Tele Novella is a project out of Lockhart, Texas–a small town lost in time–where their classic and sincere pop songwriting is slowly processed through a loner medieval-tonk machine and then captured on cassette 8-track. Their latest record was the music they wanted to be making all along but didn’t know until it happened accidentally. It’s out now on Kill Rock Stars.
Along with the release of Poet’s Tooth the band shares a brand new video for the track “Funeral” directed by Vanessa Pla! It all began with a bath. As Tele Novella’s Natalie Ribbons ran the water and listened to a guided meditation, she never anticipated arriving on the other side with an idea for an album, “Poet’s Tooth”. “I ended up sitting in that bath and going on quite a visualization journey,” says Ribbons, who resides in Lockhart, Texas, and performs in Tele Novella with Jason Chronis. “The images and feelings that came over me that night made me feel like I had a power that I had been ignoring and taking for granted for years. It was sad and happy at the same time,” Ribbons continues.
As Tele Novella, Chronis (who performs in the beloved and rekindled indie pop band Voxtrot) and Ribbons (who previously performed in the long-running “Victorian punk” project Agent Ribbons) have spent their past two albums creating “Medieval outsider country” on 2016’s “House Of Souls” and 2021’s “Merlynn Belle“.
“Poet’s Tooth” – the band’s second album for Kill Rock Stars – steers the duo’s whimsical western-tinted quality into fascinating new directions: cinematic-pop balladry on the autoharp-tinged opener “Young & Free,” gently clip-clopping Americana-folk on “Hard-Hearted Way,” and bass-driven funk on the wry “Eggs In One Basket.” With help from producer Danny Reisch, Tele Novella have crafted their most genre-rich, poetic, and sincere album yet.
“Funeral” by Tele Novella. Taken from their album “Poet’s Tooth”. Out now via Kill Rock Stars.
released October 6th, 2023
Natalie Ribbons– vocals, backing vocals, nylon string guitar and garden weasel.
Jason Chronis– Electric guitar, 12 string guitar, baritone guitar, nylon string guitar, bass, autoharp, backing vocals, aux percussion, piano, organ and other keyboard sounds.
Danny Reisch– Drums, aux percussion, loops, samples and field recordings.
The Fat Angel Sings 