New Sounds are pleased to announce that Verso Studios will unveil its debut release Verso Records: Volume One on Saturday, June 3, 2023. It will be released on digital platforms, although fans hoping for something more physical can find bright yellow, limited edition vinyl on the link at the bottom of the page.
The album holds 12 songs which were cut at The Westport Library’s Verso Studios. One of the tracks, “Cowboy”, was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Peter Katis (New Sounds readers may know him for his work with The National), while MIGHTYMOONCHEW with “Jus Bcuz”, also features.
Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummer Chris Frantz wrote the album’s liner notes. “I feel so proud to live in a community that supports a library that, in turn, celebrates its local emerging and established musicians,” Frantz reports. “Continuing its legacy in cultural innovation, The Westport Library has become the first public library ever to record, produce and release a vinyl album, and it’s really cool!”
Coinciding with the release of the album, a record release party will be held at 7 pm in the Trefz Forum on June 3. Five of the bands who played on the album will perform at the concert.
The Westport Library, located in southwest Connecticut, is considered to be one of the most innovative libraries in the USA. It was awarded five stars in the Public Library Service’s 2022 Library Journal Index. One of the most noteworthy aspects of the library is the inclusion of Verso Studios, which has hosted such luminaries as Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper Group) and U2 mainstay Steve Lillywhite. The Westport Library also hosts VersoFest, which is a festival that occurs every year.
The album can be pre-ordered in the following link, allowing listeners the chance to savour the music in physical form: https://versorecords.westportlibrary.org/.
