Los Angeles-based songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Gruska announces his long-awaited second solo album, En Garde, set for release on January 24, 2020, via Warner Records. En Garde is the follow up to his acclaimed 2017 solo debut SLOWMOTIONARY, which led The Los Angeles Times to proclaim Gruska as “L.A.’s next great songwriter”. En Garde was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California and co-produced by industry veteran Tony Berg.
Where SLOWMOTIONARY may have exposed a darker, more insular side to Gruska’s sophisticated “pop” vocabulary, En Garde exhibits a more playful and exotic depth of sonic possibilities. As the album’s title – and cover image of a young Ethan – suggests, Gruska has announced his position and is ready to take action.
Each of Gruska’s compositions tell a vivid story surrounded by deceptively complex yet unrelentingly melodic musical structures. While conventional instruments include guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, occasional brass and strings, the studio itself becomes an instrument to be manipulated, chopped, channeled and utilized to recombine aural textures into almost unrecognizable sounds that manage to soothe as they ebb/flow and invite movement like all classic pop rock.
Pre-order En Garde today and receive an instant download of “On The Outside.” The video for the song was directed by Danica Arias Kleinknecht who had this to say about the short film and its relationship to the track. “I drove for thousands of miles looking for nothing in particular, but I think we found something really special in Wyoming. Something that matched the darkness of the song, but also the perfect openness of it. There’s a sadness to the fresh air sometimes, and maybe that’s because some of the best moments of my childhood were in nature, and they’re gone now. It’s also a perfect road trip song”. Click here to view and share “On The Outside” official video.
Additional instant grat tracks and videos will follow in the weeks leading up to the album’s release. The first official single from the album “Enough For Now” features backing vocals from Phoebe Bridgers and will impact radio in early January.
Long considered “a musician’s musician,” En Garde features a few of Gruska’s celebrated friends, including Nonesuch artist Lianne La Havas, indie stars Phoebe Bridgers (whose forthcoming album Ethan is co-producing), singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, and the in-demand guitarist and producer Blake Mills.
If Ethan Gruska’s name sounds familiar, don’t be surprised. Along with his sister Barbara, he first stepped into the spotlight as half of Los Angeles-based beloved pop-duo The Belle Brigade. After a pair of albums and coast-to coast tours, Gruska began writing, performing on or producing sessions for other artists such as Matt Berninger (The National), Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers , Amy Allen, Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books, Joseph, and Kimbra, to name a few.
