Julian Never premieres “Grassharp,” the second single from their debut LP, Pious Fiction, today. The song is clearly inspired by the Flying Nun catalog, Prefab Sprout and other odd underground pop hits by Chris Spedding and Dwight Twilley.

Pious Fiction sees release via Mt.St.Mtn. (100 copies on Natural vinyl, 200 copies on Black vinyl, very limited “Meyyer Lemon” for Monorail Music in Glasgow) on January 13, 2023.

Julian Never is the latest vehicle for former Mayyors drummer Julian Elorduy’s jangle pop alter-ego. An evolution in songwriting that produced the short-lived, but much loved Fine Steps.  Pious Fiction is 15 tracks of bittersweet, sun-warped jangle self-recorded off and on over the last four years in a variety of Sacramento homes and warehouses with the help of former Mayyors bandmate Mark Kaiser (also of Castle Face goth punks Male Gaze), a Tascam half-inch reel-to-reel and a borrowed mixer.

The album is built upon a solid base of guitar-centric pop that is richly layered with ethereal synths and piano, and intertwined with themes of love, loss and the ghosts of Elorduy’s Catholic upbringing, all delivered with his captivating tenor.

Catch Julian Never live here:

Thu 1/13 – The Golden Bear, Sacramento w/ Fitting [Release Party]
Fri 2/17 – tbd, Ventura w/ Spires
Sat 2/18 – Permanent Records Roadhouse, Los Angeles w/ Massage
Sun 2/19 – Live on KCSB 91.9FM, TBD Presents [4PM]
Sat 2/25 – The Knockout, San Francisco w/ Yuvees, Swayed
Fri 3/31 – The Golden Bear, Sacramento w/ System Exclusive