Doe Paoro, the spiritual brainchild of pop songwriter Sonia Kreitzer, announces her new album ‘Soft Power,’ a thoroughly modern collection of songs brought to life by Kreitzer’s smoldering vocal work, girl-group harmonies evocative of the Ronettes, and 60’s inspired instrumentation that feels both classic and fiercely contemporary. Out 10/19 on ANTI- Records and aided by the ear of GRAMMY-winning producer Jimmy Hogarth (Amy Winehouse, Sia, Paolo Nutini), ‘Soft Power’ is a significant and soulful departure for Doe Paoro – recorded live to tape in a London studio with a top-shelf cast of musicians who have recorded with the likes of Adele, Joe Strummer and Brian Eno, ‘Soft Power’ bears a raw true-to-self vitality through an indelible batch of songs all written by Kreitzer with the help of songwriters from around the world.
To accompany the announcement, Doe Paoro has released a new song and video (directed by Clara Mouton), “Over,” a lilting track that explores the inescapable obstacle of moving on, underscored by the song’s central question, “Will I get better / Now that I’m older / does it get easier / to get over?” The accompanying visuals are a subtly surreal statement on the process of healing, set to a gorgeous Los Angeles golden hour backdrop. Stereogum said the song “recalls the rosy-tinted sound of ’60s girl groups like the Shirelles and bears a strong resemblance to the vintage sound of Rihanna’s ‘Love On The Brain’…if you like Amy Winehouse, you’re probably going to love this track.” Watch “Over” here.
Stream “Over” here.
“This video is a meditation on process,” says Sonia. “Boredom and necessity are both fertile conditions to welcome in the creative spirit. In the case of ‘Over,’ writing the song was my healing. In the video, creativity is also the salve for the protagonist.”
‘Soft Power’ forgoes the electronic soundscapes of Doe Paoro’s 2015 album ‘After,’ which was produced at the Wisconsin studio of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and led Pitchfork to praise her “smoky, soulful voice” and hail her “confident, beautiful” and “clear-eyed” vision. On ‘Soft Power,’ the Los Angeles-based artist favors piano-driven pop, turning to her lifelong love of Carole King for inspiration. With a penetrating voice that can shift from gentle to commanding in an instant, Doe Paoro delivers a performance perfectly suited for the album’s message of thoughtful defiance, casting an undeniably potent musical spell and crafting what she calls “pop music with wisdom.”
“It was a pleasure to make a record with Doe Paoro, someone who trusts her instincts and follows through fearlessly,” says Hogarth, calling her a “true tour-de-force.”
With its percussive, infectious rhythm and ecstatic gospel harmonies, the amped-up, horn-backed “Cage of Habits” finds Doe owning up to her tendency to keep falling into the same traps. A passionately charged track about misogyny, “Guilty” blends cascading guitar lines with sharply cutting lyrics (I know I’m not the first / that you made defend her word). “Second Door” unfolds as a lushly textured meditation on forgiveness, while “Walk Through the Fire” emerges as a brutal testament to raw realities of self-examination.
“There’s a quote in the Tao Te Ching about how the ‘the gentlest thing in the world overcomes the hardest thing in the world,'” says Doe. “That is, there’s another form of power that’s just as strong: the power of patience, compassion, and forgiveness. I sought refuge in this idea of gentle power. The album is about unlocking this kind of power and learning to channel it toward others as well as myself.”
Doe Paoro has toured with the likes of Sylvan Esso and Son Little and will hit the road in support of ‘Soft Power’ this fall. Full tour routing below.
‘SOFT POWER’ TRACK LIST
1. Over
2. Cage of Habits
3. Guilty
4. Loose Plans
5. Cruelty of Nature
6. Second Door
7. Fading Into Black
8. The Projector
9. Together Apart
10. Roman
11. Walk Through The Fire
12. The Vine
PRE-ORDER ‘SOFT POWER’ & LISTEN TO THE NEW SINGLE “OVER”
https://ffm.to/doepaoro_
DOE PAORO 2018 TOUR DATES
11/24 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
11/26 – San Francisco , CA – Cafe Du Nord
11/27 – Portland, OR – Lola’s Room
11/28 – Seattle, WA – Columbia City Theatre
11/30 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
12/01 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
12/03 – Austin, TX – North Door
12/04 – Dallas, TX – Dada
12/06 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
12/07 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
12/08 – Durnham, NC – Pinhook
12/09 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
12/11 – Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade
12/12 – Boston, MA – Cafe 939
12/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Voltage Longue
12/14 – Findlay, OH – Marathon Ctr. For the Perf. Arts
12/15 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
12/16 – Detroit, MI – El Club
12/18 – Kansas City, MO – Riot Room
12/20 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Purchase tickets at doepaoro.com/tour
