A Private Press

A Private Press formed in 2011 with singer and lyricist Nicola Dixon delivering pure, distinctive vocals over Ian Schaefer's rich, songbook-tinged electric guitar. The duo's 2012 album, Risky, is a heartfelt study of the aesthetics of progress, behavior and change. Sincere but not sweet. Beautiful and unselfconscious. In 2013 the band began experimenting with a four-piece ensemble, woodshedding with Josh Cusatis on bass and Stewart Bradley on drums. This new arrangement offers a bolder, brasher take on the unique songwriting style of the founding duo—resulting in a sound that combines rock, pop and jazz structures with lush textures of shoegaze and slowcore. Dixon's compelling melodies and deft lyricism continue to add an uncommon sparkle and presence to the evolving sound of A Private Press. In 2014, the band quietly released a pair of singles from a forthcoming EP.

Philadelphia, PA