For Now is a modern jazz quintet coming out of Denton, TX. It’s members, Isabel Crespo on vocals and composition, Skyler Hill on guitar, Ben McDonald on piano, Mike Luzecky on bass, and Jonny Harmon on drums met while attending the University of North Texas. Elsewhere, set to drop on May May 18th, marks their recording debut.
The title of the album refers to a non-tangible place removed from reality, a state of mind that consumes you, prevents you from being here or there, and takes you “elsewhere”. Composer and vocalist of the group, Isabel Crespo says, “I wanted to recreate the kinds of moments that envelop you and demand your attention, and display those through every aspect of the music.”
The lead single, “Caught in the Double Bind”, for which you can watch the video clip below, speaks to the challenges of being a woman in a leadership position. Throughout the album, Crespo’s compositions touch on several topics relating to social injustice, turning complex situations into musical vignettes. “Being both a person of color and a woman in the United States brings certain challenges which I wanted to touch upon in the music,” Crespo states.
The album artwork for Elsewhere, which Crespo designed, is meant to itself.
Additionally, she created a set of collages – one for each song on the record – to be sold separately as prints that visually guide the listener through the entire album. “I’m a very visual person. I wanted to express the compositions both sonically and graphically to better convey the meaning behind each piece,” Crespo explains.
Elsewhere is out May 18th. You can pre-order the album on For Now’s Bandcamp.
Sébastien Hélary co-founded Nextbop in 2009 with the objective of introducing modern jazz music to a younger generation of fans. Aside from music, his other main obsession is food, particularly ramen and other Japanese delicacies.
