Will Butler + Sister Squares

Description

Sara Dobbs and Jenny Shore both worked in theaters in St. Louis, Missouri. Jenny later became a choreographer in the indie dance scene of early 2000s Chicago. Julie Shore is Jenny's sister. Miles Francis grew up in New York with posters of the Backstreet Boys in his room. An extraordinary drummer since his youth, Miles thrives on collaboration, whether it's producing albums in his West Village studio, playing with artists like Angelique Kidjo, or leading events with a large marching drum. The four of them – Miles, Julie, Jenny, and Sara – form Sister Squares. What has made them a musical unit is their collaboration with Will Butler, a Grammy winner and Oscar nominee. They have just finished a new album together: Will Butler + Sister Squares. Will had just left his band Arcade Fire after 20 years – perhaps the most complex decision of his life. He had spent the previous two years at home with his three children, getting up every morning to read Emily Dickinson. The album projects large-scale emotional landscapes. The first single, "Long Grass," sounds like a Harry Styles song with 20 years of life added. The second half of the album is a bizarre and danceable choral record, with harmonies that are both beautiful and dissonant. The closing song "The Window" is the come-down after the party – Julie playing a Nocturne by Chopin on a detuned piano slowed down to half speed on the tape, with Will singing over it in a weary voice. It's a record with a warm and human soul.