Houston In The Blind Returns from Gloom with New Album “Hide The Glow”

After nearly a decade, Houston In The Blind has finally released their long-awaited album, "Hide The Glow." The creation of this album was a challenging journey marked by unexpected obstacles. Frontman Charlie Garrett endured the weight of heightened expectations, multiple relocations, and countless unproductive recording sessions, which ultimately led to feelings of depression and self-doubt. Despite these formidable challenges, Garrett persevered, transforming his experiences into a powerful body of work.

The album is the result of a journey of resilience and vulnerability, driven by the relentless pursuit of meaning. With poetic lyricism and raw honesty, Houston In The Blind invites us to explore the depths of their music.

Charlie Garret opens up to us about the journey that led them here. In this exclusive interview for RIVAL, we delve into the challenges, inspirations, and hopes that shape the emotions and melodies within the album. Join us as we discover the story behind the music, the band's evolution, what this new chapter means for them, and their vision for the future as we explore the depths of “Hide The Glow.”

Congratulations on the album. It's fantastic to finally listen to “Hide The Glow” after such a long wait - it's a powerful piece of work. Can you tell us a little bit about what fans can expect from this new chapter for the band?

Thank you! The hope and plan is to keep things moving forward. More shows, more new music, just staying active. 

What does it feel like for Houston In The Blind to finally release a new album after nine years? Is there a renewed sense of excitement or purpose?

For sure, also a bit of anxiety if I’m being honest. A lot has changed in 9 years, so navigating my way through this process can be tricky at times, especially as an independent artist. It wasn’t ideal to have so much time in between records, so I’m trying to put myself in a position where that doesn’t happen again! 

The album title "Hide The Glow" seems intriguing. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it and what it represents for the band?

Yeah, this has popped up a lot in conversation. It comes from a Dinah Washington song called This Bitter Earth. The original is beautiful, but at some point, a mashup was released of her vocal on top of Max Richter's composition, On The Nature of Daylight, and it’s incredible. I read that Robbie Robertson had some involvement in combining the two songs, which made me want to check it out. I turned it on during a walk and was immediately brought to tears. In the song there’s a line where she sings “And if my life is like the dust that hides the glow of a rose, what good am I?” That blew me away. It summed up so much of life to that point for me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had on-and-off struggles with sadness and depression. I had a real collapse when I moved to Los Angeles right after our first record was released. It was pretty rough for a while, but eventually, I got some help and was able to find a way forward. A lot of the songs on this record pull from that experience, so for me, it felt like the perfect title.

Musically, how does "Hide The Glow" compare to your previous work? Did you experiment with any new sounds or styles on this album?

I didn’t really come into the project with the intention of making it sound similar or different from the last record. We kind of approached each song individually. There are definitely sounds that tie it to the previous record, though. "Limbs" was such a bare-bones approach. We really didn’t have a lot of gear or instruments to choose from, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. That record was recorded in a small music venue, a garage, and a bedroom, and eventually, we did 2 days in a studio, but the majority was done on a small mobile rig. With Hide The Glow, all of it was tracked in recording studios. When I started the record with Gus Seyffert, in LA, he was really adamant that we try and capture a great performance of every song, preferably live, then build from there. We kept that same approach when the sessions shifted to Atlanta, with Kris Sampson. As far as experimentation goes, there’s way more on this record, mainly because we had more time to mess around in the studio.

The single "On A Wire" succeeds at transmitting uncertainty and hope. Can you tell us more about the creative process behind this song and why you chose it as the lead single?

Yeah, so I wrote that song not long after moving to Los Angeles. Uncertainty was kind of dominating my life. Our first record had just been released, and positive things were happening, but me relocating kind of threw a wrench into the whole thing. At the same time, I was trying to stay hopeful and positive. I had this fresh start in a new city, which I had always wanted. There were some new opportunities that came my way, but I felt very torn. I wrote the song from a really confused, desperate position. I could almost feel myself slipping away at times. That whole whirlwind experience influenced it, as well as looking back and second-guessing some decisions I made along the way. As far as choosing it to be the lead single. Everyone I shared the record with before it was released really gravitated towards that song, which made it a pretty easy decision. It’s one of 3 recorded with Gus. Bedouine’s backing vocals are incredible on the track. They add this haunting beauty that lifts the song into a really dreamy space.

What are your hopes for "Hide The Glow"? How do you want fans to connect with the album?

All I can hope for is that people hear it and feel something. If I can accomplish that for whoever listens to the record, that’s pretty fulfilling. As far as how they connect, I kind of want to give that to the listener to interpret or decide.  

The journey depicted in "Hide The Glow" is relatable to many artists. What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who might be facing similar challenges and periods of self-doubt?

That’s tough, I don’t know. Everyone’s journey is different. I think being vulnerable is a good thing, and seeking help if you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness. Self-doubt just seems to come and go, it feels like it’s a part of the deal. If you’re going to live a life as a creative, it’s going to exist in your world at times. I’m always reminding myself as to why I’ve chosen to do this. I haven’t found much else that I’m good at and ultimately, being creative fills a void that I’ve yet to find a replacement for. 

Finally, looking ahead, what's next for Houston In The Blind? Are there plans for touring or any upcoming projects you can share?

Yeah, I’m heading out west for a solo tour in August, then hopefully more East Coast shows in the fall. The plan is to get back in the studio towards the end of the year and start working on a new record, we’ll see!

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