New York is a new song from 2 Inch Tape’s “fourth” coming album America. As both titles suggest, inspiration for the album was garnered during a 2017 visit to the US by the bands founder and main songwriter Simon Rigoni. 
Despite nil intentions to create during the three week visit, Simon penned the entire America album during his stay, inspired by its people, socio-political climate and his own personal pilgrimage. 
Lou Reed was an early and important influence of Rigoni’s. Whilst stationed adjacent to Manhattan’s Lower East side he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to stand and look up at the apartment in which Lou and John Cale created most of the songs for the first two VU albums. Oddly New York doesn’t directly reference this experience but it does capture his mood, wrapped up in a neo-New York punk vibe that he hopes might have been suitable for CBGB’s had he been born to a different time and place.
America is unashamedly a concept album, telling a journey, more personal than geographical, a travelogue into his mind and the observations of American’s who in 2017 were very much coming to terms with the dawning of the Trump era. 
More than 2 years in the making, Rigoni has crafted America with exquisite performance from 2 Inch Tape members, Fiona Broussard (keys, vocals), Mark Petrilli (bass), Julia Bebenek (drums), Greg Milton (multi-instrumentalist) and special guests included Samual Cope who adds Hammond Organ to several songs including New York. 
And whilst New York is presented as a song, it is merely a excerpt from an album, an album aided by American’s who through street performance, public speech and personal comment recorded by Rigoni, ultimately provide the glue to America.

America

New York

Santa Monica to Venice Beach

Santa Monica To Venice Beach

Chicago

You're in L.A.

You're In L.A.

Lyrics:
How often in your life are you standing so magnificently 
Exactly in the time and place, precisely where you want to be 
Three sixty degrees all around, mountains effortlessly hold back 
All of life’s distractions, the clouds they rise like smoke stacks 

There’s no place in this world, I’d rather be 
There’s nothing more tempting, that I’d rather see 
There’s nowhere in the world more perfect for me than 

North Adams, there’s no place I’d rather be than 
North Adams, surrounded country pristine 
North Adams, I think I’ll catch some TV and then Wil- 
Co co co co co co co co come with me 

Standing there I’m not alone, eight thousand like me on the tow 
Rick, Jed and Mat share me some puff, buy them some Pils hope that’s enough 
Pilgrimage is best to share, brothers, sisters everywhere 
Darkened stage now lights up our, senses surely to erupt 

There’s no place in this world, I’d rather be 
There’s nothing more tempting that I’d rather see 
Being there’s just perfect for me, that’s right 
Being there, oh play it for me in 

North Adams, no place I’d rather be than 
North Adams, surrounded country pristine 
North Adams, I think I’ll catch some TV and then Wil- 
Co co co co co co co co come with me 

Met Leigh at a local bar, told me he was a trumpeter 
Wants to win a grammy for spoken word, Hil almost did, hey how absurd 
Folk rock says is not his thing, but thankfully this weekend brings 
Hope to this once great town, that industry let down 

There’s no place in this world, I’d rather be 
There’s nothing more tempting that I’d rather see 
There’s nowhere in the world more perfect right now than 

North Adams, no place I’d rather be than 
North Adams, surrounded country pristine 
North Adams, I think I’ll catch some TV and then Wil- 
Co co co co co co co co come with me to 
North Adams, Mass Moca Museum in 
North Adams, oh it sounds solid to me 
North Adams, pilgrimage is complete to 
North Adams 

Being there’s just perfect for me 
Being there’s just perfect for me 
Being there’s just perfect for me 
Being there……..

North Adams

Homeless In Boston

Since 2013’s debut album album ‘New Addiction’, Melbourne band 2 Inch Tape has delivered music in a manner considered prolific by today’s standards and perhaps more what you might expected from a band in the 60s or70s. And they make no apologies. The name, the feel, and the delivery is influenced by that golden age of popular music when boundaries were few and experimentation encouraged. 

With the release of ‘America’, 2 Inch Tape presents a concept album in all its glory. Inspired by the people, socio-political climate and adventures surrounding his personal pilgrimage, Simon Rigoni penned ‘America’ during a three week visit to the country in 2017. 

Throughout his journey he recorded street performers, preachers and everyday Americans to create a soundscape that combine with the songs of the album. The songs themselves explore a range of genres from folk to punk, country to rock, with a (sometimes not so) subtle nod to the location that inspired the music. 

‘America’ is 2 Inch Tape’s fourth album and follows the release of the‘Nashville Wife’ EP earlier this year ‘America’ was brought to life by  the performances of Simon Rigoni (Vocals/Guitar), Fiona Broussard (Keys/Vocals), Mark Petrilli (Bass), Julia Bebenek (Drums) and Greg Milton (Pedal Steel/Mandolin/Guitar/Harmonica). 

Notable guest performances from Samuel Cope (Hammond Organ) and Phil Carroll (Piano Accordion) assist in delivering an album that takes you on a journey from the blues harp of a street band in Venice Beach to a busking accordionist in Boston, as well as a Mandolin player in a bar in Manhattan. 

Whilst the songs exist in their own right, the preferred way to consume ‘America’ is as a whole, the way an album should be.