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Cover of Soft Launch

Album · 2024

Soft Launch

by Veda Monroe

A first co-production: warmer rooms, bigger bass, and the same stacked harmonies at the center.

Tracks

  1. 1. Breath Clouds on the Fire EscapeBreath clouds, a wool blanket, and a mug of tea. This is the first thing I produced with help, and I wanted it to feel warm right away.cosy soul, slow jam3:07
  2. 2. Letter From Far Away, Mailbox RainRain on the mailbox and a hope I can't believe in yet. The new bass line carries the ache.neo-soul, melancholy soul3:30
  3. 3. Midnight Dryer, Slow SpinA laundromat at midnight, just me and the machines. I leaned into the hum and let it become the beat.dream soul, bedroom r&b3:47
  4. 4. Stopped Clock on the NightstandA dead battery in a clock, and a person who stopped counting. Quiet, a little funny, a little sad.hushed soul, acoustic soul3:12
  5. 5. Kitchen Radio, Dial Turned LowMy nana's kitchen, a dial turned low, the melody that always felt like home. I wanted the harmonies to sound like the static.nostalgic soul, gospel-tinged soul3:10
  6. 6. Spare Key Under the FlowerpotA key under a flowerpot that I never used. That's the whole story, and it's still the one I think about.neo-soul, dream soul3:16
  7. 7. Can't Sit Still, Moon Is UpTwo a.m., counting cracks in the ceiling. I wrote it about my own bedroom and my own restless head.late-night r&b, hushed soul2:51
  8. 8. First Frost, Two MugsTwo mugs, silver lace on the window, and finally someone to share it with. This is the single, and it earns the sweetness.cosy soul, slow jam3:04
  9. 9. Last Show at the RialtoAn old cinema, velvet seats, and the end of something. I wanted to give it the dignity it deserves.nostalgic soul, quiet storm3:21
  10. 10. Half an Umbrella, Half a HelloHalf an umbrella, half a hello. I closed with the smallest, sweetest meet-cute I could write.gospel-tinged soul, contemporary r&b3:37

Liner notes

Soft Launch is the first record where I co-produced, which means I finally learned how to say what I wanted out loud instead of just doing it alone in the dark. The low end is bigger, the drums breathe more, and I let the songs sit in cosy rooms with the heat on. I still tracked every harmony at home at 2 a.m., because some habits are sacred. The title is about easing into something without making a scene.

Veda Monroe