by Colin Smith (@juul_osco)
Fast Preacher released the single “Stick Together” earlier this summer, a track that opened with Macie Stewart of Ohmme playing the violin hauntingly while the thud of a bass line slunk down lower and lower. The song happened to coincide with protests erupting across the country against police brutality, and now the message from Fast Preacher’s first release in four years is as relevant as ever: “When shit hits the fan, are you going to say something?” Dan Hanson wrote on his Instagram, reflecting on the origin of the song during this political moment.
When Hanson is not co-fronting Chicago soul band Fat Night, he finds himself in the studio. As a result of his constant tinkering and experimentation, he has been releasing songs and EPs since 2012. Now we bring you Fast Preacher’s second single of the year, “Figure It Out,” which also serves as an announcement that Fast Preacher will be releasing an EP later this year of the same name.
Compared to Hanson’s previous Bandcamp releases, his upcoming EP Figure It Out is more sonically ambitious and more aesthetically cohesive. “Figure It Out” gives us a taste of the record, which shows a more laid back side of the the studio wizard. Here Hanson beckons the likes of Cass McCombs with a more languid style of songwriting, which he leads with his hypnotic guitar picking. It’s a song easy to get lost in, but the warbling keyboard in the background still shows Fast Preacher’s always writing music with a psychedelic edge.
Listen to “Figure It Out” below, and look forward to the rest of the EP later in the year.