more eaze has shared “healing attempt,” an adventurous avant-pop single from the multi-instrumentalist’s forthcoming album sentence structure in the country, out March 20th via Thrill Jockey. The track finds artist mari rubio weaving resolute vocals and acrobatic harmonies through layers of strings, guitar, banjo, and stuttering electronics—a gently pulsing composition adorned with lush, unpredictable textural flourishes that mirror the song’s themes of navigating longterm pain.
“This piece has a lot of the core messaging and meaning of the record,” rubio explains. “It’s about the juxtaposition of going throughout your day, living through life’s mundanities while there’s all these looming traumatic things in the background of your life that you’re subtly carrying behind you. It’s just there in the background until it’s right in front of you.”
The track also marks a creative breakthrough for rubio, who wrote it while falling in love with guitarist Wendy Eisenberg. “‘healing attempt’ was a song I wrote while I was falling in love with Wendy, so I wanted them to sing on it,” rubio says. “It’s a song about falling in love and having good things happen, but there’s still this pit of trauma inside of you. And that creates a kind of tension even when you’re feeling good and relieved. I was taking things I do genuinely love like Scritti Politti or High Llamas or The Sea and Cake and using those influences in a way I feel like I really haven’t allowed myself the permission to express before. Being with Wendy kind of helped me realize ‘oh I can do this and I love this music,’ and it’s sort of a duet for that reason.”
sentence structure in the country reflects rubio’s background in traditional folk and country fiddle playing, though her approach here is entirely different—an acknowledgement, as she puts it, of the vernacular that shaped her musical production. The album took shape through collaboration with Eisenberg on electric guitar, piano and voice, alongside Henry Earnest on electric guitar, Alice Gerlach on cello, Jade Guterman on acoustic guitar, and Ryan Sawyer on drums. Cross-country moves and shifts in work and relationships informed the material, with rubio noting that playing the pieces with different combinations helped determine their core elements while allowing them to take on new life.
rubio will celebrate the release with a double-album show alongside Eisenberg at TV Eye in New York on April 15th.
more eaze tour dates
Mar. 3 – New York City, NY – Singers (Duo w/ Gabby Fluke Mogul)
Apr. 15 – Queens, NY – TV Eye (sentence structure in the country album release show)