Bachelor — the collaborative project of Jay Som (Melina Duterte) and Palehound (Ellen Kempner) — release their highly-anticipated debut album Doomin’ Sun today! Doomin' Sun is a record steeped in friendship, one that began in 2017 when they first met in a Sacramento green room and experienced love at first sight. In January of 2020, they packed the entirety of Melina's recording equipment into two cars and headed to a rental house in Topanga, CA where over the course of two weeks, they wrote and recorded their first record together. In this space, they hybridized their individual songwriting talents, producing a collection that slips between moods with ease and showcases their lyrical prowess. 

On the bass-heavy rock song “Stay in the Car,” the duo paint a yearning portrait of a woman in a supermarket parking lot, “Anything At All” is a track with a chorus so playful it could be a schoolyard taunt. These songs tell stories that will surely be recognizable to listeners, especially when they offer up interpretations of modern life. “Drivin’ on to the next town/ Keeping the rubber side down/ But the danger is in my phone/ And the drug of an endless scroll,” Kempner sings on the downcast, country-inflected “Sick of Spiraling.” But on the album’s powerful opener – which receives the official video treatment care of Ellen herself – "Back Of My Hand" it’s possible to hear echoes of Bachelor's foundation in the opening verse, “I’m your biggest fan/ Got your song in my head/ And your poster’s above my bed,”.

The band shares: “For the “Back Of My Hand” video, we wanted more than anything to make something fun given the limited time and options available due to the current pandemic. Ultimately deciding to put Ellen in the director’s chair as well as film at her home with a skeleton crew. Our final single is about the dark side of fandom and we wanted to exaggerate that as much as possible in our video concept. When it came to choosing an artist to obsess over we quickly chose Harry Styles as we both are truly big fans!”

To celebrate the album release they have also announced Doomin’ Sun Fest, a massive livestream festival / telethon to benefit and uplift Seeding Sovereignty. The festival will take place on June 10 starting at 6pm ET., and features the likes of Tegan & Sara, Courtney Barnett, Benjamin Gibbard, Sylvan Esso, Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief, Jeff Tweedy, Japanese Breakfast, Julien Baker, Kero Kero Bonito, Julia Jacklin, Jeff Rosenstock and more. Bachelor will also hit the road in support of Lucy Dacus starting mid-September, marking both artists’ first in-person performance since lockdown. Tickets onsale now.