Cold Beat Blast Off With ’62 Moons’

Grass Widow bassist Hannah Lew has kept herself busy since the band declared a hiatus in 2012. In addition to dabbling in cinema and visual art, the Bay Area musician founded Cold Beat, a poppy post-punk project that forms the synth-laden ying to her former group's twangy lo-fi yang. They've got two albums under their belt so far — most recently 2015's ethereal Into the Air — and now they've got another on the way. Arriving April 7 via Lew's Crime on the Moon label, Chaos by Invitation lends a whole new meaning to "cottage industry"; barring some outside tracking from Phil Manley (Trans Am) and Mikey Young (Total Control), the whole thing came together in Lew's California home. Accordingly, the record finds the artist at her most personal, detailing love and loss by way of her usual starry-eyed mysticism.

As the title suggests, Chaos by Invitation's first single, "62 Moons," looks to the stars for amorous wisdom. (According to a press release, Lew is huge on astronomy.) Through an extended cosmic metaphor, Lew draws a connection between the celestial body and the human heart; just as we take our lovers for granted, ol' Saturn thinks nothing of the 62 chunks of rock and ice that have faithfully encircled it for millions of years. With Valentine's Day less than a week away, consider "62 Moons" a beautiful wake-up call, as well as a reminder to cherish the hearts orbiting each of our lives. Listen below.

Cold Beat's Chaos by Invitation is out April 7 via Crime on the Moon. Pre-order here.