Matt Clark: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric rhythm guitar, resonator guitar, Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic piano, Mellotron samples
&
Stephen "The Kid" Howard: electric lead guitar, bass, Fender Bass VI, Multivox pedal synthesizer, drums

Recorded and Mixed by Mark Greenberg at The Wilco Loft
Mastered by Todd Rittmann at The Shy Diamond
Chicago, Summer, 2022

OTHERPEACE is the new-ish nom-de-chanson of Matt Clark, the Chicago-based singer-songwriter and guitar player. He spent his formative years in Joan of Arc, and was a founding member of Pinebender, White/Light, Love of Everything, and Ambulette; he is also a longtime musical contributor to This American Life. He has collaborated with Kim Gordon, Leroy Bach, Disappears, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe/Lichens, and Rhys Chatham's Crimson Grail, and performed at The Cartier Foundation Paris, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Lincoln Center, Oprah, and Lollapalooza. Clark has received* two Grammys.

Lose Your Illusion I (For L.A.) features contributions throughout from Clark's old friend & longtime collaborator/bandmate/fuzz aficionado Stephen "The Kid" Howard (Pinebender, Mike Lust, James McCartney, Blue Man Group). Deftly recorded and mixed by Mark Greenberg in Chicago at the Wilco Loft. A follow-up E.P., Lose Your Illusion II (For L.A.) will come out... later.

*His old roommate won them, and Clark signed for the delivery. RECEIVED. TWO. GRAMMYS.

--
Bob Mehr (NYT bestselling author, 'Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements' and Grammy winner, 'Dead Man's Pop' liner notes writer) on the OTHERPEACE LP "Capitalism Blues" via Instagram, 4/9/22:

A CONFESSION: This is a picture of me, caught by my wife, singing along (poorly) to my favorite new record.

Honestly, not a lot of new music has moved me lately. Probably a byproduct of the pandemic, which has had me craving familiar comforts (“Hello L.A.M.F., my old friend”). But a few months back I got an advance of the best thing I’ve heard, and been moved by, in ages: an album called “Capitalism Blues” by OTHERPEACE, the new project from Matt Clark.

Some of you–esp. Chicago folks–will know Matt as a guitarist (White/Light, Pinebender), a member of Joan of Arc, a musical contributor to “This American Life,” a collaborator with Kim Gordon. Despite what the indie-art punk-noise resume suggests, Matt went and made a roots record (for lack of a better term).

"Capitalism Blues" was cut at the Wilco Loft with Clark's longtime foil, Stephen “The Kid” Howard, as well as ace players from Wandering Boys, NRBQ, Electric Hawk, and was recorded & mixed by the great Mark Greenberg.

Not sure if Matt will agree–what are records if not Rorschach tests for those listening–but “Capitalism Blues” sounds like it could be part of Neil Young’s Ditch Trilogy (a Quadrilogy?). Or what it would’ve sounded like if Warren Zevon had made a country record between his Imperial album and his Asylum debut.

It’s got some of that cosmic-narcotic-pastoral quality of Smog and Bonnie Prince Billy, but there’s something pure in how the record moves and plays. It has the feel of a certain kind of cinema: scripted by Rudy Wurlitzer, directed by Monte Hellman, with Matt as Warren Oates, sitting under a tree pondering fate: “I had both kinds of trouble yesterday/I didn’t choose existence, but I chose harm’s way."

The lyrics are funny, desperate, brooding and beautiful-with killer opening lines: “We were raised in the land of over-thinking/A piece of coastline and a whole lot of drinking/Always too hot, always too cold/Buying copper to sell as gold."

No point in me going on. I am confident you’ll get it once you listen.* “Capitalism Blues” by OTHERPEACE is available now on Bandcamp (link in bio).

*This record comes with the Bob Mehr Guarantee®: You'll enjoy it or you can pound sand."