Rui Gabriel steps up to the pulpit on 'Church of Nashville'
RUI GABRIEL
SHARES 'CHURCH OF NASHVILLE'
https://youtu.be/-ASLvVISo94
Today, the Venezuelan-born, Indiana-based songwriter Rui Gabriel releases his new single/lyric video “Church of Nashville,” off of his Carpark Records debut album, Compassion, out 21st June. Following the tense and lackadaisical lead single “Target” and the "sunny, jangly earworm”, “Summertime Tiger,”“Church of Nashville” humorously takes aim at local music scene pretension and industry gatekeeping.
Initially written in mid-2018, “Church of Nashville” takes inspiration from a friend of Gabriel’s — who grew up in Nashville — that once vented about how tough it was to be taken seriously as a musician in the city because it fell outside of a “industry of cool,” and the way it ultimately impacted their self-esteem. “I have nothing against Nashville and the lyrics are mostly supposed to be a character assassination of a certain type of person one can always find in a mid-sized to large metro area,” Gabriel elaborates. “There is a bit of myself in there too, especially as a transplant to New Orleans who grew up fairly privileged and decided to try out as a musician.” The track had three different recorded versions with modified lyrics, before Gabriel decided to add electronic elements and focus on atmospherics, and features a sample from the Venezuelan presidential crisis protest of the last half-decade.
Listen to 'Church of Nashville' here
Rui Gabriel’s journey to become one of indie rock's most vibrant and perceptive voices is certainly unconventional. Born in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, Gabriel had always wanted to be in a band. After attending high school in Nicaragua, he ended up in New Orleans for college. After writing songs with his band Yuppie Teeth, he formed Lawn with Mac Folger and Nicholas Corson in 2016 and released three albums – 2018’s Blood on the Tracks, 2020’s Johnny, and 2022’s Bigger Sprout – receiving raves from the likes of Stereogum, VICE, and Bandcamp. And while that band finds the sweet spot between sing-a-long power pop and bracing post-punk, Gabriel’s solo debut Compassion uses a lighter palate that combines ethereal pop with ‘80s synth textures, and slacker-rock charm. The LP is a testament to growing up and Gabriel’s disarming lyrical sensibility.
The inviting and perceptive songs on Compassion all tackle growing up, and how the older you get, your priorities shift, friendships evolve, and responsibilities become inescapable. For Gabriel, the changes in his own life, primary among them becoming a father, inspired him to write a solo full-length that sounds like nothing the indie rock journeyman has done before. Across 10 vibrant tracks that combine ethereal pop with slacker-rock and piano-driven dance music, it’s a galvanizing showcase of personal growth and the grace you give yourself to push forward.
Compassion is a reflection of Gabriel’s playful and inviting songwriting but it’s also a collaborative masterclass. Alongside Corson, Gabriel is joined by The Convenience and Video Age’s Duncan Troast, Kate Teague, Stef Chura, and Lawn’s Mac Folger. To Gabriel, the LP is an undeniable document of personal growth. “Compassion is me saying goodbye to the mentality that I had before and hello to becoming an adult,” he says.
Tracklist
1. Dreamy Boys
2. Target
3. Church of Nashville
4. Hunting Knife
5. Summertime Tiger
6. If You Want It
7. Change Your Mind
8. Eyes Only
9. End Of My Rope
10. Money
