Houston in the Blind Hide the glow

The Athens based band Houston in the Blind released album 'Hide The Glow', on July 10 2024

Listen to 'Hide The Glow'

Formed in 2014, Houston in the Blind instantly injected themselves into the Atlanta music scene. Their debut album, Limbs, was released in 2015 and quickly became an indie hit. It was featured on numerous Year-end Best of lists and saw the band tour around the country. This looked like the break band leader Charlie Garrett had been patiently waiting for. Wanting a change of scenery from his hometown of Athens, Georgia, Garrett and his wife decided to head west to Los Angeles. With all the positive momentum, Garrett thought it would be an easy sell to his bandmates, but that was not how things panned out. With Hide the Glow, Charlie reflects on how he got to the place he is now and the challenges he faced along the way.

“Garrett’s songs provide a resonant faith in enduring both life’s calamities and serendipities” - Grimy Goods
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While Hide the Glow is a chronicle of Garrett’s struggles, it’s more importantly a defiant smile. Garrett is unflinchingly honest in diagnosing all the ways that this album almost didn’t happen, at the same time, he is grateful for the endurance and patience he possessed to see it through. That ability to look back fondly on a journey that he started in 2016 with Gus Seyfferet (Roger Waters, Beck, Michael Kiwanuka, Dr. Dog) that somehow came full circle, back to Georgia where Hide the Glow was finished with Kris Sampson (The Coathangers, Omni) and Houston In The Blind’s original drummer Darren Dodd. He’s back home in Athens, and it finally feels like he’s there on his terms. “This album is the sobering moment of finally feeling awake and somewhat better. It’s a relief. It’s a bit of hope.” It’s what comes next.

Press Photos

On A Wire

Living a life that’s in constant transition can be exhilarating and full of mystery. It can also be extremely taxing on relationships and your mental health. On A Wire was born at a time of great confusion, where I was struggling to keep my head above water. A move to Los Angeles that corresponded with the release of Houston In The Blinds' debut album, created many new opportunities, but it also signaled the end of the band’s original lineup. All of these changes became too much to process at that moment. The song puts a microscope on all of the emotions I was feeling as well as all of the damage I was causing in my personal life. Produced by Gus Seyffert (Roger Waters, Beck, Michael Kiwanuka), On A Wire also features hauntingly beautiful vocals from Bedouine.

Drifting

Drifting is a meditation on life. Influenced by my own lived experience and my complicated relationship with change. The song appeared towards the end of the Hide The Glow sessions. There was such a heavyness lyrically to the songs we had recorded so far, that I felt like something lighter and maybe a bit more indicative of my current state was needed. So I set out to write something upbeat. The problem is, every time I “try” to write and push things in a certain direction, it ends up sounding like shit! I reset my intention just to “write” and a whole new set of chords, lyrics, melody, & feelings poured out rather quickly. It turned into a reflection on the inevitability of change. I’ve learned that processing pain and focusing on being present are so vital, but also very difficult at times. The song addresses all of this….. coming to terms with the struggle that is life.

Thoughts Of You

Examining the self-inflicted wreckage in one's life can be brutal. To get anything out of it you have to open yourself up to a certain vulnerability that's uncomfortable. Admitting that you caused the mess isn’t always enough, because you’re never guaranteed that what's broken can be fixed. These reflections stared deep into me when I was writing Thoughts of You. It’s a song that asks many hard questions and offers no answers. It searches for beauty in dark times. It’s my favorite song on the record, but it’s tough. For me, it still draws blood.

Dreams

In life, storms come and go, some more severe than others. At times, all your energy is spent just trying to stay afloat. Dreams takes most of its inspiration from a long-distance relationship my partner and I managed for 2 years. Life became a loop of endless goodbyes, it was brutal. I didn’t realize until years later the massive effect that experience had on me. The song went through many changes from its original form to what’s on the record. With each revision, my writing became more open and vulnerable, undeniably authentic. For better or worse, Dreams is a part of me.

Houston In The Blind On Tour

July 11, The 5 Spot, Nashville, TN

July 12, Hendershots, Athens, Ga

Aug 3, Concert in the Park, Leadville, CO

Aug 6, Taos, El Cortez Theatre/Mud Club Session - Live Performance Video

Aug 11, The Boathouse, Terilingua, TX

Aug 12, Planet Marfa, Marfa TX

Aug 14, The Ritchey, Alpine, TX

Aug 18, The Coral Snake, Austin, TX

  • 13k streams across all major DSPs from LP
  • +2,900 followers across social media platforms
  • +1600 Spotify followers
  • +5,500 monthly Spotify listeners
  • Top 5 countries: US, Finland, Canada, UK, Australia

Hide The Glow Campaign Highlights

Hide The Glow Credits

Performed by:

  • Charlie Garrett
  • Darren Dodd
  • Wesley Flowers
  • Kris Sampson
  • Sven Pipien
  • Gus Seyffert
  • Josh Adams
  • Bedouine
  • Andrea DeMarcus
  • Ben Davidow
  • Nick Whitson
  • Dave Claussen

1. Drifting

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, percussion
  • Darren Dodd - Drums, percussion
  • Kris Sampson - Synths, Loops, Keys, percussion
  • Nick Whitson - Bass
  • Ben Davidow - Backing Vocals

2. Everyone Knows

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, Synth
  • Darren Dodd - Drums, percussion
  • Kris Sampson - Loops, percussion
  • Wesley Flowers - Bass, Piano

3. Let Me Go

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, percussion
  • Darren Dodd - Drums, percussion
  • Kris Sampson - Synths, Loops, Keys, percussion
  • Nick Whitson - Bass

4. Dreams

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, percussion
  • Darren Dodd - Drums, percussion
  • Kris Sampson - keys, percussion
  • Wesley Flowers - Bass, Backing Vocals
  • Ben Davidow - Wurlitzer
  • Dave Claussen - Strings

5. My Mind (Garrett)

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, percussion
  • Darren Dodd - Drums
  • Kris Sampson - percussion, Synths
  • Ben Davidow - Piano, Backing Vocals
  • Andrea DeMarcus - Upright Bass

6. You Could Be King (Garrett)

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars
  • Gus Seyfferrt - Bass, backing vocals, keys, synths, percussion
  • Josh Adams - Drums, Percussion
  • Bedouine - Backing Vocals
  • Dave Claussen - Strings

7. On A Wire

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars
  • Gus Seyfferrt - Bass, backing vocals, keys, synths, percussion
  • Josh Adams - Drums, Percussion
  • Bedouine - Backing Vocals
  • Kris Sampson - Percussion

8. Thoughts of You (Garrett)

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, percussion
  • Darren Dodd - Drums, Xylophone
  • Kris Sampson - Percussion
  • Sven Pipien - Bass
  • Ben Davidow - Keys

9. On and On

  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars, percussion
  • Darren Dodd - Drums, Backing Vocals
  • Andrea DeMarcus - Upright Bass, Wurlitzer, Backing Vocals
  • Dave Claussen - Strings

10. I Don't Believe

  • I Don't Believe
  • Charlie Garrett - Vocals, guitars
  • Gus Seyfferrt - Bass, backing vocals, guitar, keys, synths, percussion
  • Josh Adams - Drums, Percussion
  • Bedouine - Backing Vocals
  • Kris Sampson - Synths

Additional Credits

  • Tracks 1-5, 8, 9 Produced by Kris Sampson. Recorded at Sampson Sound in Atlanta, GA
  • Tracks 6, 7, & 10 Produced by Gus Seyyfert. Recorded at Sargent Recorders in Los Angeles, CA
  • Mixed by Kris Sampson
  • Mastered by Joe Lambert

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