The Saxophones—the husband and wife duo Alexi Erenkov (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, woodwinds) and Alison Alderdice (drums, vocals) — have announced their second album Eternity Bay, out February 14 on Full Time Hobby. The lead single, “New Taboo,” has been released today, along with a lyric video (watch here).
Enrenkov writes: “New Taboo” originated from a playful scenario I imagined in which Alison, my wife and bandmate, decides to leave me for the good life with a man who can provide the finer things (probably a lawyer?). The song was initially conceived as a comic duet between myself and Alison, but I ultimately found the song to be more interesting when I, alone, sang it from Alison’s fictionalized perspective. I was listening to a lot of Randy Newman while working on this record, and I think his technique of singing and writing from ethically compromised points of view informed my choice to swap characters. Despite the comic nature of the original concept, I am attempting to seriously investigate the perspective of someone who is shameless in their enjoyment of privilege and looking to disrupt norms merely for the thrill of it. The song also flirts with themes of lust, novelty and estrangement. It’s meant to be a hedonistic anthem that also makes people think twice.
Eternity Bay follows the band’s debut album, 2018’s Songs of The Saxophones, as well as a string of sold-out 7” singles (If You’re On the Water, Aloha, and Singing Desperately Suite). It was recorded by Cameron Spies (Radiator Hospital) in Portland and mixed by Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart) in LA. Eternity Bay will be released on February 14, and is now available for preorder via Full Time Hobby.