Particle Kid has shared a pair of new singles that feature frontman Micah Nelson playing alongside his dad, Willie Nelson. The songs, “All One Day (Shadow of the Sun)” and “Amerikan Lyfe”—the former of which also features Jim James—will appear on the band’s new album, Time Capsule, out on April 22nd via Overseas Artists Recordings.
The singles highlight the duality of Particle Kid. The first, “All One Day (Shadow of the Sun)”, is a droning, seven-minute, psychedelic glide. The Red Headed Stranger’s road-worn vocals add a thematic enhancement to this reflection on the passage of time.
”Jim James hit me up at one point feeling kinda isolated from quarantine life,” Micah said of the recording. “He, my dad and I all share birthdays in the same week, so I invited him to sing on this song, which he did beautifully. It was nice to feel connected through this music, even at a distance. I liked the idea of all of us sharing a birthday week, singing a song together about the illusion of time … and how your whole life is your birthday ….because its all one day and the change from night to day is a subjective experience, relative to our confinement to an finite object rotating around a star. Our entire lives are one long day from the time of our birth to the moment we die… It’s cool.”
“Amerikan Lyfe”, conversely, shows off more of the traditional roots deeply embedded in Micah’s writing by way of his father. No matter how far-out or underground he gets, he is still a Nelson. On “Amerikan Lyfe”, Micah offers his own image of the American tapestry from a new generation’s perspective. Willie’s age and Micah’s youth again create a contrasting effect, giving the song a melancholy experience, only to end with Willie’s roaring laughter.
“Shit was hitting the fan all around us in the world and there was an increasing existential anxiety about everything, so there was an odd comfort in being not only stuck in a recording studio and able to focus on making new music as a sort of temporary escape from it all,” Micah recalled. “But it was especially very cathartic/therapeutic to have a reason to collectively scream ‘LIFE! LIFE! LIFE!’ over and over again as loudly as possible…”
“It was also very cool that my dad wanted to play Trigger and sing on it,” he continued. “It’s a notably weirder song arrangement than he’s used to and I could tell he had a lot of fun doing it. His laugh at the end was something that I immediately knew had to be the last sound we hear to end the album. It sums the whole thing up. Having these great memories with folks I love to help offset such darkness during what was an otherwise very stressful time is… a true gift.”
Watch the videos for the new Particle Kid singles “All One Day (Shadow of the Sun)” and “American Lyfe” featuring Willie Nelson and Jim James. Click here to pre-order Time Capsule. Particle Kid is preparing to hit the road in support of The Flaming Lips. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit the band’s website.
Particle Kid – “All One Day (Shadow of the Sun)” (ft. Jim James, Willie Nelson)
Particle Kid – “Amerikan Lyfe” (ft. Willie Nelson)