The Garment District is the project of musician and songwriter Jennifer Baron, who has deep roots in independent music, including being a founding member of The Ladybug Transistor (Merge Records), and having worked with English musician Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, Spectrum) and Jowe Head (Swell Maps, Television Personalities). The Garment District brings Baron’s extended musical circle to the fore by featuring Gary Olson (The Ladybug Transistor), Kyle Forester (Crystal Stilts), Shivika Asthana (Papas Fritas) and her cousin Lucy Blehar (vocals). Adding to the sonic depth are contributions from Jennifer’s close collective of musicians, including Dan Koshute, Corry Drake, Sean Finn and Alex Korshin. There’s an archival pleasure to be found in the music of The Garment District, which makes sense if you consider Baron’s background in museum education, independent crafts and photography. Their second full-length LP, Flowers Telegraphed to All Parts of the World, out on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records on September 22nd, was recorded in a friend’s home studio nestled in the labyrinthian hills of Western Pennsylvania during the time warp surrounding the pandemic. For composer and arranger Jennifer Baron (who plays numerous instruments on the album) working with her cousin Lucy Blehar, who supplies lead vocals, continues her family music-making heritage (she plays in The Ladybug Transistor with her brother Jeff).

Formed in 2009 by longtime collaborators Katie Haley (Holiday Flyer, California Oranges) and brothers Ross and Matt Levine (Welt, The Tank, California Oranges), the group was later joined by partners Tony and Becky Cale (English Singles, Arts & Leisure), and Hans Munz. With alluring vocals, two 12-string guitars, bass, drums, and synthesizers, the ensemble layers copious melodies, celestial harmonies, and propulsive rhythms with lush electronic soundscapes to create “a sound built to outlast trends“. Previous Soft Science recordings include LPs Maps (2018), Detour (2013), and Highs and Lows (2011), a few singles, including a split 7″ with The Luxembourg Signal (2015), and covers of House of Love’s“I Don’t Know Why I Love You” and Northern Picture Library’s“Paris” (both 2018). Soft Science began working on their recently completed album Lines in 2019, forging the record in their home studios together and at times in isolation from each other during the height of the pandemic, swapping tracks and making adjustments from a distance for what felt like an eternity. Reuniting in person to finalize the mix created a palpable excitement, an energy that can be felt throughout the record. Lines addresses living and loving within the complexities and challenges of everyday life in our fast-paced digital world. Their new fourth album will be out tomorrow, September 8th, on Shelflife / Spinout Nuggets / Fastcut Records.