Photo by Paige Sara
American eight-piece soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones have announced their latest offering, Angels in Science Fiction, which will drop on April 21 via ATO Records. In conjunction with the album announcement, the Birmingham, Ala.-based band released the lead single from the record “Sea Star” along with an accompanying video.
Angeles in Science Fiction was written in a short span of just a few weeks after Paul Janeway learned his wife was pregnant with their daughter, Marigold. Inspired by the works of the greats throughout history–Aristotle, William James and John Steinbeck–he set out to write a series of letters to his then-unborn daughter, which resulted in the LP.
“A few people told me it would be a good idea to write letters to my yet to be born daughter before she arrived into the world,” said Janeway in a press release. “That is what Angels in Science Fiction is. Themes throughout the album are faith, nature vs nurture, anxiety and beauty. This is a record I would have written whether I did this for a living or not. I don’t know if those records come along all the time.”
The offering was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis, Tenn., and produced by Matt Ross-Spang, known for his work with Jason Isbell, John Prine and Elvis Presley. It features Janeway (vocals) along with Jesse Phillips (bass), Browan Lollar (guitar), Kevin Leon (drums), Al Gamble (keyboards), Allen Branstetter (trumpet), Chad Fisher (trombone), and Amari Ansari (saxophone) and follows their critically acclaimed 2022 album, The Alien Coast.
Of the song released today, Janeway said, “‘Sea Star’ comes from a story told to me when I was young. The story goes that there was a man on the seashore, picking up starfish that had washed up and throwing them back into the sea. A person walked by and said, ‘Sir, you’re not going to make a dent in this. It’s not possible.’ The man chucked a starfish into the ocean and said, ‘I made a difference for that one.’ Then picked up another one, threw it into the ocean and again said, ‘I made a difference for that one.’ I think about that story a lot in my own life, and I hope that the moral is one that I teach my child: ‘Try your best to make a difference, starting with the people that are around you.’” He went on to add, “My daughter is a strong tide that has pulled me back in. Having a child can give people a feeling of redemption, and a renewed sense of purpose—especially when they’re feeling lost and empty. That theme found its way into ‘Sea Star.’”
The accompanying video for the track, an homage to their home state, explores themes of beauty and truth, life and death and was directed by Gus Black. Enjoy “Sea Star” and its accompanying music video here or below.
Pre-save/pre-order Angels in Science Fiction here.
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ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES—ANGELS IN SCIENCE FICTION
1. Chelsea
2. City Federal Building
3. Magnolia Trees
4. Sea Star
5. Heat Lightning
6. Angels in Science Fiction
7. Wolf in Rabbit Clothes
8. South Dakota
9. Oporto-Madrid Blvd
10. Lonely Love Song
11. Easter Bunny
12. Marigold