Based in Chicago, James Weir is a multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and composer best known for his work in NE-HI and Spun Out. He has unearthed his new project, Blue Earth Sound, marking a shift from the post-punk and synth-driven energy of his earlier bands toward something more reflective and expansive. The project came out of a period of soul-searching, as Weir sought a musical outlet that reflected where he is in life today, while also pushing his songwriting skills forward. Rather than drawing from the music that inspired him in his teens, he was compelled to create something that reflected his experiences in his 20s and 30s.
He shares:
“My earlier bands were inspired by what I fell in love with between 16–21. Subconsciously, a lot of the writing was about energy, angst, and partying. I wanted to make music inspired by life experiences and the music I fell in love with in my late 20s and early 30s—70s Chicago jazz and soul, Talk Talk, Japanese jazz, and Italian soundtrack composers like Stefano Torossi.”
The result is Cicero Nights, the debut album from Blue Earth Sound, out on September 12th through Root Records. Cicero Nights began when Weir bought a piano and started writing in his basement in Humboldt Park. “After I bought a piano and put it in my basement in Humboldt Park, it turned out my neighbour Patch Romanowski was a drummer,” he explains. “We developed this chemistry and would play in the basement together. That gave me a big step forward with my relationship to writing on the piano.”
Recorded at the International Anthem studio space in Chicago, with in-house engineer Dave Vettraino, Cicero Nights features a group of collaborators including drummer Patch Romanowski, Resavoir’s Will Miller on trumpet, flautist Eamonn Pritzy, and longtime collaborator Michael Wells.
Alongside the album announcement, Blue Earth Sound has shared the opening track ‘Mariposa’, which serves as a sublime introduction to the album. Speaking about the track, Weir says:
“The song was inspired by my hometown in Minnesota and dedicated to my wife, Morgan. I pictured a colorful butterfly floating over a beige cornfield—like how the flute and trumpet float over the arrangement. The moment Will came in and improvised trumpet over it, I knew we had a beautiful, melancholic track that felt like the most important on the album to me.”
Listen to ‘Mariposa’ now.
