Awaken and Allow’ your greatness to emerge.

“‘Geist’ is a testament to the power we all have within. We are so much more amazing than we know ourselves to be. With this video, I really wanted to acknowledge some of the incredible people who make shows possible. We filmed at Zebulon in Los Angeles; a venue that has brought so much to the community here and I am so happy they have survived this uncertain time. There is so much going on behind the scenes to create the amazing memories we all have of live music and every part of that took a hit with the pandemic. With all we have been through it has been awe-inspiring to see the strength of the human spirit. Let us move forward with kindness and love toward ourselves and others. Let us see the beauty and wonder in the lives we get to live and appreciate every moment of it.”

The initial vocals and guitar for the album were recorded by Lay at Jarvis Tavinere of Woods’s studio. Then various others worked on the songs from there: multi-instrumentalists Ben Boye (Bonnie Prince Billy, Ty Segall) in Los Angeles and Devin Hoff (Sharon Van Etten, Cibo Matto) in New York, Sofia Arreguin (Wand) and Aaron Otheim (Heatwarmer, Mega Bog) added additional keys, and then Ty Segall did a guitar solo on “Shores.”

Geist Tracklist:

1. Rare to Wake
2. A Thread to Find
3. Sure
4. Shores
5. Awaken and Allow
6. Geist
7. Untitled
8. Late Night
9. Times Arrow
10. July

Shannon Lay Tour Dates:

Fri. Oct 8 - Long Beach, CA - Living Room Show
Thurs. Oct 15 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival
Fri. Oct 16 - Sonoma, CA - HUICHICA Festival
Tue. Oct. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye
Wed. Oct. 20 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge

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