Unmistakable voice, unmistakably the sound of his songs: On January 11, 2022, Colton Avery released his new single “Salt Lake City”. A song that is just the beginning, as Colton exclusively tells me. Ten years after “Waves” his second album is to be released.
At the end of July 2021, Colton took a break from social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. “I’ll be back with new music, new videos, and hopefully a new album”, he wrote before reporting back in September.
“I can not stress enough how wonderful that time has been”, Colton looks back on his social media abstinence in an interview with me. “I think these days we are so far removed from everything ‚human‘ that to gain the perspective and time was such a blessing.” Time that he invested to work on his new music. “Yes, there will be an album”, he tells me. Ten songs or “possibly more” should be included on it.
Colton Avery’s new album: “It all sort of began with ‘What Is It About The Night’”
“I’ve been working on this record on and off since right after the ‚No Sound Without Silence‘-tour”, Colton tells me and adds, “so technically like seven years.” In 2015, Colton toured with the Irish hit band “The Script” (Hall Of Fame, Breakeven) as the opening act. Since then, he has released many individual songs, such as “Beg, Steal, Borrow” (2016), “Religion” (2017) or “Colorblind” (2020).
In the seven years since the tour, however, an album was not to be made. The record was created “about five times” and discarded again, he explains the background to me. “Every time the songs just never felt like me… and for good reason,” Colton says. Much of the time his goal was not based on honesty, he tells me. Rather, it was about learning, “how to write hooks and proper pop songs.” “So, the incorporation of honesty on a consistent basis is a recent thing”, and this is where his second album comes into play. He really started working on it in 2021, he tells me. And mentions an already released song as a concrete starting point: “It all sort of began with ‘What Is It About The Night’.”
Songwriter and singer Colton Avery: “You can expect a lot of that on the album”
Much of his inspiration for his melodies and sounds comes from his childhood, Colton tells. He was born in 1990 in a small town in New Mexico, US. He later moved to Phoenix and Utah. “I’ve always been surrounded by the most incredible nature”, he says, adding, “so that aspect of my life has definitely inspired the sound.” Both “What Is It About The Night” and his latest song “Salt Lake City” consist of campfire sequences and warm acoustic guitars which play a role in the song’s sound.
“So you can expect a lot of that on the album”, he announces. A cause he has remained true to over the years. “I think I’ve always been obsessed with natural things that’s why I named my first record ‘Waves’”. In the song of the same name for the album, which was released in 2012, the sound of the ocean can be heard. Ten years have passed since then. Fans could expect a sound that represents Colton’s “journey as a songwriter and artist”. A songwriter „who has gone off, learned a lot about the craft, tried a lot of things in a lot of genres and is coming back to his roots with new perspective and skills”, he sums it up.
“Hopefully the world permits a tour”: New album and concerts in sight
When exactly the new album will be released, remains open for the time being. With regard to his fans and his music, however, Colton already says: “I just hope they enjoy it most of all.” After all, the journey to his album was not only a long one for himself, but also for them, he tells me.
“I hope you all enjoy these glimpses into my world and hope they mean as much to you as they do to me”, he addresses the words directly to his fans. He also has plans for concerts or a tour– “of course”, as he reveals. “Hopefully the world permits a tour”, Colton says regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Until then, the anticipation of his album remains, which after seven years is definitely in the starting blocks.
