Stream the official music video for new single "Angela," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVD2JhI3xU
The solo project of NYC musician Charlie Schmid, Del Judas melted hearts in 2018 with debut album Deity, a dark, cinematic slice of gothic Americana, released on Primal Architecture, the label owned by Josh Strawn of Azar Swan and Blacklist. Post-Punk.com called that album “the soundtrack to a lonely drive out west… lovingly giving nods to crooning melodies of Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, Peter Murphy.” Invisible Oranges stated: "Schmid’s voice is rendered in a Chris Isaak-like croon... a slow, nocturnal drive down the dark side of memory lane.
Schmid is a graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music, whose musical credits range from playing tympani in symphonies to churning out blastbeats in metal bands, but the launch of Del Judas in 2018 represented a reimagining of his most fundamental influences from childhood – icons of early rock n' roll and country, from Cash to Roy Orbison.
Officially released March 15th, new single “Angela” is the first new Del Judas music in six years. Where 2018's Deity album existed in a shadowy, post-punk realm, "Angela" sees a bigger, bolder, brighter version of Del Judas emerging. Schmid states: "I would characterize the new material as the outcome of a psychic rebirth. I’ve taken a lot of time to meditate and contemplate who I want to be as a person and as an artist since the release of my last record. I was in a dark place back then, which is why Deity was such a dark record. The upcoming material has some dark undertones of course, but ultimately reveals itself as more playful and revelatory."
Recorded by John Ried and mixed and mastered by Dustin Cicero, "Angela" is an instantly infectious track whose moody verses explode into an iconic chorus, calling to mind the wistful hooks of Dire Straits' heyday, among other things. “The song is about love and loss," says Schmid. "A snapshot in time from a summer spent upstate.”
Officially released March 15th, new single “Angela” is the first new Del Judas music in six years. Where 2018's Deity album existed in a shadowy, post-punk realm, "Angela" sees a bigger, bolder, brighter version of Del Judas emerging. Schmid states: "I would characterize the new material as the outcome of a psychic rebirth. I’ve taken a lot of time to meditate and contemplate who I want to be as a person and as an artist since the release of my last record. I was in a dark place back then, which is why Deity was such a dark record. The upcoming material has some dark undertones of course, but ultimately reveals itself as more playful and revelatory."
Recorded by John Ried and mixed and mastered by Dustin Cicero, "Angela" is an instantly infectious track whose moody verses explode into an iconic chorus, calling to mind the wistful hooks of Dire Straits' heyday, among other things. “The song is about love and loss," says Schmid. "A snapshot in time from a summer spent upstate.”
New Noise Magazine reports: "While ‘Deity’ was a darker, atmospheric, post-punk affair, the new work from Del Judas is moving in a brighter direction. With the moody, bluesy style of Dire Straits on the verses and an almost power pop chorus, ‘Angela’ brings a sense of hope to the gloom."
Schmid reveals how his day job has helped guide the evolution of the Del Judas persona: "Now I sing professionally as a crooner for an entertainment company and play guitar and percussion for private events as well. That's how I earn my living. I feel that if it wasn’t for this shift in my career, I wouldn’t have transitioned into making the music I’m making now. I’m a firm believer that you end up sounding like who you’re surrounded by, and I can say with confidence that dressing up in a gold blazer and singing the shit out of Frank Sinatra has forged a new version of me."
A new full-length album is in the works now, promising to push even farther in this new direction. Schmid describes the new songs as "melodically dramatic, with overtones of country-western infused with the baroque pop excesses of the 1960s."
Schmid reveals how his day job has helped guide the evolution of the Del Judas persona: "Now I sing professionally as a crooner for an entertainment company and play guitar and percussion for private events as well. That's how I earn my living. I feel that if it wasn’t for this shift in my career, I wouldn’t have transitioned into making the music I’m making now. I’m a firm believer that you end up sounding like who you’re surrounded by, and I can say with confidence that dressing up in a gold blazer and singing the shit out of Frank Sinatra has forged a new version of me."
A new full-length album is in the works now, promising to push even farther in this new direction. Schmid describes the new songs as "melodically dramatic, with overtones of country-western infused with the baroque pop excesses of the 1960s."
Stay tuned for updates on the new album and Del Judas' next live performances.
Photo by Jaka Vinšek
