News

Juliette Lewis New Album & Tour Dates

• 3rd Aug 2009

After five years, two full length albums, and countless high profile tours and festivals – well known Hollywood actress and singer Juliette Lewis is ready to unveil her new album Terra Incognita. Scheduled for release on August 31, Juliette has recently signed new deals with record labels The End (for the USA) and Roadrunner Records (for the rest of the world).

With an exciting new sound and a significantly diverse collection of songs, Juliette Lewis has formed a different band lineup to capture her new groove. Instrumental in creating the sound for this new record is the album’s Grammy award winning producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, leader of Mars Volta.

“Because this album is so sonically different than anything I've done before and captures many flavors of my emotional life and voice, it needed an entirely new name,” declares Lewis. “Terra Incognita means unknown territory – and that’s where I wanted to go musically. The guitars are more wild and atmospheric. The groove is dark and deep and allow for a lot of sonic contrasts. It took me five years to really cut my teeth both as a performer and as a songwriter and I wanted to break all the habits I'd gotten used to and let songs develop out of a groove or simple piano notes and melody. In Omar I found a producer who understood all these facets and who could really unearth and interpret this musical identity. He blows my mind on many levels. It's been a truly liberating and radical experience.”

“Everything she's feeling, it's just right there for you,” said Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of the recording. “It's just honest. It's her. All the music encapsulates her and it's driven by her, and it's made for her.”

Juliette and Omar met while on tour at 2007’s Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and soon bonded over their love of Fellini movies and the relationship between drama, visual images, and songwriting. Together they have translated her ideas into an emotionally guttural and ultimately melodic and unpredictable, new sound. There is a deep undercurrent on the entire record of contrasting themes; romance and tragedy, dreams and disillusionment. Her vocal performances showcase a remarkably dynamic range from haunting to soulful and roaring.

Lewis wrote most of the 11 tracks with long time friend and musician Chris Watson over the past year and at home on piano using a tape recorder. The album was recorded at Rodriguez-Lopez's studio in Brooklyn, NY and Guadalajara, Mexico and mixed by the legendary Rich Cosey (NIN, Muse, Foo Fighters, Franz Ferdinand).

Juliette will tour the USA with The Pretenders and Cat Power in August, returning to the UK in October for the following shows:
Wed 21 – Glasgow Garage
Thu 22 – Manchester Academy 2
Fri 23 – London Shepherds Bush Empire
Sat 24 – Bristol Anson Rooms
Sun 25 – Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms.