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Today, musician and writer Scott Guild shares the moving track "Until They're Home," a stirring exploration of grief and the transience of life out now. The track arrives ahead of Plastic: The Album, due out later this month on May 31 and available for pre-order now.
Alongside the new music, Guild is thrilled to share he has been signed to North Street Records, a label in partnership with The Orchard and Sony Music to support the album release. The head of the label, Chris Howerton, is pleased to welcome Guild and adds, "Through his words and sounds, Scott Guild has created a truly unique world that I find myself entranced by. We are excited to share it with everyone." The LP is the musical component of his innovative book-and-album project, which includes his acclaimed debut novel, Plastic, out now via Penguin Random House. Plus, Guild announces a summer book-and-music tour across the Midwest, open to the public, beginning June 3 in Parma, OH. Find a full list below with additional dates to be announced.
"Until They're Home," out today, delves into grief and aims to make sense of the past and its impact on the future. Emerging from Guild's grief in his own life, the musician & author shares the track is, "a song about grief, about feeling haunted by the loved ones you've lost, about wondering if you'll ever feel whole again. Erin, my main character, sings here about the loss of her father and boyfriend, but the song comes from my own experience of losing a parent in my twenties, the pain and confusion from that death, the ways I tried to escape the pain. Life is so fleeting, but the memories never leave us; the past can often feel more real than the present."
Sonically, the pensive acoustic guitar pattern resonates with the themes of grief, drawing the listener into a space of loss and longing. Midway through the song, the spacious synth and choral vocals of Gainsayer (Ages and Ages) overtake the track, leading listeners deeper into Erin's pained desire for the past. The song ends on an aching note, with sparse instrumentation and a raw, vulnerable vocal–Erin surrounded by her ghosts, whether real or imagined.
Plastic is set in a future world of plastic figurines, and the album tells the story of the novel through a cycle of dynamic art-pop songs. Stranger Cat (a frequent collaborator of Sharon Van Etten and Sufjan Stevens) stars on the record, singing in the voice of Erin, embodying her struggles. While many of the tracks use lyrics from the musical numbers in the book (where the figurines break into song), the tracks also branch off in their own directions, expanding the plastic universe of the story. “All my life, I’ve been obsessed with art that pushes boundaries,” Guild says of telling a story through music and prose, “especially boundaries of genre and format. Kate Bush with her high-concept videos, Anohni’s work with Marina Abramovic—I love art that creates an immersive world, that lets me lose myself in someone’s vision. That’s my hope with Plastic: to find new ways to tell a story, to put people in a vivid space of imagination."
The forthcoming album is a collaboration between Guild and the visionary artist Cindertalk (Son Lux, My Brightest Diamond), as well as the GRAMMY-winning producer Peter Katis (The National, Sharon Van Etten). Other contributors include the artist Gainsayer, violinist Leif Karlstrom and cellist Dale Bradley, and the multi-instrumentalist Colin Meyer. Together, the novel and album create an unparalleled multimedia storytelling experience, both a love story and an exploration of urgent contemporary themes. As NPR's Beth Golay notes, "With climate change, gun violence, and nuclear fallout, this dystopian comedy looks eerily similar to our world."
“Only Killers,” the single that arrived last month, illuminates a dark episode in the story of Plastic. Erin is caught in an eco-terror attack at her workplace, and her song decries both the terrorists’ violence and the deadly climate crisis that fuels their rage. The singer Stranger Cat brings Erin to life on the track, capturing her pain and confusion while the propulsive bass and distorted horns mirror her fraught emotions, underscored by unique, staccato percussion.
Guild feels a deep personal connection to this track, and adds, "'Only Killers' might be my most personal song on the album, even though it's sung from Erin's perspective. It captures so much of my anxiety in this moment, the fear that every sane person feels for our planet's future. We try to distract ourselves, but that undercurrent of dread is always there."
Plastic has received widespread acclaim from leading tastemakers across the U.S. The New York Times writes that Plastic raises "urgent questions about climate change, political violence and spirituality with high intelligence....we end in wondrous disbelief," while The Los Angeles Times praises the uniqueness of a combined album and novel, calling Plastic "a dark and entertaining saga" and “that rarest of publishing experiences, a story being released simultaneously in prose and music." Bob Boilen, the creator of NPR’s Tiny Desk and All Songs Considered, featured the album on his NPR Music playlist and radio show this month. The Boston Herald calls the pair of works, "[An] epic music/novel project…a futuristic electronic sound based in classic emotive pop.” Praising the album, The Chicago Review of Books writes, “A dream-pop melodrama with surprising hooks, the album feels like [the novel’s] other half. …Scott Guild’s debut Plastic is a surrealist romp that perfectly captures our modern anxieties.” Nick Spacek of The Pitch says, “I cannot recommend [Plastic] enough. When you hear the full album at the end of May, it will break you (in a good way).” Plus, "As if his great novel isn't enough," adds Doug Gordon of NPR, "Guild has created Plastic: The Album."
Earlier this year, Guild shared the first singles from the album, "Fiona," with its accompanying video here and "Boytoy," introducing listeners to the vast world of Plastic. With sweeping synth and driving drums, "Fiona" tells the story of Erin’s sister, a famous eco-terrorist in the plastic world, with whom Erin must reconnect to save her loved ones. The wistful but head-bopping "Boytoy," set in the first chapter of the novel, explores Erin's need for love and connection in the midst of her crumbling world, narrating a disastrous first date. Each new release from the album expands the sonic universe of Plastic, with the poignant lyrics and inventive arrangements providing a one-of-a-kind storytelling experience. For more information, read Guild's own account of creating the album on the prominent book site Literary Hub.
Guild's music career began as the lead guitarist and songwriter in New Collisions, a Boston art-pop band that toured with the B-52s, opened for Blondie, and collaborated with Greg Hawkes of The Cars. Plastic sees Guild exploring a new kind of lyricism, supported by a 25 city book-and-music tour where the songs are performed live as part of his readings. This summer, Guild will hit the road across the Midwest with additional dates to be added.
Guild is also a professor of Creative Writing at Marian University, as well as a strong advocate for prison reform who publishes on the topic. He served for years as the Assistant Director of Pen City Writers, a creative writing program for students imprisoned in Texas, and currently teaches courses at Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis.
"Until They're Home" out now provides a meaningful space to take stock of one's life, to reflect on memories and learn what it means to move through grief. The rich, robust world of Plastic: The Album will arrive in full on May 31 and is available for pre-order now. Catch Guild live this summer across the Midwest with all events open to the public. Connect with Scott Guild on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for more from the artist and novelist.
Watch: "Only Killers" (Lyric Video) | Listen
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