If you’re out late at night between mid-July and late August, with a peak in mid-August, there’s a chance – depending on where you’re located – that you might see The Perseids. What are they? It’s a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle, named after the constellation in which it is visible, Perseus.
Coinciding with the early days of that annual astronomical event, SWT is pleased to premiere a new song from Chicago, Illinois-based band Selken entitled “Perseids”. It’s the third song the group has shared from their forthcoming debut album, The Winds, which is expected to be released in the near future. Follow the band’s socials to get the latest information.
“These days, when I’m feeling stuck, or lost, or anxious, I remind myself of how life is cyclical,” says singer-songwriter Heather Styka. “Events like the darkness of an eclipse aren’t the end of the world — they’re predictable, inevitable, temporary.”
“In mid-August, I always try to get out somewhere dark so I can witness the Perseid meteor shower. Even since I was a kid, we’d be out there on the lawn chairs looking up, counting the shooting stars as they fall, always wishing for one more bright one to streak across the sky before heading inside.”
You can stream “Perseids” below:
Listen to the previously released singles “The Wind” and “Love Me Like You Do”:
For Styka, Selken marks an adventurous new chapter, following over a decade of touring nationally as a solo folk artist. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, she realized she wanted to form a band that would allow her to expand beyond folk and experiment and explore new sonic terrain.
In addition to Styka on vocals and guitar, the self-described “bummer pop/indie rock project” Selken also features JG Shadid (vocals, guitars, synth, piano), Jake Hawrylak (drums), and Colin Sipos (additional percussion).
The band teamed up with Shadid, a local producer/multi-instrumentalist, to record The Winds, with Styka and Shadid splitting production duties. They recorded the album at Gentle Bear Studios in Chicago. It was later mixed by Colin Sipos at Chase St. Sound in Nashville, TN, and mastered by Mike Bridavsky at Russian Recording in Bloomington, IN.
According to a press release, “Shadid’s wide-ranging expertise as an Emmy-nominated composer, educator on YouTube’s Reverb channel, and co-founder/curator of The Red Room paired well with Styka’s introspective approach to song craft.”
“Having spent her artistic career chasing the stripped-down honesty of folk, Styka wanted to create a sound with more — pairing siren-song vocals with a dash of playful glamour and the fun of a good groove,” the press release reads. “The result is a sparkling, cathartic exploration of personal and societal sea change, of burying old dreams to make room for new ones.”
Styka writes lyrics-driven songs that “make you feel as if you are peeking into her diary” (No Depression) with a “talent for telling stories and connecting emotionally” (Glide Magazine). Sonically, the band draws from pop, alt-country, and indie rock to create richly layered soundscapes.
The album will be released on vinyl and digital in the next few months, and we at SWT can’t wait to hear more.
You can follow and listen to Selken at the links below:
Instagram: instagram.com/selkensongs/
TikTok: tiktok.com/@selkensongs
Spotify: Selken on Spotify
YouTube: youtube.com/@selkensongs
Joshua is co-founder of Scummy Water Tower. He’s freelanced for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including: Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Guitar World, MTV News, Grammy.com, Chicago Magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, A.V. Club, SPIN, Alternative Press, Under the Radar, Paste, PopMatters, American Songwriter, and Relix. You can email him at josh@scummywatertower.com.
