Altameda Release New Album 'Born Losers'

Last Friday, Toronto-based band Altameda released its third studio album, Born Losers, via Missing Piece/Pheromone Recordings. The album was recorded in Toronto by Thomas D'Arcy (Neko Case, The Sheepdogs) and mixed in Portland, OR by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Whitney, R.E.M.). To mark the release of Born Losers, Altameda has unveiled a new music video for their song "Sweet Susie," a soulful track about finding strength in times of trouble.

The video shows Altameda guitarist and vocalist, Troy Snaterse, walking through a scenic forest with rays of golden-hour sun casting through the trees. Shot in one take in the waning daylight, the music video could be considered emblematic to the album: sparse and simple yet technical in execution and effective in conveying the warm and melancholy feeling of living in the moment. Over the weekend, the band appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition to discuss the inspiration behind the album.

"The process of working with people remotely freed up a lot of time for us to explore and experiment with our own sounds and textures," explains Erik M. Grice. "Having the chance to take risks and not be afraid to fail turned out to be a really beautiful thing." Snaterse interjects "When you're in a band that's touring all the time, it's easy to get drawn toward the heavier, louder, rockier side of things because that's what you need to cut through the noise some nights. With just the two of us this time around and no performances for months, I felt like we could dig more into the nuances and dynamics and push ourselves to new heights creatively."

Where past Altameda records showcased the sound of a rock and roll band cutting loose live in the studio, Born Losers is an exercise in craftsmanship and restraint, one that relies on subtlety over brute force as it learns to let go and fully embrace the present. As Snaterse explains to NPR's Scott Simon, he wrote much of the lyrics during a tumultuous stretch in which he nearly lost his father to a stroke, only to lose his 18-year-old stepbrother just weeks later in a tragic accident. The resulting emotional upheaval permeates the music in ways both painful and transcendent, with raw, candid performances often arriving wrapped inside gorgeous, gently atmospheric arrangements.

Previous singles from Born Losers received praise from FLOOD, Quiet Down Magazine and Musical Survival Guide; the singles have also been featured on numerous playlists including Apple's Wax Eclectic and Spotify's Fresh Folk, Folk & Friends and Chill + Atmospheric. Under the Radar premiered the band's track "Wheel of Love," saying "the track finds the band reflecting on the constant passage of time, but where ["Dead Man's Suit"] meditated on mortality, here the band explores the titular wheel of love. Snaterse and Grice recall moments of fondly remembered joy, calling to mind vignettes with friends, family, and lovers and tracing them through the years. Meanwhile, keening pedal steel and gorgeous strings back the pair's nostalgic reverie, evoking the warmth and comfort of the song's treasured memories."

Altameda is Troy Snaterse (guitar, vocals) and Erik M. Grice (drums). Founded initially as a solo project for Snaterse, Altameda quickly garnered early acclaim with the release of their 2016 full-length debut, Dirty Rain. Altameda's ambitious 2019 sophomore effort, Time Hasn't Changed You, was met with continued praise on both sides of the Atlantic - the CBC's Grant Lawrence even proclaimed them "the best Canadian band I have heard in a while."

"My grandmother used to say, 'Don't go wishing your life away,'" Snaterse recalls. "I think what she meant is don't spend so much time thinking about the future that you miss out on appreciating everything that's happening in front of you right now. That's what we tried to do with this album."

Listen to the new album here:

Watch the new music video here:

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