Acoustic folk artist Priscilla Ahn released “This is Where We Are,” her latest studio album, last summer in Japan and Korea, but the Georgian delayed the release of the LP in her native United States until 2014. Now, the album is officially dropping in America later this month — and Billboard has the exclusive premiere.
“This recording process was different from most, as we only worked two days a week,” Ahn says of the album, her third release in the States. “I discovered that this is the most ideal way for me to record. I always get a little antsy after spending too long in a studio. So we would work together for two days, and then spend a week working on our own and coming up with new ideas for our next meeting.”
Ahn says she wrote the majority of the album “alone in the desert” — though she was “most definitely in an air-conditioned hotel room,” rather than the middle of nowhere. The album also differs from past releases in that it has more of a synth-pop edge than her previous albums. In particular, Ahn is fond of opening track “Diana,” which has minor electronic influences.
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“‘Diana’ is so fun and so different from my usual sound,” Ahn explains. “I think it’s a great intro to the record’s new feel. And I love ‘I Think I’m Ready To Love You’ because it’s very personal for me. It reminds me of a time in my life when I chose to give love. Keefus’ (Ciancia, co-producer) piano playing at the end always gives me chills.”
In addition to Ciancia’s co-producing credit, Ahn also worked with drummer Deantoni Parks, who briefly played with The Mars Volta. “Deantoni Parks is a drumming genius,” she said. “He literally listened to each song once, and went into the recording booth and played through the song, somehow remembering where all the breaks and changes were. Most of the drum tracks on the album are his first take.”
“This is Where We Are” is out in the U.S. on Feb. 25 through SQE Music.