With the ‘Icy’ EP, Bill Bartholomew Takes on a Different Approach
It’s been mentioned on this blog before that when it comes to releasing music these days, the landscape has become wide open. Artists and bands are brainstorming ideas in order to capitalize on streaming services and their unforgiving algorithms. With this modus operandi, there is room for innovation with how new material is marketed, promoted and presented to the casual listener. For Providence musician Bill Bartholomew, this is apparent with his Icy EP, which is out today (October 4). Rather than having it as simply a track-by-track series of recordings, Bartholomew is unveiling the release as a one-shot video that was filmed at Big Nice Studio in Lincoln.
In a musical sense, the EP is a representation of an artistic shift for Bartholomew. He’s been drifting away from the realm of folk and indie rock while venturing towards a fresh sound that incorporates elements of post-punk, new wave, dream pop and even a bit of hip hop.
“I started working with drum machines and synths, writing songs just about every night,” Bartholomew says about the making of the EP. “Eventually, I had a batch of these politically charged songs that seemed to make sense together. I approached Brad Krieger at Big Nice Studio about mixing the record, and it was his idea to capture the EP as a video, with me performing the vocal live. We collaborated with Jack Zornado and Isaiah Saunders at Keyframe to develop the overall video concept and on a hot July day, we recorded it live as one continuous take.”
Along with the title track kicking it off, other highlights off of the record include “Rover” and “Cold Springs”. To watch the video for the Icy EP while immersing the senses in a unique way of experiencing a record, click on the link below and dive right in.
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