Last Thursday, March 28, Call Me Spinster shared their latest heartfelt single "Mule" off of their upcoming album "Potholes," out next week on April 12 through Strolling Bones Records.
The new song is a touching ballad about the tumultuous but rewarding journey of finding a way back home amid fleeting connections, told through the calming vocals of the sister trio and underscored by stripped-down instrumentals comprising a guitar and a banjo.
In its music video, the poignant track's message is echoed visually and translated into a cinematic story revolving around a father and daughter bonding together in the great Ecuadorian outdoors.
On Call Me Spinster's 'Mule'
Band member Amelia Graber Jacobs shared the story behind the new single's conception, saying, "This song was written while my now-husband and I were living with my parents in St. Paul, MN, filming a movie he'd written."
"We had turned my parents' urban garage into a pen for two goats that factored into the movie somehow," she continued. "It was a cold, snowless, winter, and it was becoming clear that we couldn't finish the film."
"We decided to head back down south to Tennessee, get married, and start our own life in warmer waters. 'Mule' is about that homecoming," Jacobs explained.
As for the music video, it was made by cinematographer Daniel Andrade and co-directed by his wife, award-winning director Anahi Hoeneisen, and his biologist and photographer daughter, Naia.
Jacobs called Andrade a "kindred spirit" for sharing her band's defining quality of an "entire family making stuff together."
"We've become friends with Daniel and his family, and he offered to make a video for 'Mule' at home in Ecuador," Jacobs recalled. "We developed a rough concept together, and Daniel, Anahí, and Naia began working to shoot in a national park outside of Quito."
As per Jacobs, the filming process got delayed due to the rise of violence in the country at the start of 2024, however, the Ecuadorian family eventually pushed through and finished the video.
"We are honored to share 'Mule' with you - a snapshot of the fleeting struggles and beauties of connection, and the search for home as an ever-moving dream," Jacobs said.
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Other Singles on the Band's Upcoming 'Potholes' Album
'Mule' is a follow-up on Call Me Spinster's previous lead releases for their forthcoming record, the latest of which is their empowering "Burn the Boxes" track that was also featured in the Northern Transmission magazine as Video of the Day.
The other singles comprise the ethereal "Married in My Mind" and their mom-pop, Robyn-like song: "Feet Are Dirty," which Under the Radar described as "a twinkling dance pop sprawl."
"Potholes" in its entirety is Call Me Spinster's take on what settling down looks like today, exploring themes like the early days of marriage and motherhood while balancing it out with life lessons the members themselves learned in the past.
The upcoming record also follows the band's critically successful self-titled EP, which is the first release of Strolling Bones Records. The album was co-produced by the band itself alongside Drew Vandenberg, known for projects by Faye Webster, Of Montreal, and Kishi Bashi.
Sonically, "Potholes" is the band's hand at blending their differing influences, including a wide range of genres from bubbly synth-pop to psychedelic folk, all of which are tied together by deeply personal lyrics surrounding adulthood.
You can now pre-order and pre-save Call Me Spinster's new album by clicking here.
As for "Mule," you can watch its MV below.
