Last we checked in with Soften the Glare, the heavy jazz fusion outfit featuring Mudvayne bassist Ryan Martinie, the band had just released their stellar sophomore album Glint. That was in early 2020.
Since then, of course, Mudvayne reunited, following years of rumors, for four massive North American festival shows (although one was canceled due to Covid-19).
And while Martinie’s focus will likely remain mostly on Mudvayne for the foreseeable future, with all the attention they’re getting at the moment now is a FANTASTIC time to take advantage of that by pushing Soften the Glare to the reactivated Mudvayne masses!
And that’s exactly what they’re doing with a brand new song and video, “Left-Handed Lion,” which finds them as funky, jazzy and adventurous as ever. Soften the Glare sound nothing like Mudvayne, but if you’re a fan of Martinie’s bass work in Mudvayne you’ll love it here, too. You’ll also dig Soften the Glare if you’re into jazz fusion in the slightest. Nick Schendzielos (aka Nick Shinz), who is best known for his bass work in Job For a Cowboy, Cephalic Carnage and Havok, directed the video (he’s also shot the band in the past).
Guitarist Bon Lozaga commented:
“As usual…our songs seem to come to life on their own, despite us. Jimi was the inspiration, and evolution took care of the rest…surprise, surprise- what a fitting video for this song! Left-handed, indeed”.
Drummer Mitch Hull added:
“’Left-Handed Lion’ comes in with a roar and takes you on a trip…it has many twists and turns and the video reflects this perfectly.”
The band plan to release three new songs (including one with vocals) in addition to five re-worked songs from their debut album, Making Faces, as a special-edition vinyl package in 2022. The re-worked tracks include both string and horn accompaniments to the compositions as well as other instrumentation. The band also intends to release more videos with Shinz and K. Hunter Lamar in the coming months.
Watch and listen to “Left-Handed Lion” below.