February Newsletter: Metropolis of Eden
Happy February!
My single "Metropolis of Eden" is now available everywhere — click here to find it on all streaming platforms! I wrote this song for former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong's Solarpunk Art Contest — aaaand it won 2nd place! I'm so incredibly honored to have been chosen as one of the winners.
The track features percussion by Mathias Kunzli (drummer for Regina Spektor, Moby, and Lauryn Hill!). I recorded my parts in Portland, Mathias recorded in Los Angeles, and everything was mixed and mastered in Eugene, Oregon, by Thaddeus Moore at Liquid Mastering.
The single’s artwork was created by Leif Holt — another contest winner! The graphic design is by Chad Lowe.
The contest sought art submissions depicting hopeful climate futures. My personal goal was to create a piece that would contrast thematically and sonically with my 2021 single “Minor Holiday” (which I love, but which is admittedly kind of a bummer).
In writing news, I spent much of the last week immersed in the Tin House YA Workshop, under the guidance of acclaimed writer Nina LaCour. I'm grateful to my wonderful colleagues for the transformative experience — both in the workshop and in my first Zoom karaoke night. ;) I'll be working hard to get this manuscript in shape in the coming months, with the goal of querying agents later this year.
Stay tuned for another new single next month! (Which reminds me, I need to get moving on whatever I'm going to release after that... I've got some options, I just need to pick one!)
Thank you so much for listening. ❤️
Love,
Stephan
a.k.a. Sparkbird