Neu Blume make their big move
Songs on their outstanding new album Let it Win soundtrack Mo Neuharth and Colson Miller’s transition from Phoenix to Detroit
Songs soundtracking Mo Neuharth and Colson Miller’s transition from Phoenix to Detroit are represented on the songwriting duo’s first proper LP as Neu Blume.
Released in April, Let it Win is a more mature, contemplative version of the jangly, meandering indie folk the duo first explored together as founding members of the Phoenix shoegaze/lo-fi pop band Nanami Ozone a decade ago.
When Neuharth decided to leave Phoenix for Detroit in 2019 after one record with Nanami Ozone and a couple of years of scouting out her next move as a touring musician, it didn’t take Miller long to join her after a couple of trips convinced him the pair had more songwriting to do together.
“I think once I got established there and Colson was able to come out and visit multiple times and get the vibe, he decided that was right for him too,” said Neuharth.
Mostly written in Detroit but recorded in Arizona, Let it Win documents Neuharth and Miller’s observations of seasonal shifts they felt for the first time in moving from the arid Southwest to a more Midwestern lifestyle.
Some songs date back five years ago and were originally slated for Neu Blume’s first self-released recording, 2022’s Softer Vessel. Others captured the domesticity of the pandemic.
Opening track and Real Estate-esque guitar earworm Cold Strange was recorded on three separate occasions before the band settled on the one appearing on Let it Win. Others were written within a couple of months of the recording process in 2023.
Regardless of when they came together, the sun-soaked, nostalgic songs that make up Let it Win feel immediately familiar; connected in their intimate and contemplative expressions of uncertainty that come with transitioning to a new place.
“It seems like it helps writing about stuff when you're going through maybe a hard transition or a time of contemplation,” Miller said. “When I moved it was a big shift in my life. My community got small again, and then there was a slower pace to life in Detroit and that leads to that time to have those feelings and reflect upon that.”
Miller had just moved in with Neuharth and her partner in 2022 and they were working on remodeling the home they lived in during the songwriting process. References to countertops and clean dishes are set to nostalgic strums on Car To Go, while standout Fourth of July distills the restless feelings of transition with Neuharth crooning that as seasons change we’ll rearrange the records on the shelf.
The recordings are aided and enhanced by the use of a lap steel that is often a tone setter on the record.
“We kept going to it for the melodic or sweet harmony tones,” Miller said. “That almost imparted other tones that sounded good with it. I would say that had something to do with the sound of the new record and the sound that embodies the band.”
Neu Blume are at their best on songs like the stunning Let it Win, when Miller’s instantly recognizable and comforting guitar riffs harmonize with Neuharth’s hushed, unhurried vocals.
Miller stumbled upon the riff while the band was recording another song, Neuharth said, with the band instantly reacting with an ‘Oh yeah!’ after he played it.
“That was like five years ago at this point,” Neuharth said. “It took us a while for us to finally work on it, but I think we knew it was really special.
“It's really about sort of being comfortable inside of conflict and just struggles within any sort of relationship. It’s not necessarily geared toward a lover or friend or anyone, but just sort of the effort it takes to be in relationships.”
While Miller and Neuharth write the songs, the duo credits collaborators from both Arizona and Michigan, including Rachele Eve (guitar), Austin Owen (bass), Wally Boudway (drums), Ian Kelman (pedal steel) and Francis Bartolomeo (piano) for their help in bringing the sound of Neu Blume to life in the studio and on stage.
“Because we were entrusting these other musicians, we were sort of like, 'We're not going to be super controlling,’” Neuharth said.
“I think that process can be really scary when you write something and you get attached to a certain version of it, but ultimately, the way that they turned out, because we gave everyone creative control - it turned out so much better. They're very much like beautiful collaborations, and that's what I hear when I listen to them.”
After releasing Let it Win in April on Music Sounds Records, the band will celebrate the release of the record on Saturday, May 31 at UFO Bar in Detroit. They’ll be joined by special guests and noted Detroit indie rock band Bonny Doon and Conor Lynch Band.
Neu Blume credits Bonny Doon’s Bill Lennox for hooking them up with practice space and equipment upon Neuharth’s arrival in Detroit, which ultimately inspired the origins of the band. The bands have since shared ideas and members, with Bonny Doon’s Jake Kmiecik playing live with Neu Blume, while Miller has played bass with Bonny Doon since 2022.
Getting a chance to share the stage with Bonny Doon while playing songs from an album five years in the making will make Saturday’s show a special experience, Neuharth said.
“This is our opportunity to play at home,” she said. “We haven't played in Detroit in several months. It's like an official record release, but the record has been out for a while, so we're hoping some people can come get their hands on it in person.”