Orlando Weeks announces new album, ‘LOJA’, with lead single featuring Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale
Orlando Weeks has just shared a new single, ‘Dig’, featuring Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale. The track has been released in conjunction with the announcement of a new album from Weeks, LOJA.
The musician previously fronted The Maccabees, one of the UK’s most successful indie rock bands to emerge during the 2000s. The group eventually split in 2017 after a run of sold-out farewell shows. Since then, Weeks has released several solo albums and even illustrated his own book, The Gritterman, which he accompanied with an original score.
Now, he’s ready to release another solo record, LOJA, which is inspired by his relocation from London to Lisbon. He describes it as a reflection on the change that occurred, which gave him a great sense of “hindsight.” Weeks explains, “You can re-evaluate the things you were too close to, those things that there was no point spending time thinking about because it was the day-to-day bubble you were in.”
The album, containing nine tracks, is set for release on June 6th and will be supported by a residence at London’s Copeland Gallery. Here, Weeks will be exhibiting the artwork he has made while living in Lisbon before performing the album in the evening. Fans can catch Weeks performing and exhibiting his work at the gallery between June 6th and 9th.
The lead single, ‘Dig’, sees Weeks team up with Teasdale, who found significant success in 2022 when her band, Wet Leg, released their self-titled debut album. The song opens with the distant stirring of piano before a driving beat kicks in, attempting to overpower the keys. Then we get Weeks voice, who establishes a “he said”/ “she said” dialogue, which allows for Teasdale to jump in for the next verse. Yet, Weeks quickly returns and sings along with her, turning the song into a well-suited duet, and creating an invigorating dynamic.
There’s a sense of imminent conflict present within the lyrics, echoed by the back-and-forth vocals and visceral language, with references to digging heels, biting fingers and beating hearts. The song also possesses a sense of urgency, which comes to a head in the final third, where Weeks’ voice echoes through the bridge, “I’ll believe it/ When I see it,” he sings. A release of charged instrumentals gives way before slowing into quiet, whirring guitars.
Listen to the song below.
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