CMJ Spotlight: Aunt Martha – Norway, ME

You may have heard us wax poetic about Aunt Martha before. They were our surprise favorite at Bonnaroo this year (Kenzie and I rearranged our entire Sunday on a whim to catch their set after hearing a single track a few days before arriving in Manchester), and since then, I’ve immersed myself in their music, keeping their Blood Shot EP in constant rotation, then adding their new album, Norway, ME, when it was released in September.

We have photographed and interviewed them, and still we want more. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to catch a live Aunt Martha performance, then this won’t come as any surprise to you – they are amazing.

Let’s talk about their new record for a moment. From the opening strains of “Starter” to the first line in “Fifteen Countries” (I keep trying to tell you that I feel like I am losing my mind) to the sweet signature harmonies in “Harlem” and all of the nearly six minutes of beautiful meandering in “Nassau,” Norway, ME is pitch perfect. The album is full of stark lyrics, breathtakingly perfect instrumentation, and absolutely captivating narrative elements. “Blue Buildings” stands out as my favorite single track on the album, but “Nassau” and “Mattress (Nassau Part II)” are my favorite moments overall, demanding as titled to be experienced consecutively – only then will the listener understand them. This record is spare, reverent, and lovely in ways that heretofore I have only seen Bon Iver accomplish. Eat your heart out, Justin Vernon; Norway, ME is a revelation.

Aunt Martha – Blue Buildings

We are fairly convinced that front man Tim Noyes is completely brilliant. Earlier this year, he set off for Norway, Maine, with an old lap top, a microphone, and guitar, to spend 4 days in solitude recording and mixing the entire album.

We recently caught up with Tim, and asked him to reflect on the events of the year, especially the process of recording Norway, ME. What he told us is essentially the universal story of a band who is learning what it’s like to be successful, but with a subtle twist; he is maintaining a brilliant command of the band’s path, ensuring organic growth and success on his own terms:

2011 has been a wild year for Aunt Martha. It’s been our first full year as a band without day jobs, and we’ve experienced highs and lows that I never could have imagined when we first started playing together three years ago. We released an album and an EP, toured with great bands, and played Bonnaroo. That’s amazing to me. We’ve spent thousands of hours together. We’ve seen our van break down a half dozen times and lived more or less like homeless people. It’s been wild and completely worth it.

The recording of Norway, ME was a particular high point for me personally. I think it’s really easy, especially at this level, to see your work twisted and shaped to fit some particular mold. Norway, ME was written in a few days in Brooklyn, and I recorded and mixed all the songs over the course of a week at my house in Maine. Those songs are so personal to me, and I’m really happy and proud of the final product. And to give it away through our website and see the support from our fans and friends, it’s been a great experience.

Have a look at the making of Norway, ME:

And the video for “Starter”:

Norway, ME is available to download free, here. The extended version is out everywhere, October 18th, and can be had for a mere $5. Lucky NYC area folks can see Aunt Martha live at the HMG / Fleming Artists Road Show showcase at CMJ. The showcase is at Rockwood Music Hall and is free. Doors are at 5pm but get there early, because it is guaranteed to be packed.