Hear The Felice Brothers' James Felice's New Song 'Golden Age'
(MPG) This Friday, November 13, James Felice will release Homeworld Blue, his sweeping sophomore solo album and most ambitious recording project to date. Produced by Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes and recorded in Omaha, Nebraska, and Los Angeles, Homeworld Blue expands upon the intimate world of Felice's debut with lush orchestration, pounding piano, horns and strings, while continuing his lifelong fascination with the small, strange and deeply human stories unfolding against the enormity of the universe.
Today, he releases "Golden Age," the album's final pre-release single following "Let Yourself Live" and "Midflight." "I picture this one as a post-apocalyptic self help seminar delivered by a delusional positivist," Felice explains. "You just can't bring some people down, whether the tragedy is personal or global or both. Some people just have a good attitude. How admirable."
Last month, Felice announced he will celebrate the album's release with shows on January 23 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City and on January 28 at Sid The Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena. Both performances will feature a 10-piece band conducted and arranged by Walcott.
James Felice began writing Homeworld Blue in 2022, when much of life for a career touring musician was still shuttered. Working in a minimal home studio in his attic, he spent weeks writing dozens of songs, envisioning an expansive record that would push him beyond his familiar musical boundaries. That vision ultimately led him to longtime Bright Eyes arranger and orchestrator Nate Walcott, who helped translate Felice's ideas into the album's richly layered arrangements. First recording in Omaha with Felice and a small rhythm section, Walcott then spent two years developing the record in Los Angeles, shaping a cinematic sound that moves between restraint and grandeur, incorporating drums, bass, harp, horns and full orchestra.
Phil Schaffart and Conor Oberst served as executive producers, with engineering by Adam Roberts and Pierre De Reeder, and mixing by GRAMMY Award winner Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes). Mogis brings clarity and depth to the album's sweeping arrangements while keeping Felice's emotionally immediate vocals at the forefront.
"Phil Schaffart believed in the album from the beginning. He and Conor Oberst were executive producers and brought me into the studio. Nate went to incredible lengths to make sure every bit of composition was right. Mike Mogis mixed the album, and Adam Roberts engineered it. For a record like this, it has to be immersive. It has to feel huge. The engineering and mixing are so important. The guys really did an amazing job," says Felice.
Later this month, Felice will support Fantastic Cat for three shows, and will close out 2026 with a New Year's Eve performance in Boston supporting Deer Tick.
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