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Music Out Now

Kelly Hogan - I Like To Keep Myself In Pain

Anti-Records is proud to announce the release of Kelly Hogan's extraordinary new solo album 'I Like To Keep Myself In Pain'.

On her new album, Hogan curates an ambitious and moving labor of love, mining the perfect intersection between classic pop, country and soul. She utilizes her incredible voice to interpret compositions penned for her by musical luminaries including Vic Chesnutt, The Magnetic Fields, The Mekons' Jon Langford, The Handsome Family, Freakwater's Catherine Irwin, John Wesley Harding, Robbie Fulks, Gabriel Roth, Robyn Hitchcock, and M. Ward and Andrew Bird. She is backed on the album by an all-star group of musicians: R&B legends Booker T Jones and James Gadson (Bill Withers, Beck), as well as talented young lions Gabriel Roth (of Daptone Records, The Dap-Kings) and Hogan's long-time collaborator Scott Ligon (of the newly resurrected NRBQ).

'I Like To Keep Myself In Pain' is a powerful and moving testament to Hogan's talent and years spent dedicated to music. And it is from accumulated experiences in the industry that she has selected a set of enchanting songs from renowned artists met along the way. She's sung with them (Andrew Bird, Jon Wesley Harding, M. Ward, Jon Langford), she's performed and recorded their songs (Jack Pendarvis, The Magnetic Fields, Vic Chesnutt), she's toured with them (Robyn Hitchcock), and some are inspiring friends and neighbors (The Handsome Family, Catherine Irwin of Freakwater). And in the case of one contributing songwriter, she went from fan to comrade of Gabriel Roth during the recording week.

The album was recorded at EastWest Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood - in the same room where The Mamas & the Papas made 'California Dreaming' and The Beach Boy's created their masterwork, 'Pet Sounds'. "It was a tiny and beautiful space. The room smelled like old tube amplifiers and wood," Hogan recalls. "My amazing engineer Ken Sluiter knows me so well, and he knew it would be the perfect place for me to make this record." The resulting album is that rare convergence of brilliant compositions, storied playing, and a singer at the peak of her powers.

Hogan describes the poignant and moving song 'Ways Of This World', penned by the late, great Vic Chesnutt, as the thematic "masthead" of the record. Chesnutt's sparse and evocative lyrics are propelled effortlessly by James Gadson's artful drumming, with a melodic guitar refrain repeating over Booker T's mournful organ, as Hogan's heart-wrenching vocals build to an echoing and powerful crescendo. "The first person to send me a song was my friend Vic," Hogan explains. "I know him from Athens, GA and I've been a huge fan of his forever, but I was still afraid to ask him for a song. So, I drank two martinis to get up the guts to email him. When I first listened to the demo he sent I was just floored. I remember thinking, 'How did he know my entire life?'"

A track that best captures the stylistic mix of the record is 'We Cant Have Nice Things' written by Jack Pendarvis and Andrew Bird. It begins as a contemplative and soulful track and then swells into a soaring Charles Stepney-like vocal chorus. The song's pop, country, and soul elements converge in a powerfully classic way, while still sounding absolutely contemporary. "My dear friend Jack is a writer and sent me his brilliant and heart-breaking lyrics to 'Nice Things'," she says. "Based on the subject matter, he thought it might turn out like a George Jones she-left-me type of ballad. I had asked Andrew Bird to write me a song, and he wanted to know if I had any existing lyrics he could work with, so I sent him Jack's. Then Bird sent them back a few weeks later set to this amazing music and the song became a whole different color."

The self-penned composition on the album is called 'Golden'. Written by Hogan for her friend Neko Case, after receiving a payphone call from a road-weary Case who was on tour. The resulting song tells of their enduring friendship - their hopes and dreams. Hogan says, "It's a wish for Neko. We both know how hard it is to do what we do, but we both can't stop doing it."

Kelly Hogan's new album 'I Like To Keep Myself In Pain' is a musical tour de force that seamlessly blends elements of the past and present. From her time fronting visionary bands, to her role as a creative, nimble, and sought-after vocalist, Hogan's every performance and recording has led to this deeply personal and affecting work. "I had all these incredible songs sent to me by people I really admire, and I was working with legendary musicians in a holy-to-me studio space," Hogan says "And then my job was just to listen to what the songs were telling me to do. The song is my boss. Always has been. Always will be."