Cold War Kids release Los Feliz Blvd EP

Cold War Kids have released Los Feliz Blvd (Capitol Records), an EP featuring intimate, acoustic recordings of tracks from the band’s new album, LA Divine. With elegant, sparse instrumentation, the singles “Love Is Mystical,” “Can We Hang On?” and “So Tied Up” are stripped down to their emotional core. British singer/songwriter Bishop Briggs is featured on two tracks – the sizzling “So Tied Up” and a soulful version of Rihanna’s “Love On The Brain.” Available for download and streaming HERE the EP was produced by Lars Stalfors and recorded at Sonora Recorders in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Watch a live acoustic performance of lead singer Nathan Willett and Briggs recording “So Tied Up,” backed only by violin, cello and Willett on piano HERE. The official video for “So Tied Up” is coming soon. TIME Magazine hailed the single as “enticing” and noted, “This one is a fast –paced toe tapper with a stadium-sized arrangement. As far as angsty passionate themes to conflicted love affairs go, this one ticks all the right boxes.”

Coming on the heels of 2014’s Hold My Home – which featured the chart-topping, Gold-certified single “First” – LA Divine pays tribute to Los Angeles in all its strange glory, embodying Cold War Kids’ fascination with their adopted hometown. Produced by Lars Stalfors (Health, Local Natives), it debuted in Top 10 of Billboard’s Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. “Love Is Mystical,” the lead single, was praised by NME for taking the band’s “rousing and soulful anthemics to new heights.” The track, which is approaching 21 million streams worldwide, held the No. 1 spot for Most Increased Plays at AAA radio for two consecutive weeks and went on to spend 10 straight weeks in the Top 5. It took the No. 1 spot on the Alt 18 Countdown for four consecutive weeks and hit No. 2 at Alternative radio.

The Huffington Post said, “The soulful lyrics and sonic reverence of [LA Divine] is overwhelmingly compelling, addictive and even mesmerizing.” Entertainment Weekly observed, “[The album features] the gospel-tinged ‘No Reason to Run,’ eerie ‘Open to the Heavens,’ and dance-ready ‘Invincible.’ Album closer and highlight ‘Free to Breathe’ strips away flourishes, relying instead on minimal, ethereal instrumentation and frontman Nathan Willett’s vocals.”

Cold War Kids are Nathan Willett, Matt Maust, Joe Plummer, Matthew Schwartz, and David Quon. Formed in 2004 in Fullerton, CA, the band has sold more than 800,000 adjusted albums, over two million singles, and racked up over 200 million streams to date.

Los Feliz Blvd – Track Listing

So Tied Up feat. Bishop Briggs (Los Feliz Blvd)
Love On The Brain feat. Bishop Briggs (Los Feliz Blvd)
Can We Hang On? (Los Feliz Blvd)
Love Is Mystical (Los Feliz Blvd)