News: Carlile announces debut album Human Human. Watch the hypnotising video for new single ‘Illusion’

Chicago singer, songwriter, and producer Carlile announced her debut album Human Human is slated for release August 30 via Chicago based label mainstay Sooper Records. A full-hearted and inexhaustibly generous pop treasure, Human Human radiates with the joy of unfettered self-acceptance — and all the awkward, terrifying moments of surrender it takes to get to a place where you can finally fall in love with your own beautiful mess. An unselfconsciously playful and thrilling work of synth-pop, Human Human recalls the warmth of Robyn and the luster of MUNA in its bold, sweeping arcs. This is an album that savors the pleasure of splashing a full rainbow of feeling against the wall.

This week she’s released the first song and video from the album ‘Illusion’ a glittering pop song about clearing the veil from a relationship turned sour. “I was at the end of my twenties, and I think that’s a period of change that we’re not really warned about,” Nichols says. “Life becomes more serious. I had gotten out of a relationship that hadn’t been working for a very long time. I was feeling pretty defeated at that stage — a lot of unknowns. Everything just caught up to me at once.”

Carlile is the middle name and performance alias of Emily Nichols, a longtime figure in Chicago’s thriving underground music ecosystem. Over the past decade, she’s issued a streak of glossy synthpop EPs while performing at storied venues and opening for big name indie artists. On Human Human Nichols focused on expanding her production skills, a step that allowed her the freedom to realize her songs from spark to execution, down to the last details. “Prior to this album, I took a back seat role for production. These were the first songs where I was leading the charge,” she says. Nichols worked with longtime collaborator Noam Wallenberg to crystallize the demos she had been recording. Together, Nichols and Wallenberg drew out the brightness that rings across Human Human, spangling songs like ‘Illusion’ with delicate vocal accents and sowing layers upon layers of freewheeling harmonies into ‘Fake Nice.’ The album features production contributions from a noteworthy list of Chicago artists including Neal Francis, Luke Titus, Macie Stewart (of Finom), and Cocojoey.

Human Human: