MEMBERS OF FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS AND MORE GUEST ON NEW SINGLE FROM THE DAVENPORTS
MOTHER WEST RECORDS
With an all-star lineup of indie pop royalty, The Davenports have released their new single, “The Annabellas Of The World”. Taken from the forthcoming album, You Could’ve Just Said That, the tune finds The Davenports’ songwriter and frontman Scott Klass, joined by longtime collaborators Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Danny Weinkauf (They Might Be Giants), Philip Price (Winterpills), and more.
“The Annabellas Of The World” stands out as the lone song recorded with a full band and in a studio outside of Klass’ home. The single was co-produced by Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, Bones of J.R. Jones), and the album will be released on Newman’s Mother West Records on January 31, 2025.
Like the album title itself, Klass was inspired to title this song after a ubiquitous phrase (“The someones of the world”) that everyone seems to use in conversation, but hasn’t popped up as a refrain.
Formed in 2000, The Davenports are well known for “Five Steps”, the theme song for A&E’s long-running, Emmy-nominated series Intervention. While Klass has remained the sole constant at the heart of the rotating Davenports collective, and in addition to the guest stars appearing on “The Annabellas Of The World”, participants have included Dan Miller (They Might Be Giants), Claudia Chopek (Father John Misty, Bright Eyes), Eleanor Norton (Beyoncé, Adele, Natalie Merchant), Tommy Borscheid (Honeydogs, Rhett Miller), Erik Philbrook, Rob Draghi, and Cheri Leone. Earning consistent critical acclaim for catchy yet nuanced songcraft and smart narrative lyricism, Klass’ music has drawn comparisons to Weezer, Ben Folds, and Fountains of Wayne (Klass also plays alongside FoW frontman Chris Collingwood, and Philip Price of The Winterpills in Look Park).
You Could’ve Just Said That is the first Davenports album self-recorded at home, with Klass handling nearly every part alongside a few special guests, including his son Matthew, who played all guitar solos. The result is charmingly unfiltered, moment-in-time expressions without third-party interpretations or expectations. Learning recording software as he went, Klass captured musical and lyrical notions right as they coalesced in his mind, free of the scheduled time constraints of commercial studios.
“This whole project came directly from my brain to my hands, right onto tape,” Klass states. “It’s more authentic and cohesive than almost anything I’ve ever done.”
While the songs aren’t always directly autobiographical, You Could’ve Just Said That is the most intimate Davenports album to date, a record that embroiders a time-honoured pop template tracing back to The Beatles, Jackson Browne, and Crowded House, heavy on melody and harmony, with layers of perception and reflection that peel back over several listens. Beneath the surface-level immediacy of ostensibly simple songwriting is a cultured, emotional, and musical intricacy that lends You Could’ve Just Said That rare depth and longevity. Add in its uniquely homespun production, and you’re left with a delightful anomaly in an era of multi-writer, multi-producer, pristine pop.
The Davenports
[Single]
(Mother West Records)
Release Date: November 15, 2024
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Photo Credit: Marc Lucas
