FORTHCOMING EXTENDED PLAY 002 TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 30TH
“Watters has been dipping his toes in assorted genres over the years, but he seems to rest most comfortably along the mesmerizing continuum between minimalist folk and moody theatricality.” - Magnet Magazine
“Isaac Watters, too, poignantly connects with his past on the typically immersive “Child in the Rain,” - Buzzbands LA
“Blending unique sounds with deep and sometimes haunting lyrics, Watters conjures up a new perspective for listeners and burgeoning artists.” - Los Angeleno
“Extended Play 001 offers a first full glimpse of his restless and idiosyncratic artistic impulses, with tracks diverting towards minimalist art pop, funky indie rock, and off-kilter balladry… the EP closes off with “Sliding,” a slinking and smoky effort carried by bass-driven grooves and Watters’ decadent vocal melodies.” - Under The Radar
“...it’s hooked me, line and sinker. ‘Everywhere I go, I leave a little sadness,’ sung in the vein of Wolf Parade’s wobbly warbles? Take my money.” - Monster Children
“The result is a collection of songs (with more to come) that reflect different shadows of Watters’ LA life, but also process fears and anxieties about the natural world, climate change, and apocalypse that’s very much “in the air” for the artist.” Glide Magazine
”Watters has the ability to connect on a higher level, and his work signifies his sincere way with words, his adeptness at creating moments of innocence, and the way his music reverberates. All of this while at the same time not being raucous.” - The Review Geek
“Coconut In The Street”: LISTEN
LOS ANGELES, CA - Today LA based artist and storyteller Isaac Watters has released the ethereal “Coconut In The Street,” his latest single and second offering from his forthcoming release Extended Play 002, out August 30th via hi-res records. A stunning and haunting single that presents a number of harrowing vignettes while traversing the streets of Los Angeles, “Coconut In The Street” examines the ever-growing chasm between wealth and poverty in the city, and the potential tragic ends that await all sides of this divide.
Watters’ signature setting-based storytelling narrative thrives on the scenes he paints from roaming nighttime crosswalks, traveling LA’s most recognizable arteries, and passing its disenfranchised inhabitants. A steady, contemplative acoustic strum accompanied by shimmering, delayed-out synth sonics set the pace for this uncanny nighttime walk as Watters reflects on his place throughout it all. “We’re all going to the corner bar / see you in the morning if I don’t make it that far / either way it’s been a real good time / tired of trying to bring it back.” As the song progresses, a chilling call-and-response from Watters solidifies the songs’ identity in the sidewalk, filling the space within the cracks.
Anyone who has spent time in the city will recognize the scenes that Watters sees at night, as well as the contrasts between the haves and have-nots in a shadowed cityscape. A group of friends on their way to the next bar while passing a homeless man sleeping on the street, a man trying to sell mangoes from a plastic bag on the intersection in 110 degree heat, an addict who wanders to the edge of the freeway, a construction worker who removes his harness and helmet and leaps from the newest luxury highrise.
“These are all scenes I was thinking about while writing “Coconut In The Street,” says Watters. “But really it's just a song about being out in Los Angeles at night. Roaming the streets with your friends, or trying to find someone to be your friend. All these images are things that happen in LA. I think it's something about the compression of wealth and poverty, facelessness and celebrity. It drives people to the extremes.”
It’s true that the city attracts hopeful dreamers hellbent on dreams of grandeur, but Watters’ ability to hold a mirror to Los Angeles’ less examined subjects that live in the shadows is what separates him from other LA based artists and songwriters, and carves a place in a storied tradition of deeply moving, meaningful songwriting.
“Double back flip of the new glass tower downtown / Is that you they found? Is that your enemy? / Is that the friend you always meant to be,” sings Watters, a reminder of the stakes facing the city’s vulnerable.
“Coconut In The Street” joins previous single “All I Need” as the first two offerings from Extended Play 002, his second release via Los Angeles based label hi-res records. Watters found a partnership in the label, and in producer/engineer Matt Linesch, whose analog-first approach to recording and production perfectly encapsulates and supports the warmth of Watters’ artistic vision and songwriting approach.
Watters will be performing in Los Angeles at Gold-Diggers on July 28th, with more performances slated throughout the summer.
Photo by Robbie Jeffers
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