Thomas Powers (of The Naked & Famous) shares new single, 'Empty Voices'. Julien Baker

Thomas Powers (of The Naked & Famous) shares new single, 'Empty Voices'. Julien Baker

The debut Solo LP A Tyrant Who Weeps in Private It will be released on May 17th

03 May 2024
By Caleb Campbell

Later this month, Thomas Powersco-founder of synth pop outfit The Naked & Famous, returns with his forthcoming debut solo album, A tyrant who cries in private, out on May 17. The band went on hiatus after the 2020 record Recover, freeing Powers to delve further into production, film scoring, and his own solo music. His debut finds Powers evoking the confessional and minimalist side of indie, alt pop, combined with exciting classical and electronic flourishes.

The record also features a number of collaborations, including contributions from Chelsea Jade and Now Now, the latter of which appears on Powers' latest single, “Permanent Holiday”. Today, he returns with another collaboration, the featured “Empty Voices”. Julien Baker.

“Empty Voices” is a shadowy and somber effort, brought together by Baker and Powers' spectral vocal melodies and Powers' alt pop production. The pair dance with their vocals coated in distorted effects, layered harmoniously between the simmering keys and pounding beat. The results are understated but surprisingly powerful, drawing you in with Powers' seductive production before hitting with a hypnotic hook from Baker.

Powers says of the track, “My latest single, 'Empty Voices' (feat. Julien Baker), delves into the futility of online conflict. It's an expression of weariness and exasperation when we're on the receiving end of a heated, anonymous digital argument. At the same time, it's easy to act hypocritical and engage in an exchange that leaves everyone feeling hopeless.

Social media encourages impulsiveness and rewards volatility: if they get angry, they engage. But often, the voices worth listening to aren't the loudest—they're careful, measured, and thoughtful.

It is an incredible honor to have Julien's vocals and writing contributions on 'Empty Voices'. We connected via Twitter DM in 2017 – she was a fan of The Naked And Famous and I had dropped their first album, Sprained anklewhile we complete the TNAFs Simple forms. During the quiet lockdown of 2020, I reached out to see if she was interested in collaborating on one of my solo tracks.

She recorded most of her parts in her home studio and sent me some improvisational vocal ideas. They were so exciting that I decided to do a new track with them, which became “Little Lungs”. We met in person, here in my home studio in Los Angeles to finish “Empty Voices”. We skipped recording and spent most of our time in the studio hanging out, watching the sunset on a hill in Echo Park.”

Check out the song and video below. A Tyrant Who Weeps in Private will be released on May 17th.