by Patrick Pilch (@pratprilch)
Ther is the moniker of Andi Jones (they/them) and Sadurn is the moniker of Genevieve DeGroot (they/them). Today we’re premiering their incredibly solid split EP. Their collaboration is innate and the results are spectacular—the night I received this EP I listened in full at least ten times, “Face II” and “Advil” countlessly. Recorded on the winter solstice of 2018 in West Philly, Ther and Sadurn’s split finds the songwriters swapping songwriting duties — Jones taking even numbered tracks with DeGroot filling in the odds. The tape was written in anticipation of their upcoming January tour. It’s simple and unhindered by post-production, creating a space as intimate as the basement where it was recorded. The record brilliantly showcasing the raw talent of each performer, both of their smoky voices weaving between warm twin acoustic arrangements.
“Face II,” what a banger. With little introduction, Sadurn’s vocal nuances skip through hiccuped confessionals, warbled gasps that construct emotional realities, recount post-party apologies and cite similes in broad daylight. They’re bittersweet and off-key and that’s the whole point. It’s lovely, really: “Your face is like the sun/can’t look at it very long/I’m scared of being stuck/I am scared of being wrong.” That D-chord in the chorus is downright gorgeous—it’s the bump-set to Ther and Sadurn’s harmonic spike of a hook. Both performers are poets, their words basking in sungazing confessionalism. “There is a black spot inside my right eye,” Jones begins on “???,” a half-finished track cut short by an unsettling voicemail from an insurance company. It’s a quick and cozy tape, hinting at the next wave of Philadelphia’s flourishing DIY scene.
Be sure to snag the split via Dead Definition Records on January 25th and catch Ther and Sadurn on tour later this month.
Sadurn / Ther January tour:
01/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Baby Gap
01/23 - Albany, NY
01/24 - Rollinsford, NH @ Sue’s
01/25 - Northampton, MA @ Flywheel
01/26 - Boston, MA @ Hope Central Church
01/27 - New York, NY @ The Snakehouse