‘The Hill Dweller’ is a window view into Kramies’ sweepingly-nostalgic new EP, "Of All The Places Been & Everything The End". A wistful and picturesque landscape, ‘The Hill Dweller', which was written and partially recorded while Kramies resided in an old Irish castle, was produced-by and features the brilliant Jerry Becker (Train).
Speaking about the track to Culture Collide, Kramies said: "The Hill Dweller’ was the last song I wrote while staying in the castle. It was meant to be an ending to another song, a kind of hidden track that would connect the storyline of the EP. After sending just the acoustic and vocal tracks that I recorded in a farmhouse in Ireland to producer Jerry Becker of the band Train, I kind of just let it go. When Jerry sent the finished track back to me I was blown away. It had grown into its own setting and instantly became clear that this would be the final track to the new EP.”
While wandering through landscapes that have been deepened by antiquities & fables, Kramies spent time residing in the grounds of an old castle. There, over the weeks & within the castle walls, Kramies started the writings of what would become his newest gathering of songs titled “Of All The Places Been & Everything The End”.
Upon returning home, Kramies teamed up with producers Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Todd Tobias (Guided by Voices) & Jerry Becker of Train to create one of the most nostalgically powerful & emotional folklore journeys in Kramies' collection yet. Tipping the balance between eerie reflections and fairytale laden myths, “Of All The Places Been & Everything The End” finds you moving within a forest of imagination as the beautifully architected story ends leaving you enchanted and bewitched.
A prog and folk-influenced mini opus akin to Mercury Rev’s classic Deserter’s Songs, the EP covers more ground across its 23-minute run-time than many albums double its length. Given it was the site of the music’s gestation, it’s fitting that the eight-minute epic ‘Ireland’ is the EP’s swaying centrepiece. ‘Everything The End’ is an enchanting, unearthly tale of time and loss, coloured by melancholic optimism. And ‘The Hill Dweller’ brings the EP to a goosebump-raising conclusion with its sleigh bells and strings, as Kramies intones, “Now I’m home…”