Photo credit: Jordee Arvin | | New York, NY (July 25, 2025) – Anchor & Braille, the solo project from esteemed alt/rock vocalist Stephen Christian, shares the visual for “Real Life,” alongside his new album, NEW MEXICO, out today via Equal Vision Records. | | The 14-track collection was inspired by Christian’s time living in Corrales, New Mexico, a place that left an indelible mark on him, both spiritually and artistically. The album explores themes of longing, faith, and resilience, blending cinematic spaghetti Western sounds with indie rock intimacy. | | In discussing the single, Christian said, “This song is my rebellion against the grind that buries dreams under debt and routine, a cry for something more than just clocking in and out. I’m chasing the freedom to actually live, to break free from the 9-to-5 and find a paradise that feels alive. Let’s leave the ordinary and discover what it means to truly live this one life we are given.” | | | | NEW MEXICO follows years of personal growth and reflection and serves as a heartfelt tribute to a place that continues to shape Christian’s journey. “I didn’t realize how much it became a part of me when I was there,” he reflects. “So even though I moved back to Florida in 2018, I have a huge affinity for New Mexico—I want to eventually move back, and I told my wife that I’m going to die there someday. I just fell in love with it. This entire record is based around that four-year experience of being there. I just absorbed the culture there, and it will always be a part of me.” | | To that extent, NEW MEXICO is Christian, leaving his past behind by immersing himself in it, both physically and emotionally. It’s an album that looks back as it steps forward, and which sees Christian reconcile the two as he relives his memories from there in the here and now. Doing so not only helped him in his personal journey of healing but also gave him one of the most rewarding recording experiences of his career. | | That’s why, even after leaving, Christian has decided to pay tribute to New Mexico on the fifth Anchor & Braille full-length, not only named after the state but capturing its heart and soul. | | The project launched with the lead single “Sweet Jesus Knows,” a raw and electric dive into the chaos of fleeting moments and high-stakes connections. This intensity sets the stage for an album framed by the voice of Christian’s father, a lifelong cowboy fan, whose cinematic spaghetti Western narration opens and closes the record, guiding listeners through a deeply personal and reflective journey. From the atmospheric opener “Drive” to the hopeful pulse of “Rattlesnake,” the album weaves together diverse styles from punk and post-punk to electronic pop-rock and desert rock while exploring themes of healing, transformation, and resilience. | | Tracks like “The Weight of 1917” blend past and future sounds, while the trio of “SOZO Uno,” “SOZO Dos,” and “SOZO Tres” offers themes of healing tied to Christian’s move to New Mexico. The album captures the contradictions of darkness and light, past and present, home and loss, reflecting soul-searching. The cinematic spaghetti Western soundscape blends seamlessly with intimate indie rock, anchoring each song in place, memory, and a profound search for peace. |
|
|
