Two of indie-folk’s most acclaimed voices—“exceptional” duo Viv & Riley (No Depression) and “wonderful” singer-songwriter Rachel Baiman (Paste)—have joined forces under the playful banner kissing other ppl. Their self-titled debut arrives today on Peacedale Records, anchored by a shimmering first single: a revelatory take on Dr. Dog’s cult favorite “Where’d All the Time Go.” Listen/watch here: https://youtu.be/L3C44FHmIyo.
Tracked primarily in producer Greg D. Griffith’s living room—and even inside a 1960s bomb shelter for natural reverb—the sessions became an anything-goes laboratory. Toy keyboards nearly burst into flames, a vintage camcorder doubled as a lo-fi room mic, and early takes bursting with discovery were left gloriously intact. “Every idea was, ‘yeah, let’s try it—the weirder the better,’” says Baiman. “Our own restlessness nudged the music toward indie-rock terrain, yet fiddle, banjo and stacked harmonies keep it rooted,” adds Riley Calcagno.
kissing other ppl is available exclusively on vinyl and digital download via Bandcamp (https://kissingotherppl.bandcamp.com/album/kissing-other-ppl-3); beyond the singles, the full tracks will not appear on streaming platforms. The nine-song collection reframes modern pop and classic songcraft alike—from Lennon Stella’s bittersweet title cut to Wilco’s elegiac “Ashes of American Flags,” Jason Molina’s “Hold On Magnolia,” Joan Armatrading’s soulful “Woncha Come On Home,” and more—through the trio’s warm, elastic musicianship and close-knit vocal blend.
Baiman, whose Common Nation of Sorrow garnered four stars from American Songwriter and collaborations with Kevin Morby, Erin Rae and Molly Tuttle, praises her bandmates’ instincts: “Viv’s an exquisitely nuanced singer; matching her pushed me to become a better vocalist.” Leva and Calcagno, meanwhile, bring the same “organic joy” (Under the Radar) that has earned their songs more than 8.5 million Spotify streams and praise from Rolling Stone Country and Hiss Golden Messenger’s Alex Bingham.
The group will support the release with select summer and autumn dates, beginning August 20 at Burlington, Vermont’s Radio Bean and winding through New England before a southern run that concludes October 10 at Brooklyn’s The Owl.
Tour Highlights
Aug 20 — Radio Bean, Burlington VT
Aug 23 — Arcadia Folk Festival, Easthampton MA
Oct 3 — The Station Inn, Nashville TN
Oct 9 — The Pie Shop, Washington DC
Oct 10 — The Owl, Brooklyn NY
Track Listing – kissing other ppl
Kissing Other People (Lennon Stella)
Ashes of American Flags (Wilco)
Hold On Magnolia (Songs: Ohia)
Where’d All the Time Go (Dr. Dog)
Woncha Come On Home (Joan Armatrading)
A Lesson in Leavin’ (Dottie West)
Born to Lose (Waylon Payne)
Easy Rider (Dan Parsons)
