It's nice that you're back... it's going to be very nice...
just hearing the voice

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Romance

Released 28th October 2022
Buy/stream: https://LateNightTales.lnk.to/withoutstarorcompass

Kennebec is the critically acclaimed musical outlet of Eric Phillips, a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist living in Portland, Oregon. Drawing from an eclectic array of influences to create his own unique style of cinematic electronic music, he is set to release his sophomore album ‘Without Star or Compass’ on the 28th October via Night Times Stories, the sister label to LateNightTales. 

Releasing his debut album ‘Departure’ at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, ‘Without Star or Compass’ was written and recorded during a phase in Phillips’ life which allowed him to re-examine his motivations. “The first primary influence for this record is that, more so than ‘Departure’, I wanted to write this record for my friends and others rather than for myself. Maybe it's also a product of maturing, but I wanted the music to communicate more clearly to others, and be less of an exercise of some kind for myself.” 

From the subtle electronica of ‘Leaving The Canyons’ featuring the distinctive vocals of Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring, the expanding electronic beats of ‘Tall Tales’ featuring Hemlock Ernst (the rap moniker of Samuel T. Herring) and US singer Sudan Archives, to the effortlessly cast rhythms of ‘The Great Divide’ featuring Yazz Ahmed on horns, Phillips set out to make an album which was more direct with sparser arrangements and distinct melodies, while still maintaining the eclectic and creative nature of his debut. “I think if I were a writer, my words would be all setting and very little narrative. I'm really trying to evoke a sense of place and motion and journey and environment but the facts of the story are left vague.” 

On working with Herring, Phillips adds, “I think our styles just resonated well with one another, and we clicked naturally. We sent some ideas back and forth remotely and then he flew out to Portland and we recorded all the vocals in three days together. It was so fun and inspiring - and really deepened my appreciation for his craft. He's such a nice guy and a total genius. Sam's lyrics really hit a beautiful balance between that sense of magic and folklore in the natural world that I'm after, while really bringing his own sense of narrative. He's really amazing at constructing lyrical concepts in a way that I think compliments my own strengths (and weaknesses).” 

Throughout ‘Without Star or Compass’, Phillips masterfully creates an evocative sense of place and motion in a cinematic way, in part due to his love of soundtrack music, a heavy influence on the album. ‘Castalay's Fountain’ was inspired by classic JRPG music such as ‘Zelda’, ‘Chrono Trigger’ and ‘Final Fantasy’, while instrumental tracks ‘Friendship song’, ‘The Great Divide’ and ‘Calyptra’ are rich in cinematic grandeur.  

In addition to the Kennebec project, Phillips has composed the music for numerous feature films, documentaries, podcasts and games. In 2020, alongside Mark Orton (of Tin Hat Trio) and John Hancock, Phillips co-composed the soundtrack to 'Wind of Change', a podcast created by New York Times Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe and produced by Spotify, recorded the Moscow Bowtie Orchestra for the feature-length film ‘12 Mighty Orphans’ starring Luke Wilson, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen and scored Northfork Studios documentary ‘Chehalis: A Watershed Moment.'
 
Running since 2013, 'Night Time Stories’, the sister label to LateNightTales, is a platform for original artist material, hosting artists connected by a common thread of authenticity. 

#Kennebec #NightTimeStories #LateNightTales

Kennebec - Open Air Feat. Samuel T. Herring

Intercepted Message

Blank Chems

I See You

There is a Way

🍯 Slow Like Honey – A Velvet-Soul Seduction

A sultry slow jam that melts in your ears like midnight heat.
“Slow Like Honey” drips with warm Rhodes, upright bass, and brushed drums, while muted trumpet and vintage guitar paint a scene of late-night temptation.
Pouting, breathy vocals float over the groove—inviting, teasing, lingering.
This is soul at its most intimate: slow-burning, soft-lit, and impossible to resist.

For lovers of touch, tone, and tension.

“Slow Like Honey”

[Verse 1]
Slide a little closer in the dark,
No need to speak—just let me spark.
Your breath is heat along my skin,
And I forget where I end, you begin.

[Pre-Chorus]
Mmmh… feel that velvet pace,
Mouth to mouth, no time, no space.
Ohhh… we don’t need to rush,
Let the silence turn to touch.

[Chorus]
Slow like honey, sweet and warm,
Melt into me, ride the storm.
Drip by drip, let it take control,
Moving deeper, soul to soul.

[Verse 2]
Your hands talk in foreign tongues,
Pulling songs from quiet lungs.
Every breath a soft command,
Every inch your sacred land.

[Pre-Chorus]
Mmmh… you undress my mind,
Layer by layer, slow and blind.
Ohhh… just don’t speak tonight,
Let your rhythm make it right.

[Chorus]
Slow like honey, sweet and warm,
Melt into me, ride the storm.
Drip by drip, let it take control,
Moving deeper, soul to soul.

[Bridge]
You don't need to try so hard—
The way you linger is your art.
One slow burn, no sharp edges,
Just soft surrender, no regrets.

[Final Chorus]
Slow like honey, don’t let go,
Take your time and let it flow.
Taste me fully, make it last—
No need to rush, we’re built to bask.

[Outro]
Mmmh… slow…
Sweet…

Slow Like Honey

Dieu Est Nègre

Blue Giant

Alice Russell is natural, pure natural talent, a natural presence, a force of nature. Whether on a big stage with her 16 piece band, charming a crowd of 4000 into staying out dancing in the rain (as she did at Montreal Jazz Festival) or rocking out an intimate club set with a stripped down 6 piece band, she’s a singer who demands attention. Unfazed by taking to the spotlight after a sober Amy Winehouse or joining Roy Ayres live for ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’, there’s no wonder her powerful soul voice has attracted rave reviews from numerous national and international publications and praise from fans as diverse as Gilles Peterson, David Byrne, Dennis Coffey, Massive Attack’s Daddy G, and Groove Armada. 

Alice has also won over a whole brace of producers – lending her strong, emotional tones to releases by Mr Scruff, Quantic and Nostalgia 77, the latter pairing producing the ‘Seven Nation Army’ cover that demolished clubs for years. But following her first release 'Under The Munka Moon' it’s her records with longtime producer and bandleader TM Juke that she’s best known for. From their debut album ‘My Favourite Letters' through to 2008’s live-tinged ‘Pot Of Gold’, they have made some of the most arresting blues soul since the glory days of Aretha. 

“We’ve both got a very open approach to writing songs,” she explains of the prolific relationship. “And we both like so many different types of music whereas some people are more purist. Our influences run from Sarah Vaughan to Bach, Kate Bush to Arvo Part, and J Dilla to Alice Coltrane. We love everything from dirty, squelchy dub step to old school soul. We nudge each other in the right directions.”

The direction they’re nudging each other in right now is towards the synthesizer rack. A love of Prince’s upbeat ‘Dirty Mind’ album and tracks like ‘Controversy’ are leading to a new sound for the upcoming album.
“We’re writing and recording as we speak,” Alice exclaims. “It’s sounding like a cross between ‘My Favourite Letters’ and something much newer. Obviously my voice is there, which brings out that soulful, emotional sound, but there are a lot more synths. It’s a bit more punk electro soul. Yeah!”
If you’ve seen Alice perform live recently you might not be surprised; her December show at the Forum in London saw her take to the stage with her traditional horn section backed up with synths, while smaller gigs have showcased the pacey songs with a four piece set up that sounds rocky. As much as she loves being in the studio there’s something special about Alice let loose on an audience.

“Being on stage is more instant,” she admits, suggesting the reason why she limited herself to just three takes on each song on ‘Pot Of Gold’. “I like things when they’re quite free. In the studio it can be like when you know someone’s taking your photo. Writing in the studio is amazing but when you’re doing takes it can be a bit daunting, but also really exciting. Live you can’t take it back – you’ve got to go all out there.”

It has led to some great experiences, like when she stayed on in Japan to visit the village where the promoter was from: almost like a 50s teen movie, a deal was struck where Alice would have free reign of the hotel for her stay if she did a gig. 
“Of course we said yes,” Alice says with delight. “Babies and grandmas all turned up and there we were with a makeshift sound system thrown together out of amps and speakers. It was one of the most heart warming gigs I’ve ever done.”
Other live highlights include singing with The Roots in Philadelphia, while recording has seen her sing on Talking Heads leader David Byrne’s recent LP. Surely belting out the intensely emotional songs must get a bit tiring. Apparently not.

“It’s a great emotional release,” Alice smiles. “And sometimes makes you feel really high, especially when you’re singing the high notes. If you’re feeling rubbish and everything else feels like it’s going wrong you feel better if you have a good singsong.

"Working with a singer like Alice was something new, terrifying and ultimately amazing."
- David Byrne

"....one of Britain's best kept secrets"
- Independent

"...lush strings combined with Russell's intense, declamatory tones result in a strikingly soulful makeover..."
- Mojo

"Amy Winehouse will wish she could produce an album half as good as this....Alice is a wonderful soulful, bluesy vocalist backed by a band that's tighter than an Aberdonian during the credit crunch"
- Daily Express

"...her vocal style has a gritty power and authentically raw soulfulness..."
- Venue Magazine

"...powerful....soulful...fantastic..."
- Word Magazine

I See You

Alice Russell Official

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