On September 13 New York City’s Hello Mary will release their new album Emita Ox via Frenchkiss Records. Possessing a sound that pushes harder into heavy distortion and psychedelic dreamscapes, the new LP sees Hello Mary building out their singular universe of gutsy, virtuosic alt-rock. The band co-produced the album alongside Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza, Wednesday, Snail Mail) in Asheville, NC.

Hello Mary have shared what’s to come on their LP with the release of new single “Down My Life.” The band’s Helena Straight says, “‘Down My Life’ is possibly the most lyrically powerful song for me on the record. The lyrics are somewhat vague, so the meaning behind it is not totally obvious to the listener, which is how I’d like it to be considering the state I was in when I wrote it.” The song features her angelic vowels on top of warped piano and menacing bass.

On Emita Ox, Hello Mary push harder into heavy distortion and psychedelic dreamscapes, as they build out their singular universe of gutsy strain of rock. The LP’s labyrinthine production reflects how the band’s musical tastes have expanded from Elliott Smith and Radiohead to encompass experimental post-rock acts like Black Midi and Swans. “This album encompasses a lot of our inspirations,” says Oppenheimer. “It also shows what we’re like as a trio, collectively.” 

The project reveals the band leveling up as musicians and composers. Recorded in early 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina, the band played all the instruments on Emita Ox and produced it alongside Alex Farrar (Indigo De Souza, Wednesday, Snail Mail). The members’ contributions to the songwriting and production bleed into each other, but the album is a showcase of their individual strengths: Straight’s ethereal vocal melodies and gritty guitar riffs, Wave’s emotive vocals and knotty drum patterns, and Oppenheimer’s diabolical basslines and experimentation with electronic production. “We map out all the sections beforehand, we like to write intricate parts that complement each other,” says Wave. 

Featuring songs that span from 2018 to 2023, Emita Ox is also a document of Hello Mary’s past five years together growing up as bandmates and their arrival into young adulthood. First meeting as teenagers in 2019, the band became fast friends through the pandemic—a global crisis that made coming of age feel even more weighty and complicated. “This album represents a period of time that’s very meaningful to us. The songs are related to things that we all know about, even if it’s not out on the table for everyone else,” Wave explains. “The songwriting and recording process was a very heavy time that I will never forget.” Even if the lyrics touch on serious topics, the band maintains a core sense of play and exploration: jamming is their way of working through these feelings in a way that’s “easy and fun,” Straight says.

Hello Mary will be playing songs off Emita Ox and other fan favorites as they hit the road in support of the new album. Later this month the band head to the UK for headline shows in London followed by a run as the support for American Football (they support them for a show at Warsaw in Brooklyn on October 26. Hello Mary have also announced a Fall of North America with dates kicking off October 4 in Seattle, WA and concluding November 2 in Houston, TX They play at Los Angeles’ Troubadour on October 10 and New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on October 24. Additionally, the band is confirmed for Las Vegas’ Best Friends Forever Fest October 11 – 13 and Austin’s Levitation Festival on November 3. All shows are listed below and tickets are available here:

Aug 30 – End of the Road Festival – Dorset, UK

Aug 31 – Manchester Psych Fest – Manchester, UK

Sept 1 – Edinburgh Psych Fest – Edinburgh, UK

Sept. 4 – The Shacklewell Arms – London, UK *

Sept 5 – Brixton Windmill – London, UK *

Sept 11 – Rock City – Nottingham, UK %

Sept 12 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow, UK %

Sept 13 – Bristol SWX – Bristol, UK %

Sept 14 – Roundhouse – London, UK %

Oct 4 – Barboza – Seattle, WA  *

Oct 6 – Polaris Hall – Portland, OR  *

Oct 9 – Brick & Mortar (Popscene) – San Francisco, CA  *

Oct 10 – The Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA  *

Oct 12 – Best Friends Forever Festival – Las Vegas, NV  

Oct 14 – Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO *

Oct 16 – Raccoon Motel – Davenport, IA  *

Oct 17 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN  *

Oct 19 – Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL  *

Oct 20 – Lager House – Detroit, MI  *

Oct 21 – The Garrison – Toronto, ON  *

Oct 24 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY *

Oct 25 – Ukie Club – Philadelphia, PA  *

Oct 26 – Warsaw –  – Brooklyn, NY %

Oct 27 – Songbyrd – Washington, DC  *

Oct 29 – Pinhook – Durham, NC *

Oct 30 – Masquerade-Purgatory – Atlanta, GA *

Nov 1 – Andy’s – Denton, TX *

Nov 2 – White Oak Music Hall (upstairs) – Houston, TX *

Nov 3 – Levitation Festival – Austin, TX

* denotes headline 

^ denotes dates with Julie

% denotes support for American Football

Photo Courtesy: Jessica Gurewitz