Coming up as a backup singer for the likes of Natalie Merchant, Iron & Wine, and Julie Byrne, Portland singer-songwriter Johanna Warren is a seasoned veteran of intricate and beautiful vocal melodies. After a string of solo releases including a couple of full-lengths, Warren is gearing up for the February release of Gemini II, the follow-up twin album to 2016’s Gemini I. In anticipation of the record, Warren shared the lead single “Here To Tell” earlier this month via NPR, a song with sparse instrumentation and a large emphasis on vocals that move throughout the octave spectrum with ease and candor.
Across its three-and-a-half minutes of finger-picked guitars and light percussion, on “Here To Tell” Warren tells the story of a sleeping young man’s visitation from an otherworldly being, ultimately deemed a messenger to spread the being’s warnings. “You’re here to tell them so they don’t make the same mistake,” she sings in a wispy voice equal parts pleasant and menacing. “Here To Tell” is an impressive sign of what’s to come with Gemini II. Check out the almost transcendent track below.
On 2/16, Spirit House Records will release Gemini II as a dual album, combined with its predecessor Gemini I, which is being pressed to vinyl for the first time.
