Known primarily as the drummer for the long-running indie rock outfit the Head, Jack Shaw is emerging from behind the kit and taking center stage. Joining him on this new venture is artist-producer Damon Moon (Bathe Alone), whose Standard Electric Recorders Co. studio has been a critical force and torchbearer for the Atlanta scene. Together, the duo have formed a new project called False Corners that arrives with a simple working model: Shaw writes the songs and Moon produces them. The group’s debut EP, Shoobie, is out tomorrow.

Constructed in the spirit of Sparklehorse’s Dark Night of the Soul, each of the four tracks on Shoobie features a guest singer. The lead cut and first single is the striking, heartrending “Where Is My Blood,” which feels instantly established like it was carved from granite. Led by a spellbinding performance from Emily Backus (Mom Friend, ex-Total Babe), the song’s homey folk-rock atmosphere is punctuated by warm textures and tiny glimmers of ‘60s psychedelia. It feels both intimate and expansive, a subtle chimera that changes form every so slightly upon each listen. The first time Backus spirals her voice into a shimmering peak—“You make it hard and impossible for him to see another life beyond a barstool”—feels like a revelation, goosebumps giving way to a shudder. Not bad for a first-time collaboration that emerged almost by happenstance.

“I didn’t know who was going to sing the song when I wrote it,” Shaw reveals over email. “It wasn’t until Damon and I started recording the full band demo when we realized what kind of voice we wanted for the song. Damon suggested Emily. He had done some work with her old band Total Babe. She was also just starting to release new music with her newly formed project Mom Friend. I listened to both bands and was hooked immediately. We invited her to come in at the beginning of 2022 to sing the song, and everything came together so organically. Her voice was exactly what “Where Is My Blood” needed. Not to mention, she’s a twin like me. She was also running (and still runs) Girls Rock Camp ATL, while I was running the Goodmood Fund at the time. Both being twins and involved with music nonprofits made the whole recording process fun.”

Although Shaw and Moon are both seasoned performers, False Corners will remain primarily a studio endeavor. While a special one-off show or two may happen at some point, don’t hold your breath for anything soon. In the meantime, stream “Where Is My Blood” below.

Shoobie is out on all streaming services on Jan. 26. It is the first installment in what is expected to be a three-volume EP series. You can follow False Corners on Spotify here.

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