Lionlimb

Today, Lionlimb – the project of New York-based singer/songwriter/producer Stewart Bronaugh – announces his new album, Limbo, arriving May 24th on Bayonet Records, and shares its lead single, “Hurricane.” Inspired by a palette of ‘70s Italian film soundtracks, ‘60s girl group music, and funk and soul ballads, Bronaugh has crafted unfurling soundscapes that feel mysterious and otherworldly, yet timeless and nostalgic at the same time. Bronaugh brings these influences together to invent an immersive sound all his own—with help from close collaborator Joshua Jaeger, whose live drums bring a rawness to Limbo’s meticulously layered production, alongside many incredible vocal contributions including Angel Olsen.

Limbo taps into universal themes of romance, longing, and loss, as Bronaugh transforms his personal struggles into love songs. Using images inspired by nature, he expresses being overtaken by a force greater than himself, as the psychedelic instruments evoke vast landscapes. “When I’m working on music, it’s like I’m trying to make my own world,” Bronaugh explains. “It’s that feeling of wanting to exist somewhere else. I’m trying to express something and get out of my head and body.” Not only does the production on Limbo evoke a surreal sense of escape, but it also underscores Bronaugh’s grappling of the past.

On lead single “Hurricane,” Bronaugh sings of searching for meaning, as the bubbling synths and crashing drums evoke instability amid pounding rain and lightning. “‘Hurricane’ is about escapism and searching for THAT feeling that puts you in a flow state, away from the anxiety and uncomfortableness of being human. Creativity can help, and then there are other ways that are much more harmful. This song is about saying goodbye to those, but I feel like I’m always searching for that next thing.”

Listen to Lionlimb’s “Hurricane”

Bronaugh wrote Limbo while stuck in his Brooklyn apartment during the pandemic, a time of both deep introspection and escapism. As an artist who always “felt out of time” with the current world, he careened down musical wormholes online, seeking out old, obscure cuts—from ‘70s soul singer Gloria Ann Taylor to Italian film composer Alessandro Alessandroni—that ended up informing the sepia tone feel of the album. Limbo benefitted from its eclectic influences, as Bronaugh layers funky basslines, fuzzed out guitar, and melodramatic strings, making for music that could easily belong on Twin Peaks just as much as a Western cowboy film.

Limbo is a culmination of Bronaugh’s years of production experience, as he composed, produced, and mixed the project almost entirely by himself, with additional recording from Robin Eaton. Growing up in Nashville, he started playing piano, guitar, and fooled around with a Roland digital multitrack recorder as a high schooler. The Lionlimb project took shape in college, where he met Joshua Jaeger, and the two soon released their 2016 debut LP Shoo and 2018’s Tape Recorder. All the while, the duo traversed the world, playing sold-out shows as part of Angel Olsen’s touring band, while also taking on festival slots as Lionlimb. Now, Bronaugh is always inspired to make experimental production choices that capture his instincts in the moment. “My favorite part of making music is the mistakes,” he says.