RADNOR & LEE
Radnor and Lee is a pop-folk duo consisting of Josh Radnor (Hunters, How I Met Your Mother, Liberal Arts, Happythankyoumoreplease) and Ben Lee (Australian singer-songwriter, Noise Addict). They released their debut, self-titled record on November 10, 2017 and toured the US, Australia, and South America in support. The duo’s much anticipated sophomore album, Golden State, is out June 19th 2020 (originally scheduled for May 8 but postponed due to the coronavirus). Available on limited edition 12” and bonus 7” vinyl, cd, and digital formats, on Flower Moon Records. The album was written and recorded by Radnor & Lee, and produced be Justin Stanley (Beck, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow).
The genesis of the current chapter of their career marked by the release Golden State – which displays a clear graduation out of its “side project by two guys who like to do a lot of things” chapter – was equally strange and remarkable. SPIN says, "The album's title refers more to a state of mind rather than California itself. The vibe, though, is a lot darker than what the shiny title may indicate. That includes the wisdom of experience and being beaten up by life, and ultimately realizing that imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Actor/writer/director Josh Radnor and singer-songwriter Ben Lee were friends for a decade before they decided to make music together. "We’d been talking about it, and then two and a half years ago we decided to write a song together and it went really well. We decided to write another one, then we said ‘let’s make a record,’ according to Radnor. It was their "shared interest in spirituality and philosophy" that inspired them make music together in the first place. The two describe their vision for Radnor and Lee as "trying to write from the perspective of people who've had a little life under their belts... a different level of reflection and wisdom and humility... We make music that celebrates the complexity of where we're actually at in our lives."
GOLDEN STATE
An Open Letter from Ignatius de Mello Concerning The Duo Radnor & Lee
The history of rock n roll is rife with breakthroughs, catalysts for transformation, that propelled musicians into the next creative paradigm without warning. These moments represent forks in the road. The tracks divert. Suddenly the artist moves from the road well-travelled, into unfamiliar territory, into the wild…
For Radnor & Lee, the genesis of the current chapter of their career marked by the release of new album “Golden State” – which displays a clear graduation out of its “side project by two guys who like to do a lot of things” chapter – was equally strange and remarkable.
On the San Paulo stop of their first sold-out tour of Brazil, after soundcheck, the duo were invited to partake in a home-cooked meal of traditional Brazilian Feijoada, cooked by one of the crew members mothers. This traditional stew has a fascinating history.
According to legend, Feijoada was a dish crafted by slaves out of leftovers given to them by their masters, often containing pig feet, ears, tail, and other portions seen unfit for general consumption. While these ingredients have been refined and these days are often seen as more urban legend than reality, what cannot by contested is that this particular Feijoada, delivered by a kind retired art dealer to a rag tag crew of musicians in South America for the first time, was indeed laced with several micrograms of LSD (Your humble author can attest to the veracity of this for he was also at said meal and partook of said dish and experienced the attendant effects. IdM)
We should be careful not to qualify what happened next as some kind of magical event, or “sign,” for the ideas that came to the forefront of Mr Radnor and Mr Lee’s minds during the following days – yes, their altered state lasted days – had indeed been brewing for some time.
There was the reinforcement of the concepts of friendship and adventure. The reminder that “fun” as a guiding principle was “enough.” There was a further scaling of ambition, the notion that plants all grow towards the light, that there is nothing shameful about wanting to be better or to affect more people or touch deeper spaces.
But above all, there was movement beyond language. A duo that initially prized lyrics as their superpower were suddenly faced with large crowds of non-English speaking humans, bobbing and swaying to their songs. It was clear that something other than wordplay was at work. There was sensuality, tenderness and rhythm. Mr Radnor was seen dancing in new ways. Mr Lee was often uncharacteristically silent. Transformation was at work.
They began to write songs. And these songs had a different quality. A richness, a warmth, a darkness, a wildness. Mr Lee was more than once heard uttering a phrase as he plugged in his guitar pedals (that Mr Radnor seemed to viscerally dislike): “Psychedelic Jewish Cowboys Forever!” Make of this what you will.
It was only natural that the recording of these songs would require impeccable taste and sensitivity to their organic nature. With this in mind, our duo brought in Justin Stanley (Prince, Beck, Eric Clapton) to produce: focusing on live recording, few overdubs, analogue gear, and the judicious administering of micro-doses.
Just as authors must write the books they want to read, musicians must make the music they want to hear. Ben and Josh did just that with these eleven new songs. Some are joyful. Some are sad. Some are vindictive. Some of victorious.
But more than that, we can share the duo’s pleasant surprise at its own development. These songs are a reminder that nothing is permanent, that friendship is real, that music is magic and that life can be wild.
– Ignatius de Mello, Sao Paulo, BR, 2020
VIDEO
NEWS
POPMATTERS: RADNOR & LEE DELIVER WARM, FUNNY LOVE SONG VIA “GIMME YOUR MESS”
"Gimme Your Mess", [is] a deeply funny and moving slacker love song about going against the odds, maybe even in a moment when the odds seem stacked against us. It'd be easy to slot this next to the finest moments of either Lee or his contemporary Todd Snider, but the song deserves its own moment in time, its chance to shine and the chance for Radnor & Lee to see this wonderful and warm collaboration flourish. Listen here.
GUITAR WORLD: SICK RIFFS WITH BEN LEE OF RADNOR & LEE
Ben Lee of actor/musician duo Radnor and Lee shows you the gorgeous acoustic line of “Welcome to Our House” Watch the video and rig rundown here.
NME: RADNOR AND LEE SHARE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO, ‘SIMPLE HARMONY’
The ‘Simple Harmony’ video was directed by Sam Fragoso, and shot back in February of this year. One half of the musical duo, Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee, told American Songwriter that the video was meant to work as “nostalgia for nostalgia”, during isolation. Read more here.
AMERICAN SONGWRITER: RADNOR & LEE “SIMPLE HARMONY” VIDEO PREMIERE, ALBUM OUT JUNE 19
American Songwriter just premiered the Sam Fragoso-directed video for “Simple Harmony.” Golden State, the sophomore effort from the folk-pop duo R&L, is now set to be release June 19th. Watch the video here.
AMERICAN SONGWRITER: RADNOR & LEE SHARE THE WRITING THAT WENT INTO “OUTSIDE IN”
“Folk songwriter duo Radnor and Lee knew they wanted to write a timeless song with a widespread reach for their sophomore record. They did just that by taking their newest single “Outside In” to every creative landscape they could, from its conception in Brazil to the studio in Los Angeles.” Read more here.
SPIN: RADNOR & LEE TACKLE AGE AND WISDOM ON “GOLDEN STATE”
Like many aspects of culture that have been self-reflective in recent years, Golden State is a bit darker lyrically than their self-titled album. The title refers more to a state of mind rather than California itself. The vibe, though, is a lot darker than what the shiny title may indicate. That includes the wisdom of experience and being beaten up by life, and ultimately realizing that imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Read more here.
