LOS ANGELES, CA- Particle Kid is the experimental future-folk project of Micah Nelson. The youngest son of Willie Nelson, Micah’s approach to music as Particle Kid would appear vastly different than his father’s traditional/outlaw country or his brother Lucas’ polished root rocks, with his most experimental, lo-fi psychedelic/alternative stylings, but if there’s one thing that he’s got that in-pocket with his dad and brother is the ability to craft engaging stories and themes through music.
In 2017, Micah released two albums: a self-titled Particle Kid album and the fuzzy Everything Is Bullshit. He collaborated with Sunny War (who he recently collaborated with on the single “Someone Else’s Dream” which also features performances by J Masci and Paul Bushnell) the very underrated album “Sunny War”, which is less experimental, and more folk, than his solo efforts. But the songwriting across all three albums, reveals Micah’s ability to convey messages through his words: “Tear on my napkin, Tears on my chest. I guess I gotta cry me a bullet-proof vest, Son of a gun, I the Gunshow Loophole Blues” (lyrics from “Gunshow Loophole Blues”). Catchy and poignant stuff.
On April 22nd, 2022, Particle Kid is scheduled to release his latest effort, TIME CAPSULE. It has been described as “a trip through various genres, ideas and sounds – an eclectic palette of sonic colors, both familiar and exploratory.” With contributions from some pretty heavy hitters like Sean Ono Lennon, J Mascis, Margo Price, Jim James, and even his father, I’m fairly confident that we, the listener, will be able to find joy in the sonic spaces that’ll pump through our speakers.
His latest single, “Along the Timey Road”, features that “future folk” sound that Particle Kid is known for. From the folksy, acoustic guitar intro to the distorted vocal tracks to the hypnotic instrumental bridges, this breezy track takes us on a sonic journey that is both traditional and futuristic. Not only is Micah a musician, but he is also a visual artist… and he put skills to use by creating the song’s official video using rotoscope animation. Of the song, and how it relates to his forthcoming album as a whole, Micah says:
“I’ve always loved the idea of writing a letter to your future self and putting it inside a Time Capsule and reflecting back years and years later, realizing how much you’ve grown and maybe what you’ve lost and must try to regain. This song is kinda a twist on that; the idea is essentially a letter/transmission from the future-self to the present-self, in hopes the message to stay humble will be received somehow. It kinda reminds me of the Voyager golden record sending information through the depths of space to make contact with extraterrestrial life and represent humanity, and so I love this idea of actually sending information through the depths of Time, to make contact with ourselves here on Earth…and perhaps remind us of our humanity. What better way to do it than via songs?“
I couldn’t agree more.
Check out the video below and Follow Particle Kid on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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