New York-based band Constant Smiles will release their new album, Moonflowers, on November 7 on Felte. The ambient pop expressed across its 10 tracks are rooted in a sense of continual movement, of amorphous identity and adaptation. Featuring guest spots from Fred Thomas, Katie von Schleicher, Shahzad Ismaily, Steven R. Smith, P.G. Six, and others, the record is a testament to inspired collaboration, a window into the band’s ability to accept and incorporate various influences into their genre-fluid compositions.
“Time Measured in Moonflowers” is our first glimpse into the intimate and gauzy mechanics of the album, and it brings Cassandra Jenkins into their looping orbit. The song is adrift in shimmering guitar lines and woozy atmospherics, a hypnogogic wonder that’ll linger in your head for days. Simultaneously weightless and anchored by countless emotional king tides, the track immerses you in its gossamer folds, enveloping your senses and offering sanctuary as its sounds slowly descend into your subconscious.
The accompanying video was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s film The Wind Rises. Band founder Ben Jones explains: “I became obsessed with ‘The Wind Rises’ by Hayao Miyazaki and would watch it constantly. Unlike his other films, this one felt much more direct, beautiful and meditative, but it took me a while to fully understand it. I was fascinated, so I kept coming back to it. The song grew out of that experience, built around the idea of riding inspiration when it comes, like the wind, letting it arrive naturally, take flight, and guide you.
It’s also about how time slips through your fingers, how life moves like the wind, and the importance of appreciating it while you can. I was deeply inspired by the people around me, which is why I wanted to include so many of them on the track, people who have truly shaped me.“
He continues: “Cassandra’s music was a big influence on this record, so having her sing on it made perfect sense. I’ve looked up to P.G. Six since high school when I saw him perform for the first time it genuinely changed my path. Steven R. Smith has long been an inspiration, and I even had the chance to release one of his records on my own small label. Collaborators like Jen, Shahzad, Leon, and Adam Lipsky have all taught me so much.
Katie von Schleicher’s ‘Nowhere’ was also a huge influence, especially the middle section where the song crumbles to pieces. That moment, combined with the image of a plane lifting off, like an idea taking flight, inspired the extended middle section of this song: a feeling of soaring through the process of writing, not knowing where it’s headed, and finally landing somewhere new. The whole piece is about building something, seeing it take off, and feeling that mix of adrenaline and relief when you land it.“
Watch the video below.
Moonflowers:
1. Introduction (Song for Geoff)
2. Leave It At Why
3. Allowed To Be
4. Everything Is Personal
5. Harriman
6. In Place of Time
7. When You’re Gone
8. Run Out On Life
9. I Know Your Name
10. Time Measured In Moonflowers (feat. Cassandra Jenkins)
Moonflowers is due out November 7 on Felte. You can pre-order the album here. Follow the band on Instagram.
