Open Fire by Mike Noga
Open Fire was recorded in August 2019 at Sacred Heart Studios in Duluth, Minnesota with Alan Sparhawk (Low) in the producer's seat. Open Fire is an apocalyptic, synth-heavy, rock and roll record and follows on from Noga’s critically acclaimed concept album, King. The title track 'Open Fire' is released today.
Mike Noga passed away on 26 August 2020. His death was accidental and attributed to a rare condition that caused a cerebral haemorrhage, a condition exacerbated by bouts of heavy drinking. Mike had a lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression which became particularly difficult in the last three years of his life.
Open Fire was written in Noga's hometown of Hobart. Writing to a friend during the recording process Mike reflected “Sonically and thematically there’s a healthy dose of impending doom about the state of the world running through the songs…I constantly have the Velvet Underground in mind when I'm writing for this album. Pop... but with a weird, dark twist.”
Lead single 'Open Fire' is the centrepiece of the album, a big Springsteen-esque rocker. A little bit about revenge, a lot about the impending end of the world.
Tracklist
| 1. | Covered | 5:24 |
| 2. | Open Fire | 4:06 |
| 3. | Breathe For Me | 3:48 |
| 4. | Kitchen Knife | 3:07 |
| 5. | Better Than Before | 2:01 |
| 6. | No Body No Soul | 3:55 |
| 7. | Little Birdy Big Bear | 2:52 |
| 8. | Rain On Everyone | 2:44 |
| 9. | Open Fire (refrain) | 4:50 |
| 10. | Holding On | 4:11 |
Credits
All songs written by Mike Noga
Produced by Alan Sparhawk and Mike Noga
Recorded by Jake Larson at Sacred Heart Studio in Duluth, Minnesota
Additional recording by Glenn Richards at Dark Satanic Mill Studio, Hobart, Tasmania
Mixed and mastered by Jake Larson at Gamut Mastering in Duluth, Minnesota
Front cover photography by Wilk
Back cover photograph by Sabine Legrand
Graphic Design by Carl Breitkreuz
Mike’s family would like to thank the following people for their generosity, compassion, support and patience while we navigated the unfamiliar territory of releasing this album; Alan Sparhawk, Mimi Parker, Jake Larson, David Walsh, Paul Dempsey, Emma Coyle, Joel Byrne, Carl Breitkreuz, Davey Lane, Sam Cross, Glenn Richards, Ben Salter, Chris Coleman, Tom Hyland, and John Donaldson. Most importantly we’d like to thank Mike. We are incredibly proud of this album, for its ambition, beauty and nuance. It was a privilege to have him in our lives and to travel along with him on his musical journey. His passing has left us with a massive void that might be partly filled with his incredible body of music. A gift to us all.
License
All rights reserved.
