Kevin Bronson on June 6th, 2023

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The new single “Vanity” really puts the majesty in Drab Majesty.

The doomy track — with its refrain “If the valve breaks / then the earth quakes / and history finds a way / to put you in your place” — features Rachel Goswell of dream-pop/shoegaze pioneers Slowdive. It’s the first song on Drab Majesty’s new EP, “An Object in Motion” (out Aug. 25 on Dais Records) and the duo’s first original since their 2019 full-length, “Modern Mirror.”

“As a longtime listener and devotee of Slowdive, a band that literally shaped my DNA as a listener and musician, it was truly humbling to have Rachel offer her iconic vocal stylings to this song,” Drab Majesty’s Deb Demure says. “Her voice is a sonic treasure and unmistakable. I’m infinitely grateful to call her a friend and am still pinching myself wondering — how did we get here?”

Says Gowell: “It’s no secret that I am a long time Drab Majesty fan, so when Deb asked me some years ago now if I would be interested in collaborating it was an immediate yes. Honored to give my voice to ‘Vanity.’”

In the EP announcement, the genesis of the four-track release was described this way:

Written during a 2021 retreat to the remote coastal Oregon town of Yachats, Deb Demure leaned into the neo-psychedelic resonance of a uniquely bowl-shaped 12-string Ovation acoustic/electric guitar. After early morning hikes in the rain, Deb would record ambient guitar experiments the rest of the day, tapping into “flow states,” letting the sound lead the way.

Other collaborations on the release include Justin Meldal-Johnson (Beck, M83, Air), and Ben Greenberg (Uniform, Circular Ruin Studio).

||| Stream: “Vanity”

||| Previously: “Long Division,” “Too Soon to Tell”