Grammy-nominated electropop duo Sylvan Esso, comprising Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, have announced Ow ∞, their fifth studio album and first full-length release in four years. Arriving September 11th, the 12-track project marks a historic milestone for the group as their first album released entirely independently on their own record label, Psychic Hotline.
Alongside the announcement, the band has shared the lead single, “Concrete Glen,” complete with a music video. Built around a sampled loop of Sigur Rós’s iconic “Svefn-g-englar,” the song captures a dizzying night out turned surreal and hypnotic. “Concrete Glen” follows their recent summer single “Hot Slob,” described by The New York Times as a “sweaty, snotty and hedonistically brash” ode to living messily.
Created and continuously reworked since 2022 at their Betty’s studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ow ∞ is the longest the duo has ever spent writing a record. The album blends raw, first-take vocals with their largest roster of collaborators to date, featuring contributions from Daniel Aged (Frank Ocean, Dijon), BJ Burton (Bon Iver, Charli XCX), Matt Douglas (The Mountain Goats), Glenn Kotche (Wilco), Jake Luppen (Hippo Campus), Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak), and six different drummers.
Singer Amelia Meath describes the album as a testament to embracing vulnerability:
“Living hurts forever, and then it stops. But also it’s a little silly. And that’s how I feel. If you’re going to keep participating in the world, and in your life, you have to commit to being hurt… So in some ways it’s like a rallying cry, saying ‘I’m gonna get hurt forever, and that’s okay.’”
Ahead of the September 11th release, fans can experience an early listen to Ow ∞ during a series of global listening parties scheduled for September 3rd.
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