Psychic Hotline is an "artist-forward" record label founded by Sylvan Esso which, for the past few months, has released music through their singles series. Today's newest drop is a collaboration with Los Angeles-based musician Ethan Gruska—who's worked with a heavy and diverse roster of musicians including Paul McCartney, Manchester Orchestra, Remi Wolf, and King Princess, and also produced Phoebe Bridgers' Stranger in the Alps and Punisher—and Bon Iver that was written remote during the pandemic. It features strings by Rob Moose and percussion from Blake Mills and Matt Chamberlain, and was engineered by Will McClellan. It's a woozy, intricate listen filled with longing and ache.
“Around March 10 of 2020 Justin [Vernon] was supposed to come to LA and we were going to spend a few days making some stuff," Gruska explained. "Obviously, that didn’t happen… We all went into lockdown shortly after. About two weeks into deep quarantine Justin and I connected and decided it would still be fun to send each other files and try something remotely. 'So Unimportant' was the first thing that came to fruition. Justin and I passed this song and session leisurely back and forth for a while to get it where it is now."
He added enthusiastically: "The fact that I now have a song with Justin just completely blows my mind. He’s been my pie in the sky... I’d do anything to collaborate with artist for a really long time and having this song together is one of the most special things that has ever happened to me in my musical life. Life in general!"
Vernon noted that he came across Gruska's music through his friend JT Bates. "It's not often that something immediately grasps you where you stand like his music did. It only happens a few times in one's life. Ethan’s musicality and touch has magic in it. We have not yet met in person, but have exchanged the longest, flirtiest texts in history. I hope to be near the mine of his mind for as long as possible. This song is just the first thing I threw at the wall. He scraped it off that wall, and turned it into a song I'll appreciate forever."
Listen to "So Unimportant" below.
