Biography

Since its inception in 2009, Sinai Vessel has always evolved alongside the life of Tennessee songwriter and musician Caleb Cordes — and with 2020’s Ground Aswim, the project has followed him into a wholly new sonic and personal chapter. Written after the departure of two long-time members reduced the band to its solo-project beginnings, Ground Aswim marks a newly focused effort from Cordes to let his songwriting guide the recording process. The resulting album trades well in space -- Ground Aswim was recorded live, with some of its tracks left completely free of overdubs. Cordes’ voice has softened, as he delivers the most emotionally cathartic songs of his career in a gentle, tender tone. Initial sessions took place in the summer of 2019 at Lazybones Audio, a handbuilt, brilliantly sunlit studio in rural Silsbee, TX, under the guidance of producer Tommy Read (Lomelda). In comparison to the lockstep, scripted arrangements on previous records, Ground Aswim sounds more akin to a recorded conversation, the musical product of trust between players. Cordes enlisted Andrew Stevens (Hovvdy, Lomelda) on drums and co-producer Jarrod Gee to play bass. “We all had a sharp focus on allowing the songs themselves to step out from the fray in a way that they had not been previously highlighted,” Cordes says. “It feels dangerously raw at points, but simultaneously enthralling because it’s so vulnerable.” Ground Aswim will be self-released by Sinai Vessel on Oct 30, 2020.