After going on hiatus following their acclaimed 2014 studio album Into The Wide, Delta Spirit has released its first new music in six years, What Is There, which came out on September 11, 2020. Recorded at Sonic Ranch outside El Paso, TX, the album is dedicated to the memory of their friend and musical inspiration, Richard Swift.
Delta Spirit became a band in 2005, but by 2015, they were getting along the way families sometimes get along. According to frontman Matthew Logan Vasquez, “That means sometimes we didn’t like each other too much. We were just growing apart. When we took a break and the band stopped, the friendships got an opportunity to come back. Personality-wise, our band is five contrarians trying to agree on an idea. When your similarity is that you’re contrarian, it’s tough. But when things work out, it’s incredible.”
The band members worked on separate projects during the break. Matthew Logan Vasquez released and toured behind three celebrated solo albums and Kelly Winrich, a multi-instrumentalist, launched a career as a producer. Bassist Jonathan Jameson, guitarist Will McLaren, and drummer Brandon Young collaborated and toured with Sam Outlaw, Mikky Ekko and Los Angeles based band Muna, among others.
Delta Spirit wrote and recorded from a new perspective and a maturity gained from their musical journey, the hiatus and the reunion. They focused on the process together and found the “sweet spot” where they were all on the same page. What Is There, Delta Spirit’s reunion album, shows the growth of both the band and its members during its hiatus, with the individuals exploring new avenues of self-expression while collaborating with other musicians.
Vasquez says, ”I’m really proud of our body of work, but especially proud of where everybody has gotten to now, I have a lot of hope for us. I’m grateful for everyone in this band. There’s a lot of raw honesty in the music. It’s a record for right now, instead of pandering to the past. It’s the next step.”
Delta Spirit has announced rescheduled dates from their 2020 Reunion Tour, featuring multi-night runs at their favorite venues across the country. Many dates are sold out, but the band plans to announce additional performances in conjunction with the album release in September. Meanwhile, What Is There has continued to pick up airplay, with the expanding list of supporters including Indie 102.3, Lightning 100, Colorado Sound, WXRV, The Current and WNCS.
Photo by Alex Kweskin