Alaska and Jeremy Provide Track-by-Track Commentary for Their New Album, ‘Amethyst Journey’
In case you hadn’t heard, the drag sensation that is Alaska is back with a brand-new project, and this time she’s got company. Alaska teamed up with longtime musical collaborator Jeremy Mikush for a musical duo called Alaska and Jeremy and they recently dropped their debut album, Amethyst Journey. To give you a taste of its folk-pop magic, Alaska and Jeremy have provided a track-by-track commentary of their album highlight the otherworldly witchiness of their new musical venture.
Alaska and Jeremy actually created their creative family of two over 10 years ago, developing a wide variety of musical and artistic collaborations such as “The Gayest Thing You’ve Ever Seen” and “The Fisting Song.” They’ve performed these songs together over the past 5 years in numerous cabaret shows in the U.K., Australia, North and South America, taking their inspirations from artistic icons like Cher, Stevie Nicks and The Golden Girls.
In 2018, Alaska and Jeremy went into the woods of the Russian River Valley of California to commune with nature while writing and reflecting on existence. Their thoughts during that trip formed the basis of their debut album, Amethyst Journey.
Their music reveals their deep love for musical styles spanning generations: from the pop and power ballads of the late 20th century to folk and singer-songwriter artists from earlier on. They call their album “an offering to the planet and to humanity, rooted in a reality where the Queer experience and spirituality combine.”
Here’s the video for Alaska and Jeremy’s first single from Amethyst Journey, “Aliens”:
Here’s a track-by-track commentary on Amethyst Journey from Alaska and Jeremy:
1. “Aliens”
“The album’s overture, ‘Aliens’ is a folk music-based lullaby written for the people of Earth that asks the questions: What is the future we want? Does the idea of extraterrestrial visitors come from a Savior complex … or an Armageddon complex?”
2. “Truth in the Light”
“This song was originally released by Jeremy on his solo album, Somewhere In Between, and we re-recorded it together. It’s a song that addresses what happens when relationships grow and mutate. Can we grow distant yet still maintain some kind of heart connection?”
3. “So Far Gone”
“Being on the road and being away from our family and our loved ones is one of the most challenging parts of our work as artists. The pain and release from those feelings of distance and longing and isolation is the inspiration for this song.”
4. “The Wind”
“This song is a pagan prayer and is an invocation that calls forth the four elements — Air, Earth, Water and Fire.”
5. “Son of a Mother”
“We all possess an X chromosome. What binds us all is that every one of us has a Mother. This song worships the Divine Feminine, and cautions those who abuse or disrespect her power.”
6. “The End of the World”
“In our current climate of instant gratification, humanity needs perspective on large-scale change. We’ve created a heavy metal theme song for the Apocalypse, drawing upon ancient perspectives on cosmic cycles. It leaves the door open and asks the questions: Is this truly the end of the world? Does it have to be?”
7. “Ascension”
“Originally inspired by the visual experience of being elevated and beamed up by an extraterrestrial space ship, ‘Ascension’ evolved to become a sonic exploration of the ups and downs of the evolution of consciousness and spiritual transformation — it’s a cosmic download!”
8. “At the End of the Day”
“The sister song to Alaska’s ‘It Is What It Is,’ also from Jeremy’s Somewhere in Between, it can be simultaneously played with ‘It Is What It Is’ to create a symphonic experience influenced by Renaissance choral music and contemporary a cappella artists.
Have you listened to the new Alaska and Jeremy album Amethyst Journey?
Photos Alaska and Jeremy by Magnus Hastings
