Public Domain is an ongoing music/art crossover collaboration by Grammy-nominated pianist and producer Ray Angry and multidisciplinary artist and writer Katherine McMahon. Their recent singles “#Toyland” (ft. Questlove, Black Thought, the Dap-Kings horns), “TheMetamorphosis” and “#AlcoholicBlues” were met with acclaim. Now, they have unleashed brand new track “#AllAlone” available across platforms via Mister Goldfinger Music.

A popular waltz ballad that evoked feelings of longing and loneliness, Irving Berlin’s original rendition of “All Alone” was written in 1924. With re-recordings spanning Frank Sinatra to Thelonious Monk in 1957, Public Domain’s updated version of “#AllAlone” was initially inspired by loneliness during the pandemic lockdown. However, lyrical collaborator Jermaine Dolly expanded upon that narrative by speaking to racial injustice and the isolation that goes along with it in America. The gospel-indebted R&B single was produced by Ray Angry and features sensational vocalist Stout. Renowned for his work with Elvis Costello, John Legend, Patti Labelle, Mobb Deep, Mark Ronson and more, Ray Angry co-produced the soundtrack for Hulu’s Life and Beth starring Amy Schumer & Michael Cera, due out March 18.

Each Public Domain release navigates themes of intellectual property as a commodity, appropriation, identity, and the illusion of newness. Throughout the project Angry & McMahon expand upon expired copywritten material to sculpt a contemporary narrative about the cyclical nature of history while exploring generational shifts and the notion of ownership. Firmly rooted in the present, Public Domain synthesizes the existential dilemmas from the past, while critiquing the channels that are used to sell narratives & goods today.

Photo Courtesy: Sasha Charoensub