Earlier this year, LA-based songwriter Susan James returned nearly a decade after the release of her last album—2015’s Sea Glass—with a new single titled “Time Is Now” landing as the psych-folk songwriter was hitting the road to perform with Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier in support of her new record Rooting for Love. That song will serve as the title track for James’ forthcoming record, which will also include another new song being revealed today which leans into a similarly psychedelic realm of chamber pop explored by both Sadier and James’ recent collaborator Sean O’Hagan of The High Llamas.
“It’s a wild little psychedelic journey that grows into absolute celebration,” James shares of “Magnificent,” which opens with bold sitar before blossoming into deeper textures and driving harmonies. “It’s about my personal experience of arriving at the place of overwhelming gratitude, and wanting to stay there forever. Because it ripples outward, and I can’t help but hope that instead of bombing each other and destroying this planet, instead of ignoring human suffering, humanity can learn to bombard their senses with absolute gratitude and grace for all we have. It starts within, with each individual, and hopefully it inspires others. In these incredibly stressful and dark days, we could definitely use that right now.”
Get inspired below.