April March sings Kelley Stoltz EP due for Record Store Day

The 4-song April March Sings Kelley Stoltz 12" EP is being released by Agitated Records on April 20th. Read all about it!

April March Sings Kelley Stoltz EP

Four special tracks recorded by April March and Kelley Stoltz, whereby April sings Kelley Stotlz songs in french, and vice versa, a one-off meeting of underground pop legends, and overground garage rock royalty. Mixed & masterd by Warren DeFever at Third Man, issued with two different bagette-enhanced sleeves, and two different colour vinyl options. Blue and Red. Ooh La La! C'est Magnifique!

April March: "I was in Nashville with Olivia Jean on a little break from shooting our "Allons Y" video at Third Man. I got in her car and she cranked up her playlist. Out jumped "Double Exposure". I went bananas right there in the passenger seat. "Kelley Stokes!", she smiled wide. It reminded me of something I'd heard in a dream. I went around singing songs from "Double Exposure" for a few weeks zeroing in on "Are You My Love" and "Your Face". I thought to myself cover-wise there's nothing to add here, they're perfect as is but maybe some French versions would be a kick so I asked for an intro. A few months later I was in San Francisco kicking out the Bonne Mamans with Kelley in his studio. Lucky me and thanks to Agitated Records lucky you too." 

Kelley Stoltz: “Like almost everyone in the world I was dazzled by April March's take on "Chick Habit" back in the late 90s. It was such an up feeling and joyful sound in the music and vocals. At odds with the manly wails and bleak outlooks that were standard song fare of those days. You can develop a crush on the voice in your speakers, you know! I did anyway. I was so pleased to hear from her in person and out of the blue, years later, and find out she wanted to do her own versions of my songs. I soon got to re-recording the music bits, and as she asked, stayed pretty true to their original form… maybe even improving on them just a tad. She appeared at my door one day and we instantly hit it off and laughed and sang and climbed on an elliptical machine. We did some recording and then took a walk and ate tacos. She even gave my daughter her first book. We're just friends, but I'll always have that crush when I hear her voice! I hope you enjoy April March Sings Kelley Stoltz as much as I did working on them.”

Tracks: "Es-Tu Mon Amour," "Ton Visage," "Are You My Love," "Your Face"

You can also pre-order a copy of Kelley Stoltz's forthcoming La Fleur album (out June 7th) right here. 

Kelley Stoltz takes a spin around Manchester in Reni's Car

You don't really need to be a Stone Roses fan to enjoy "Reni's Car" by Kelley Stoltz... but it couldn't hurt. 

Here's the scoop from Kelley...

"For your pleasure here is a new song "Reni's Car" about the time I found myself in Reni from the Stone Roses car driving around Manchester a few years ago… it's a blur of fact and fiction… it did happen but I wasn't driving.  This song was written with my jangle master pal Fred Barnes!   This will be on the new album "La Fleur" which will be released June 7th, 2024 by Agitated Records in UK/Europe and Dandy Boy Records in North America! 

"A record release show is June 13th at The Chapel in SF and some UK and Norway tour dates to follow… plus a BBC6 session for Marc Riley BBC 6 music and Gideon Coe." - KS

You can pre-order a copy of Kelley Stoltz's new album La Fleur via Bandcamp right here. 

Watch the video for "Reni's Car" below. 

La Fleur by Kelley Stoltz

Between outside musical projects, pushing past 50 years old and becoming a father for the first time, San Francisco psych-pop legend Kelley Stoltz has spent the past two years steadily writing and recording his 18th album, “La Fleur”. The dazzling 12 song collection will be released in June by Agitated in Europe/UK and Dandy Boy Records in the USA. 

“La Fleur'' finds Stoltz once again playing nearly all of the instruments on the album- though a new friendship with pop guru Jason Falkner has led to Falkner appearing on two songs, “Hide In A Song” and “Make Believer” respectively. There’s the requisite 60’s meets 80’s pop rock confections that Stoltz favors with a new focus on out front vocals and perhaps a bit shinier production. Pandemic era blues, politics and fatherhood are lyrical touchstones throughout. 

The album’s first single “Reni’s Car” is the jangle rock lead single based on an actual event of Kelley riding around Manchester in the Stone Roses drummer's car. The accompanying music video was shot (partially) on location. “About Time” marries Twin Peaks synths to Fleetwood Mac and Avalon era Roxy Music in a cautionary tale to Stoltz's young daughter. “Human Events” puts revolutionary prose to a Moody Blues strum that floats off into Osees territory …and do I hear a nod to Gershwin in there? 

During the 2010’s Kelley played live as a sideman with Rodriguez and Echo & the Bunnymen, as the 2020’s dawned he was invited to support Pavement on their big reunion tour. He’s also been heard playing drums live with Robyn Hitchcock as well as adding sitar to Hitchcock's last two albums. In 2022, Stoltz was championed with a live appearance on Marc Riley’s BBC6 show. As producer, he has recorded the new album by Brigid Dawson formerly of the Ohsees. 

In my ears, Stoltz rarely does any wrong, and these comparisons are only just that little fruit to get you curious- he is still one of a kind. An under the radar hero to a few, and still after all these great songs, deserving of more. Climb on the bandwagon - as ever it’s quite pleasing here. 

- GEORGE CLOUD San Francisco, CA 2024