Denison Witmer and Sufjan Stevens combine on new song ‘Focus Ring’.
The two are old friends, and combine on this highlight from Denison Witmer’s new album. Titled ‘Anything At All’, the record lands on February 14th via Sufjan’s own Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Working in tandem, Sufjan helped the songwriter to realise his vision, assisting on production throughout. “This is the first time I’ve engineered and produced an entire album of songs for Denison,” said Sufjan.
“We did a lot of it in my studio in the Catskills, which is a homey, informal space, not intimidating at all. So I think the songs capture some of that: the isolated, private, casual nature of upstate New York. We also took our time, worked in blocks between long breaks because of Covid and adult-life stuff. So there was a kind of touch-and-go nature to the process. Nothing feels hurried or immediate. A lot of big changes were happening in our lives and in the world around us, so the songs came to represent a kind of safe haven from all that.”
New song ‘Focus Ring’ was actually going to be the title track, until a last minute switch. It’s certainly emblematic of the record as a whole – beautifully soothing, it has a simple, homespun feel.
Perfect for Autumn listening, you can tap in below.
Photo Credit: Lindsay Elliott
