07 October 2021 - 0 Comments

The 9 Rooms album covers nine geographical spaces or rooms. Each is a mini-universe based on significant experiences Stewart Allan has had over the past few years. Each one represents a significant junction in his life up to this point. Lyrically the music traverses themes of loss, change, death, relationships, intimacy, war and the ultimate questions of existence.

Stewart Allan is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Aotearoa, New Zealand. He has performed behind the Iron Curtain, toured Japan and New Zealand, wrote, directed, and composed for stage and screen, sings, plays guitar, piano, and sitar. Stewart is signed to Rattle Records. The 4th single from the album, New Moon follows the journey of a missile and its destruction, reminding us that all over the world innocent lives are lost daily due to war, the consequences often lasting for generations.

New Moon is full of conflicts and juxtapositions. The innocent, yearning lullaby-like quality of Allan’s voice is set within Arli Liberman’s immersive, ambient sound world. Watch the music video here.

Searching for the right sonic framework for his work, a sound world that would serve the aesthetic and intellectual aspects of his writing as well as complimenting the emotional heart of his writing, Stewart worked closely with producer and ambient guitarist, Arli Liberman. Mastered by Chris Chetland at Kog Studio, who has the perfect mix of philosophy, technical skills, lovely musical toys and an immense sonic perspective, Stewart has managed to capture the elusive sound world he has sought for his music for more than a decade.

The first single from the album, Shall We Dance is an infectious celebration of life. For the video, Stewart wrote to many friends around the world asking them to send in a video of them dancing to the track. He and filmmaker Sammy Riley used the footage to create a video that perfectly complements the life-affirming music. To date, the video has surpassed 50,000 views on YouTube.

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