S.Lo on June 13th, 2019

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Self-proclaimed “eternal softie” A.O. Gerber sings in half-swoon on her latest single, “We were strangers for all of those years / Now we’re strangers of a different kind, my dear / So did you love me or just the idea?”

The first single since her self-produced 2016 EP, “Fathers,” “Strangers” was written, arranged and produced by Gerber while on vocals, electric guitar and synth duties, while Madison Megna (lead guitar, bass), Alex Onate (drums), Sasami Ashworth (French horn), Noah Weinman (trumpet) and Marina Allen (background vocals) helped her fill in the outlines of existential relationship crises with lush colors. The dreamy track was engineered by Phil Hartunian and Kenny Tye, with additions by Gerber, mixed by Patrick Jones and mastered by Gus Elg. 

Oakland-based Madeline Kenney, who produced, directed and edited the lounge-y, rambutan-flecked video for “Strangers,” is also co-producing the upcoming album with Gerber, who gushed heartfelt thanks in a recent post: “This track is a special one to me for a bunch of reasons, but one big one is how representative the recording is of the musical family I feel so lucky to have built here in L.A., a city I was sure I’d hate and feel completely alone in. Thank you to the sweet angels who lent their sweetness to it. … I’m so grateful to each and every one of these humans who have been so generous with their time and energy it’s actually unfathomable. Grateful even more for the weirdo magic serendipity of life that has brought you all into mine.”

Music lovers and strangers can share in Gerber’s cup of gratitude at her upcoming residency at the Bootleg Theater in August. 

||| Watch: The video for “Strangers”

||| Also: Stream “Strangers”

||| Live: Ahead of her August residency at the Bootleg, A.O. Gerber will open for Adam Levy & Anna Vogelzang’s residency there on June 24 (tickets) with Sara Watkins and Abby Litman. She will also open for Johanna Samuels at the Moroccan Lounge on July 5 (tickets) with KERA and Cape Weather.

||| Previously: Echo Park Rising 2018 (Day 1)