Hiding In Plain Sight

Description

THE 3RD ALBUM BY THE BAND LED BY MICHAEL COLLINS FEATURING TIM PRESLEY, KATE BOLLINGER, BAMBINA, JOHN CARROLL KIRBY, SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE, VIDEO AGE, JOSH DA COSTA (CMON) AND MORE. Drugdealer's third album, Hiding In Plain Sight, almost never saw the light of day. Frustrated and unsure of his own voice before the pandemic, Michael Collins – Drugdealer's founder and primary songwriter – was almost ready to throw in the towel. Then, during an artist residency in Marfa, Texas, a chance encounter with visionary artist and composer Annette Peacock changed his perspective. Grappling with a period of doubt where Michael considered abandoning music to pursue his lifelong dream of filmmaking, a fleeting conversation with a legend helped him find his own voice. But the lockdown, during which he wrote most of the album, was a time spent searching for answers – searching for love. "Madison," the opening track of Hiding In Plain Sight, is the first song he wrote in this suggested range. His newfound confidence as a singer in the tradition of a Nick Lowe or even a Van Morrison is evident, with Conor 'Catfish' Gallaher's pedal steel adding a touch of cosmic country. His quest extended beyond the traditional concept of love. It takes a whole world to put together Drugdealer albums. Friendship, understood as the highest form of love, shines through on this record, which calls upon a wide range of characters, including band members Mikey Long, MacIntosh, and Josh Da Costa (CMON), as well as virtuosos John Carroll Kirby (Frank Ocean, Stones Throw) and Daryl Johns (Mac DeMarco, The Lemon Twigs). Tim Presley, a pillar of Californian avant-rock, sings on the second track, "Baby." Kate Bollinger lends an effervescent voice to the Rhodes-driven groove on "Pictures of You." As usual, Michael enlisted a cast of singers and musicians to bring the vision of Hiding in Plain Sight to life. On "Posse Cut," which follows the Los Angeles funk tradition from Leon Sylvers to Warren G, features Bambina, Winn, Sean Nicholas Savage, Video Age, and Kirby. Ultimately, Hiding In Plain Sight is an odyssey into philia, the ability to love and appreciate what those around you can bring. It's a path to a romantic and passionate love that is opening up. Michael Collins finds love everywhere and feels empowered to sing about it, resulting in Drugdealer's most joyous and accomplished album to date.