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Exclusively Stream Swiss Folk Duo Famous October’s Dreamy Debut Record

Photo by Jesco Tscholitsch
Photo by Jesco Tscholitsch

 

In 2006, American vocalist Sarah Bowman and Swiss singer-songwriter Rene Coal Burrell met at a tiny Swiss music venue. Fast forward ten years, and the two are married with a beautiful daughter and have teamed up as Switzerland-based indie-folk duo, Famous October. Before they pooled their talents, though, the duo grew up with their own musical endeavors: Bowman, with a focus in cello, piano, and vocal performance, toured internationally with twin sister Claire, while Burrell had an award-winning alt-country solo career. Together, Famous October have concocted a dreamy, luscious genre entirely its own on their debut record, One Day Baby, releasing tomorrow.

One Day Baby begins with a soothing lullaby, “Falling Over”, that eases listeners into the rest of the record. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the album’s title track comes in swinging like a sing-along. “One Day Baby” operates entirely on an upbeat, danceable rhythm until the duo’s harmony kicks in, Bowman’s sweet soprano going head to head with Burrell’s folk curls. “Firsts & Lasts” plays with groovy, old-school folk rhythms, introducing the continuous jingle of a tambourine while the songwriting reflects (and does justice to) 50s pop love songs. Later, “Starting Today” has Bowman spotlighting the strength in her vocal variety as the track clicks and clomps with swollen instrumentation that fills all the empty spaces — not that Famous October would ever leave anything empty; the duo give thoughtful interpretation to every second of every song. After thirteen tracks, One Day Baby ends with “Beyond The Sea”, a divine track focusing on impassioned vocals and pensive lyrics like “I’m heading to the sea/To call on an old friend/Who really knows me”. The album’s final track does not throb or pulse with rhythm, but instead slinks and slithers with the weight of emotion and the honesty it takes to reveal it.

Stream the full album below, connect with Famous October on Facebook, and keep reading to hear what Bowman has to say about the music she’s making with Burrell:

Sarah Bowman on Famous October: “We are a unique multicultural married couple making music together across borders. Rene is European and influenced by the roots music of America. I am American and influenced by the historic musical figures of Europe. Together we challenge each other to go the extra mile, to dig deeper into stronger truths, and to create melodies and arrangements not by habit but as a way of doing something new every time. This album shows the scope that we’ve created together. Our baby girl Cecilia was a great inspiration for the songs because she was developing behind the scenes through the writing process and she was listening and responding to the vibrations of the cello and guitar during the entire recording session.”

–Savannah Davanzo

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