Today, Lael Neale is sharing “Wild Waters,” a new single and official video from Altogether Stranger, her new, expansive forthcoming album, out this Friday, May 2nd, 2025 worldwide on Sub Pop.
“Wild Waters” is also a vignette from The Altogether Stranger, a visual accompaniment to the album “Altogether Stranger,” which will premiere on YouTube on Thursday, May 1st. Starring Neale and written and directed in collaboration with producer and accompanist Guy Blakeslee, the 34-minute film weaves together nine music videos, capturing a world in which Neale, in a mirrored jumpsuit, plays an interdimensional being on a mission to restore harmony to humanity with her cosmic Omnichord.
It includes guest appearances from Ian Svenonius (as God) and choreography and movement direction by Sandi Denton (who also leads The Rated Z Dancers, who appear throughout).
Neale says of the “Wild Waters” visual and The Altogether Stranger…film:
“The video for ‘Wild Waters’ was a collaboration with choreographer & dancer Sandi (Denton). I had this vision of dancers playing the part of interdimensional beings performing a dance that would open a portal, calling my character through. In perfect synchronicity, when I approached Sandi with the idea, she had already been building a two-person dance that fit seamlessly. I love working with Sandi for this reason.”
Neale continues, “While the album was made by just me and Guy, the really fun part of creating this film was getting to include our friends in the production and experiment alongside some of the many visionary artists who are active in Los Angeles right now to bring the story to life. The guiding ethos for both the record and the film was an intuitive (vs. technical) approach, embracing the primitive simplicity of making things by hand.”
Also on release date, Neale fans will see new official videos for remaining Altogether Stranger songs “All Good Things Will Come To Pass,” “Come On,” “Sleep Through The Long Night,” “New Ages,” “All Is Never Lost,” and “There From Here,” arrive on YouTube.
Lael Neale’s headlining and festival date run for Spring and Summer 2025 in support of Altogether Stranger continues later this week with a release day instore on Friday, May 2nd at London’s Rough Trade East and runs through Saturday, June 14th in Hilvarenbeek, NL at Best Kept Secret Festival. Highlights for these tour dates include support on headlining shows from collaborator Guy Blakeslee as Entrance (select dates*, May 10th-June 12th); EU festival appearances at Stockholm’s Echo Three Fest (May 24th), and Guastalla, IT’s Handmade Festival (June 8th). They will also support Sub Pop label mates Beach House on June 1st in Brussels, Belgium, and June 2nd in Lyon, France. Tickets for these shows are on sale now.
Fri. May 02 - London, UK - Rough Trade East
Sat. May 10 - Dublin, IE - Workman’s Cellar *
Sun. May 11 - Belfast, UK - McHughs *
Wed. May 14 - Lausanne, CH - Le Romandie*
Thu. May 15 - Dijon, FR - La Vapeur *
Fri. May 16 - Paris, FR - Le Hasard Ludique *
Sat. May 17 - Brussels, BE - Les Nuits Botanique
Mon. May 19 - Amsterdam, NL - DOKA *
Tue. May 20 - Hamburg, DE - Nachtasyl *
Wed. May 21 - Berlin, DE - Kantine am Berghain *
Fri. May 23 - Copenhagen, DK - Huset
Sat. May 24 - Stockholm, SE - Echo Three Fest
Tue. May 27 - Bristol, UK - The Louisiana *
Wed. May 28 - London, UK - Omeara *
Thu. May 29 - Manchester, UK - YES Basement *
Fri. May 30 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms *
Sat. May 31 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint *
Sun. Jun. 01- Brussels, BE - Ancienne Belgique ^
Mon. Jun. 02 - Lyon, FR - Le Radiant ^
Sun.Jun 08 - Guastalla, IT - Handmade Festival
Thu. Jun.12 - Luxembourg, LU - Rotondes *
Sat. Jun. 14 - Hilvarenbeek, NL - Best Kept Secret Festival
* w/ Entrance (Guy Blakeslee)
^ w/ Beach House
Lael Neale’s Altogether Stranger was written by Neale, with production and mixing by Blakeslee at home in Los Angeles, and mastering by Chris Coady.
Altogether Stranger is available to preorder on CD/LP/All DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), MM2 (in UK/EU), your local record store and at Neale’s live shows will receive the limited Loser edition on Lavender (NA) and Magenta (UK/EU) vinyl. There is also a special edition available through Rough Trade in the UK and EU on Cream White vinyl (All LP colors whilst stock lasts!).
More on Lael Neale’s Altogether Stranger: Lael Neale’s minimalist drone pop draws inspiration from the Transcendentalists, the alienation of modern life, and a rich array of musical influences—ranging from Dionne Warwick and John Lennon to primitive American gospel and Spacemen 3. Her expansive new record, Altogether Stranger, was written and recorded in the early morning quiet of Los Angeles. Clocking in at just 32 minutes, the 9-song LP covers an unexpected breadth of musical and lyrical terrain—from garage rock nursery rhymes and creation myths to Motorik dance dirges and solitary Omnichord meditations. A brilliant lyricist, Neale has a unique ability to uncover the extraordinary within the mundane, tackling themes of polarity that recur throughout her work—country vs. city, humanity vs. technology, isolation vs. society. This album is her third collaboration with producer Guy Blakeslee who helps expand the tonal palette while staying true to Neale’s commitment to the raw immediacy and hand-made intimacy of home recording (read more at Sub Pop). |
