Oh He Dead is an indie-soul band based in Washington, D.C. Not too long ago, they released a new single, “Artemis,” via Wally Baba Records. The song is lifted from their eagerly anticipated third studio album, “Ugly,” which is set to be released on August 23rd, 2024.
Oh He Dead – “Artemis” single
“My favorite song on the ‘Ugly’ album is ‘Artemis,’ of course,” stated Oh He Dead frontwoman CJ Johnson. “I heard the instrumental and immediately had this full body rush of like how much I love the moon, and how I feel about the moon. It was instantaneous – this is my love song to the moon. It is almost like a prayer. And yeah, I feel like I have a relationship with the moon, honestly, a lot of people I know feel like that. We all just have to take the time to stop and appreciate it from time to time, and I hope that this song helps people do that. I found out recently that my name is a nickname for Artemis, and Artemis is the Greek goddess of the moon. So that’s how I came up with the title.”
“Strange Love” Lyric Video
The “shadow-side” and follow-up to last year’s acclaimed Pretty, “Ugly” was first unveiled with the provocative first single, “Strange Love.” A blast of Technicolor on a wave of sultry synths, the track is told from the POV of a sex worker who has fallen in love with her john.
Audiotree Live (Full Session)
“Strange Love” – along with Ugly standouts “The Foreigner” and “Is It My Love,” an exclusive interview, and three additional fan favorites – is among the highlights of Oh He Dead’s recent Audiotree Live session. Filmed and recorded this spring in Chicago, IL, Audiotree declared the performance as “a firecracker explosion of euphoric pop, the likes of which you’ve never seen.”
Oh He Dead
The origins of Oh He Dead run deep, forged from the years-long relationship between frontwoman CJ Johnson and manager/collaborator Claire Newbegin which started when the latter taught Johnson in high school history and musical theater. “Whether as Rizzo in Grease or Maureen in Rent, she was just a forcefield,” Newbegin stated. “By the time she graduated, I’m pretty sure the whole school knew she was going to be a rock star of sorts.”
Oh He Dead rounded out over the ensuing years, adding Alex Salser (guitar), Adam Ashforth (drums), Piano Whitman (keys), John Daise (bass), and Colin Sidley (bass). The band officially broke through after recording the groovy “Lonely Sometimes” at Salser’s studio, The Lily Pad, located in a converted barn in the wilds of Virginia. After submitting the video to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, the track went viral, attracting fans far afield of their beloved DC. Their self-titled debut album followed that same year, introducing the band with several songs Johnson wrote while still in high school.
Oh He Dead
A suite of songs encompassing everything from death to new love, “Ugly” now acts as a kind of foil to the poppy, polished Pretty, more akin to what Johnson describes as “your insides – whatever you write in your journal at 4:00 a.m. Homemade, raw, acoustic, sexy and messy.”
Mixed and mastered by Jimmy Mansfield, the album was a true labor of love, recorded over late nights in Salser’s barn studio, where the band tweaked and twisted songs to their formidable will. “Ugly is not meant to be just sad,” CJ Johnson stated. “All the songs are about the beauty of the darkness that leads to more light.”
From the bombastic “Tell Me” (featuring The Honeynut Horns) and the slinky, ominous “Two Days” to the driving “Moonshine,” brassy, warm-hearted “Is It My Love,” and inner blues of the album-closing “Cover Me,” Ugly sees Oh He Dead visiting upon yin and yang, birth and death, beauty and ugliness, somehow straddling opposing worlds yet keeping its feet moving until gravity wins out.
Oh He Dead will celebrate the impending arrival of “Ugly” with a busy live schedule that includes shows alongside The Dip and a special hometown album release event set for Washington, DC’s The Atlantis on Friday, August 23rd. For complete details and ticket information, please visit ohhedead.com and buy tickets from Ticketmaster.com.
Oh He Dead – “Strange Love” single
We recommend adding Oh He Dead’s “Strange Love” single to your favorite alternative R&B playlist. We would love to hear your thoughts! Please comment below and let us know how this song made you feel. Remember, your feedback helps us bring you more of the music you love. As always, thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment. We’re your go-to source for new music and positive entertainment news. Remember, (P)ositive (E)nergy (A)lways (C)reates (E)levation—P.E.A.C.E.
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