Today, Samantha Urbani has announced that her long-awaited debut album Showing Up will be released on 22nd September, and shares lead single “One Day At A Time“.
Showing Up finds the former Friends-frontwoman pouring a decade of experimentation and personal growth into the sort of irresistibly loose-limbed, retro-leaning alt-pop that has always been her specialty. Co-produced by Urbani with Nick Weiss (aka Nightfeelings) the album is in keeping with Urbani’s predilection for spontaneity, with an organic approach to collaboration and contributions from close friends including Eric Cross, John Carroll Kirby, Shane Mckillop, Rostam Batmanglij, Molly Lewis and Sasha Desree, as well as Sade’s right-hand man Stuart Matthewman.
Sonically, the album captures a wide range of vintage influences, from Jam & Lewis to Tom Tom Club, halcyon 80s Madonna, 90s R&B to celestial disco and grooved out guitar-pop. Urbani’s innate ability to hit the sweet spot between heady pop melodies and unfettered experimentation makes ‘Showing Up’ such a compelling collection, whilst also encapsulating universal themes for both the head and the heart.
Lead single “One Day At A Time”, with shades of Rapture-era Blondie meets LCD Soundsystem, finds Urbani declaring “I’m immune to guitars, I’m immune to cool” over louche slap bass and sliding, Talking Heads-esque synths.
Samantha says about the single: “Ok, ok. I am the tough guy and I am dead serious. I am an advocate, a protector, and an activist. I’m also a total crusher and yolo’er and I take the sweet risks and I justify it all to myself even when I know I myself am being the idiot. This is basically the cutie goofer song about wanting the player and drawing it out. Kissing you FEELS vital to my survival! I know its NOT! It’s just a FEELING! BUT THATS A BIG FEELING! THATS A HUGE LONGING! THATS A LONG ACHING! Urgh, can’t we just ween it off little by little? Once a week act in love? Fuck it up one day at a time? Not fuck it up all at once?”
The track’s fantastical music video, created by Urbani alongside VFX Artists and Animators Leon Knight and Corrinne James, features cameos from Samantha’s close friends Georgia Jagger (angel/devil), Avery Tucker (cameras), Chloe Saavedra (drums), Isis Cahuas (raspberry beret), Yony Leyser (phones) and Nick Robinson (motorcycle). Watch it now, below.
