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PAGE FRANCE:
May 8, 2007 - will see the advent of Page France's fifth release in four years,...and the Family Telephone. Yet in spite of the band's oft-lauded prolific nature and numerous national tours, principle songwriter Michael Nau has only recently dropped his reluctance to call what started in 2004 as a "songwriting project," anything but that.
"For the first time, it really feels like we're a band," Michael said of Page France. "...and the Family Telephone is definitely the most collaborative album that I've ever done. Everybody had thier input and there are a lot of fingerprints on it."
Most of those fingerprints are the same ones which have been on Page France albums since the beginning: Michael Nau on lead vocals and guitar, Whitney McGraw on backing vocals, and Clinton Jones and Jasen Reeder forming the rhythm section. But there are a few new hands helping Page France, including Anathallo's Andrew Dost, who provided horns for a few selections.
Though...and the Family Telephone is the product of many hands, it's still the work of just one heart. Just as he's been doing for three years, Michael Nau put his heart into the new record. Nau's lyrics call to mind Dylan or Nilsson ghostwriting for Margo Guryan, all well-accompanied by a range of upbeat instrumentation. Trumpets blare overtop jangly acoustic guitar, then goth are laid out as a perfect blanket for Nau's vocals.
Page France's newest album finds them in a period of lyrical maturity, but also one of that same fresh approach to songwriting that has netted them so much support. Nau, who still writes many of his songs outdoors in rural Maryland, has crafted an album full of splendor. The subtlety of wit and intelligence found within "The Ruby Ring Man," would lead you to believe that Michael Nau's pen is more the progeny of Mark Twain's than that of any musical group.
But if Nau's lyrics paint him as an old soul, the energy with which Page France attack each note reveals the youthful vigor that has fueled the band from the start. In cases like this, new works often demonstrate how fresh faces often lead to the freshest of sounds. Like much of Page France's previous work,...and the Family Telephone seems to serve as a soundtrack for times of lazy joy. "A Belly in the Fish" is so perfectly carefree that it does everything except supply the summer day for cloud watching.
Couple these elements with a bit of controlled tomfoolery in the recording process and the result is an album that's refreshing in both it's simplicity and originality. Page France have long since passed the point of needing to prove their worth; but for added measure, they decided to do so again.
Current news:
+ New album titled "...and the Family Telephone" out now!
+ Lots of touring in the Spring/Summer
+ “Hello, Dear Wind” CD out now!
+ "Tomato Morning Tour EP" out now!
Band Line-Up:
Michael Nau
Whitney McGraw
Clinton Jones
Jasen Reeder
Booking:
Adam Voith @ Billions
adam@billions.com
Press:
Frank Nieto @ 230 Publicity
frank@230publicity.com
College Radio:
Bekah Zietz @ Suicide Squeeze
bekah@suicidesqueeze.net
Official Band Website:
www.pagefrance.net
www.myspace.com/pagefrance
AVAILABLE RELEASES:
LISTEN TO A SAMPLE SONG:
Hat and Rabbit (MP3)
- From “…and the Family Telephone”
Junkyard (MP3)
- From "Hello, Dear Wind"
Bush (MP3)
- From "Hello, Dear Wind"
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