Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck has released The BBC Sessions EP today, a series of career-spanning, never-released performances culled from London live sessions in 2011 and 2013. Featuring bare arrangements and minimal accompaniment - mostly consisting of Houck backed by the magic of Jo Schornikow’s piano - the performances bring a fresh perspective to some of Phosphorescent’s most beloved and timeless work.” Spanning five songs originally released between 2007’s Pride through 2013’s Muchacho, including a mesmeric take on the breakout single “Song For Zula,” the EP digs down to the elemental core of Houck’s art.
“Oftentimes, squeezing live radio sessions into tours is a blur of hangover mornings, borrowed instruments, rushed setups, haphazard song selections and um, ‘loose’ performances,” says Houck. “While that's not untrue for these sessions, listening back years later I agree there's something special going on, and I'm grateful to the BBC for capturing them.”
Listen to The BBC Sessions here: https://deadoc.co/bbc-sessions
The BBC Sessions follows the release of Phosphorescent’s 2018 album C’est La Vie, a highly-anticipated return which earned raves from NPR, New York Magazine, Pitchfork, Stereogum and beyond, plus performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden and CBS This Morning. C’est La Vie chronicles a life-altering period during which Matthew Houck started a family, and relocated from New York to Nashville. That period also saw Phosphorescent touring larger venues than ever, as a headliner and alongside the likes of Father John Misty and The National, while also performing at major festivals like Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.
PHOSPHORESCENT - THE BBC SESSIONS
Song For Zula (BBC Radio Performance 2013)
Terror In the Canyons (The Wounded Master) (BBC Radio Performance 2013)
At Death, A Proclamation (BBC Radio Performance 2011)
Los Angeles (BBC Radio Performance 2011)
We’ll Be Here Soon (BBC Radio Performance 2011)