Exclusive track premiere of ‘Running Thoughts’ by Sea Dramas, taken from the upcoming album ‘Escape Scenes,’ out February 2 via Royal Oakie Records on CD/cassette/digital.

Sometimes thoughts are enough to make them real, a new single with music video by Sea Dramas is premiering today. ‘Escape Scenes’ is the new album by Sea Dramas, the San Francisco Bay Area based music project led by Scott Pettersen. Originally started by Pettersen as a home recording project, Sea Dramas grew to become a full band, until 2020 changed everything and sent Pettersen back to the solace of his home studio where it all began.

‘Escape Scenes’ explores the liminal space of 2020-2021, reflecting Pettersen’s experience as life turned inward and time blurred. The San Francisco Bay Area was the first metro area in the US to go into lockdown, amongst the days and nights of isolation there was ample time to reflect and to experiment. The common thread running through the songs is the concept of time itself, the changing of seasons, and the way time began to blur for all of us at that time.

Influenced by library music, dream pop, folk, and 60’s pop, Pettersen took the opportunity to start fresh and experiment with a new palette of sounds, nothing too drastic but enough to further the plot. In the absence of a drummer, there are drum samples cut to pieces and arranged to fit, less weight on string arrangements and vocal harmonies, and more electric instruments added to the mix.

Amidst all the isolation, Pettersen still managed to connect with a handful of collaborators who added their touches to the songs. Former bandmate David Brandt added percussion and bowed cymbals on ‘Daybreak,’ while Sara Mohan played violin and sang backing vocals, and David Glasebrook (Sandy’s, Credit Electric, Sam Burton) mixed & mastered the album at his studio in Oakland, CA.

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Royal Oakie Records Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter