Patrick Ames evolves the lyrically powerful blues, funk, soul and folk sound on “The Virtualistics”
Patrick Ames as seen on his unique “Reawakened 2020” cover art.
Jon Ireson, producer of the album “The Virtualistics” and contributing musician.
The acclaimed songwriter’s new album features 8 songs written during the pandemic. Its release is accompanied by the official music video for “Help People Up”.
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, June 18, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ – Composer and writer Patrick ames continues to evolve his signature lyrically powerful junkyard blues cocktail on the new LP, “Virtualization», Released on June 16 on music platforms. The album features 8 songs written during the pandemic by the Napa Valley-based artist, each hopeful and resilient in their own way. The title of the album was inspired by the nature of the recording style; Although Patrick Ames writes the music and lyrics, much of his collaborations with producer Jon Ireson and backing vocalists Chana Matthews and Mikaela Matthews have been virtual.
From post-punk inspired by the pandemic of “Second Wave” and “Essential Workers” to the gospel rock funk of “Help People Up” and “Reawakened 2020” to the spacious and philosophical “Great Bunch of Molecules” and to the blues, the energy fun of “Rubber and Glue”, “Songwriter’s Block” and “You Make Me Scream”, Patrick Ames and The Virtualistics display a tenacious spirit throughout.
About “The Virtualistics”:
Virtualization. The group that never met. Remote collaboration is common, but we’ve never met in a difficult pandemic year. The four of us never practiced together. We didn’t sing together and we didn’t plan the final sound. We were virtual entities, duly recording our tracks on various home devices and sending them out for stitching. Those famous photographs of The Virtualistics, of studious musicians playing on stage, working hard in the studio, those tired looks from a fifth take, none of that happened. We never sang or performed together.
Surprisingly, it feels like we were together, not virtually, I guess that’s the word. It sounds like a 9-piece band having a blast even though we were half-depressed and struggling with work, viruses and bad politics. Half of the songs came out as singles, mostly because I didn’t want to get depressed and feed off that new release excitement every few months.
It’s been a year of virtual studio sessions that require big leaps of faith when you contribute to a song that isn’t finished yet that sounds like a skit. It’s like this group game where everyone adds a line to the pre-existing story that goes around in circles and by the time everyone is talking, the story is incredibly creative and interesting. Start with a few lyrics, add a riff or two, start weaving counter melodies, add a few phat beats – each song has circled the Virtualistics circle a few times.
All of these songs were recorded during the pandemic by The Virtualistics. -Patrick Ames
Jon Ireson, Producer, Says: Patrick Ames and the Virtualistics
I mixed Patrick’s latest album (Liveness) in early 2020 and by May it had more new material ready to cast. While the lyrical themes all come from Patrick, it really helps that we’re on the same political / philosophical wavelength. As the tumultuous events of 2020 unfolded, the songs he sent me about racial and social justice, trust in science, and hard work to affect positive transformation in the public square echoed my own thoughts in real time. When the world goes haywire, music is there to make sense of it.
The opening of the album and the first single “Help People Up” will have a Musical clip released on June 16. Video created by Blue Cafe Music.
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Patrick Ames – Help People Up (Official Music Video)
