There’s a whole lot of heart in Welcome to Earth. Written in the wake of frontwoman Bonnie Bloomgarden losing her home in a fire, as well as the deaths of a bandmate and her dog, the album finds beauty and connection amid some incredibly difficult experiences. It feels like some long-lost ’70s musical, with saxophone, Wurlitzer and organ weaving through a huge wall of sound. Layers of voices and chanting choruses give the record a real sense of community, creating something that feels bigger than any one person.
“Sing for Yourself” is a particular highlight, with the lyrics “Live our lives so our soul can grow / Try to remember who we are before we go” really hitting home. “Fire and Brimstone” is another favourite, taking things somewhere more witchy and epic, building and building like an incantation.
The new focus single, “How Losing Everything in the Fire Taught Me to Love Myself”, arrives with a video and finds hope in the aftermath of losing everything. “This song is about losing everything, being terrified, and finally discovering that even when I have nothing, I have all I need,” the band explain.
The six new UK dates offer fans a chance to hear the Welcome to Earth material live, alongside the songs that have made Death Valley Girls such a compelling band to watch.
