After a busy year on the road playing some of his biggest gigs yet, Weir has just released his sophomore solo EP "Ithaca". On Ithaca, Weir continues to define his unique “voice” in an ever-expanding music landscape while simultaneously refining his production style. With a greater emphasis on sound design, the incorporation of personally-gathered field recordings, and intentionally designed creative visual content to match, Ithaca possesses an affecting and cinematic quality that progressively guides the listener through a mythical and otherworldly journey. We sat down with Weir to chat about his inspiration behind the EP, the visual story of Ithaca and so much more - Check out the interview below.
Thank you! It feels surreal to finally have this project out in the wild - I started writing the EP back in Fall of 2021 & it has been quite the process; All very worthwhile and I am super proud of how it all came together. As far as celebrations go, the day after the release, I got to play my third Syndicate party in Salt Lake City; Kicked things off for Dreamer’s Delight & The Sponges + got to rip a proper afterparty with Simba Sax and some other homies in SLC. Couldn’t have asked for a better release weekend.
Honestly, huge shoutout to Mellisan – He is the mastermind behind the whole visual side of this project. He has been a close friend for a number of years and is responsible for almost every piece of visual art related to my music since I started the Weir project. Matt is a creative powerhouse and I am very blessed to work with him & have him as a friend.
I knew this project was more of a world than just a simple view or frame - We wanted the artwork to reflect the journey-feeling of the EP, with each track & associated artwork bringing you deeper into the expansive world of Ithaca. Mellisan did a wonderful job of bringing this project to life through his renders and I feel as though we both cracked into new, beautiful ground as both artists and collaborators – Really excited to continue working & growing with Mellisan.
It’s hard to pick given they all serve such specific & unique purposes, but if I had to, it would have to be “Ender”. Prior to this track, I had never really written any ambient music so it was a really fun experiment – I included several of my own field recordings from the past few years, sampled the bell outside my parents house in Santa Fe and even recorded my own voice (which you can hear in the latter half of the song). To top it all off, Tanner Fruit (saxophonist) absolutely killed it and breathed so much emotion into the track – I listen to “Ender” regularly as a way to calm my mind and wind down and my hope is that this track, and the EP as a whole, can provide similar relief for those who take the time to listen.
I have been developing my live set for a few months now and we actually just filmed a video to showcase my new performance style - Although I still love DJ-ing and will continue to perform on decks every now and then, I see this new format as a crucial step in the Weir evolution and I am stoked to take it on the road later this year. The set will premiere on my YouTube on June 21st 7PM MST. Beyond that, tons more music, mixes and shows on the way.
Listen to Weir’s EP “Ithaca” Here
Keep Up With Weir – Instagram // Spotify
