Heron & Crane, the electronic psych-folk duo made up of Dave Gibson (Personal Bandana) and Travis Kokas (Cryptids After Dark), are set to release their third record, Nestings, via Hibernator Gigs Records on September 6, 2024. The album will be available digitally and as a limited edition translucent blue vinyl LP release.

Work on Nestings began in late 2021, shortly after the release of the previous record, Streams. The pandemic was in full swing, and the recording was impacted by several significant life events that shaped the music: new houses, marriage, the loss of beloved pets, new jobs, mental health issues. “Life certainly encroached more than usual during the making of this record but the music, as always, provided a safe place, an escape, and, ultimately, a feeling of hope that all would work out,” says Gibson. Kokas adds, “This was the first record that Dave and I recorded completely remotely and therefore the album has more of an experimental quality to it.”

This experimentation finds Heron & Crane exploring new textures, while maintaining a footing in the group’s pastoral psych-folk roots. Opener Ureshiku Mo mixes Byrds-like jangle with KPM style synths. Themes, as its title implies, could be the theme tune to a long forgotten children’s educational program. Songs like Tribal Knowledge and These Heretics aim for a slightly darker psych sound, with ringing sitars transporting listeners to another sonic dimension. As always, the group finds solace in nature via gentler marimba filled tracks, such as On Fossil Beach and Crownbeard.

Nestings was recorded in Charlottesville, VA and Columbus, OH with the group doing all of the writing and arranging remotely, trading tracks back and forth in their usual style.

All songs written, arranged, recorded and played by Dave Gibson and Travis Kokas on:

Fender Jazzmaster, Fender Jaguar, Fender Telecaster, Danelectro 12 String, Danelectro Baby Sitar, Guild Starfire V, Gretsch 6120-DC, Rickenbacker 330, Guild Acoustic Guitar, Nylon Stringed Acoustic, Rogue Lap Steel, Gretsch Electromatic Bass, Fender Rhodes, Yamaha CP10, Yamaha SK-20, Farfisa Syntorchestra, Moog Grandmother, Moog Source, Moog Concertmate MG-1, Korg Minilogue, Roland JX-3P, Casiotone 405, Suzuki Omnichord, Mellotron, Organelle, Drums, Korg SR-120, Oberheim DX, Marimba, Glockenspiel, Shaker, Sleigh Bells, Tambourine Vocals

Mixed by Dave Gibson
Mastered by Travis Thatcher

Recorded 2021-2023 in Charlottesville, VA and Columbus, OH

Artwork and layout by Renee Reighart

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For Lily