Nation of Language - Spare Me the Decision (Cutouts Remix) a 2024 single on PIAS

Brooklyn trio Nation of Language revisit last year's single "Spare Me the Decision" with a remix by their bassist Alex MacKay, who also records under the name Cutouts. The original version of the track appears on the album Strange Disciple, which was voted the #2 album of the year by KEXP listeners. 

“I knew pretty instantly “Spare Me the Decision” was the track I’d have the most fun trying to remix from Strange Disciple as it’s a personal favorite," MacKay shared in a press statement. "However, my time management isn’t always the best so while I thought I’d have turned it in before we started touring last year, I ended up finishing the master in the lobby of our Barcelona hotel, just a few hours before our set at Primavera Festival. As a result, to me that day represents a beautiful duality, wearing two very different hats from the afternoon into the evening. In the daylight a focused (albeit jet-lagged) moment of solitude and creation. After sunset, an evening onstage performing in front of a jubilant congregation of Spanish fans, far more frenzied than I could have ever imagined when I woke up that morning."

He continued, "As far as the song itself: I love the drum tracks Ian and Nick came up with, especially the slinky hi-hat pattern… and Ian is a true singer, so it’s an absolute joy working with his vocals. I preserved those parts but had a go at replacing almost everything else. I thought it’d be fun to stretch the length, and try different chords under the chorus melody every time it comes around. I also slowed it down a couple BPM. I like seeing how slow I can make songs without losing the groove. Sometimes there’s a second pocket in there, a little slower than you might expect…”

Read the full story at KEXP.org

Nation of Language - Spare Me the Decision (Cutouts Remix) a 2024 single on PIAS
Brooklyn trio Nation of Language revisit last year's single "Spare Me the Decision" with a remix by their bassist Alex MacKay, who also records under the name Cutouts. The original version of the track appears on the album Strange Disciple, which was voted the <a href="https://kexp.org/countdowns/best-albums-of-2023/" data-cke-saved-href="https://kexp.org/countdowns/best-albums-of-2023/">#2 album of the year</a> by KEXP listeners. 
“I knew pretty instantly “Spare Me the Decision” was the track I’d have the most fun trying to remix from Strange Disciple as it’s a personal favorite," MacKay shared in a press statement. "However, my time management isn’t always the best so while I thought I’d have turned it in before we started touring last year, I ended up finishing the master in the lobby of our Barcelona hotel, just a few hours before our set at Primavera Festival. As a result, to me that day represents a beautiful duality, wearing two very different hats from the afternoon into the evening. In the daylight a focused (albeit jet-lagged) moment of solitude and creation. After sunset, an evening onstage performing in front of a jubilant congregation of Spanish fans, far more frenzied than I could have ever imagined when I woke up that morning."
He continued, "As far as the song itself: I love the drum tracks Ian and Nick came up with, especially the slinky hi-hat pattern… and Ian is a true singer, so it’s an absolute joy working with his vocals. I preserved those parts but had a go at replacing almost everything else. I thought it’d be fun to stretch the length, and try different chords under the chorus melody every time it comes around. I also slowed it down a couple BPM. I like seeing how slow I can make songs without losing the groove. Sometimes there’s a second pocket in there, a little slower than you might expect…”
<a href="https://www.kexp.org/podcasts/song-of-the-day/2024/2/8/nation-of-language-spare-me-the-decision-cutouts-remix/">Read the full story at KEXP.org</a>

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Finding good new music can be a full time job, so let KEXP help! In Our Headphones brings you five song recommendations every Monday, straight from KEXP’s DJs and Music Directors. We learn stories and insights about the artists, make connections between the music and the world around us, and get to know the diverse roster of DJs that make up the KEXP airwaves. Join hosts Janice Headley and Isabel Khalili on this never-ending journey of music discovery.

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