Recommended Tracks: “Horsie”, “Believe”, “Nothing 2 See”
Artists You Might Like: The Growlers, Mac DeMarco, Sun Room
Peter Sagar, best known as HOMESHAKE, released Horsie, his second album of 2024, on June 28. The album takes influence from artists including Four Tet, My Bloody Valentine, and Ry Cooder. Instrumentally, Sagar takes a “less is more” approach, creating the classic HOMESHAKE experimental sound we all know and love.
In Horsie, Sagar explores themes of loneliness and anxiety through the context of touring. The album’s first single, “Nothing 2 See”, depicts Sagar trying to hide in plain sight. He moves through crowds of people and daydreams about finding peace and quiet on the other side. Sagar sings, “Body frozen from the headlight shining down on me / If the moon’s out in daytime, am I still asleep?” and “Take it easier, looking like it’s nothing to see”. This track is accompanied by a music video directed by Jim Larson, which manifests the song’s themes into a small cult in a Palm Springs mansion.
The album’s title track, “Horsie”, takes listeners to gazing out the window on the American highway, as events of the previous day drift away into memories of concerts past. “Dinner Plate” holds a similarly nostalgic tone, as Sagar describes late night conversations with a lover from home. He produces a strong sense of longing, as the two try to absorb each other’s presence through the phone. In “On A Roll” and “Smiling”, feelings of anxiety become resentment– a lack of privacy exasperates the relationships held in a confined space. In “On A Roll”, Sagar sings “This and me and other things / Celly never rings”, and in “Smiling”, he sings “Something’s off today, sun is shining / Like you used to say feeling blinded”.
Sagar’s loneliness seeps into the lyrics of “Easier Now”. Following the end of a relationship, he finds himself in solitude, causing him to feel lost. The somber chords played at the beginning of the song set the tone for the lyrics to come, including “Alone again alone again alone again just me” and “My sandwich looks at me / Ask the waiter bring over a drink / Just to keep it company”.
“Ravioli” explores the exhaustion felt with touring, as Sagar feels his mind losing its sharpness. With all of his effort put into performing, he feels drained. He sings, “Telephone is glowing / Moving very slowly / Wind is softly blowing / Brain is ravioli”, and “Sitting up eyes squinting to greet the afternoon”.
“Believe” takes a very different turn from what is heard in the rest of the album. This song features more lighthearted lyrics, including “You’ve got to be easy in your body, carefree”. The change of pace felt emotionally in this song could be interpreted as Sagar trying to escape the pressure he feels from his work, avoiding the responsibilities he feels so deeply.
In “Simple” and “Empty Lot”, Sagar begins to change form. He expresses the feeling of losing your mind. In a series of music videos accompanying these songs, he highlights this sense of panic through his actions, such as stealing a car and being pursued by a mysterious man riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Sagar has challenged himself to make music based on pure self-expression since the origin of HOMESHAKE in 2012. Created while splitting time between recording in his home studio and touring as a guitarist for Mac DeMarco, HOMESHAKE has blossomed into a project adored by many. Sagar begins his upcoming tour on Sept. 27 at Montreal’s Théâtre Fairmount, with tickets available on his website.
HOMESHAKE Fall North American Headline Tour
Sept. 27- Montreal, QC (Théâtre Fairmount)
Sept. 28 & 29- Toronto, ON (Lee’s Palace)
Oct. 1- Cleveland, OH (Beachland Ballroom & Tavern)
Oct. 2- Detroit, MI (El Club)
Oct. 4- Chicago, IL (Thalia Hall)
Oct. 5- Saint Paul, MN (Amsterdam Bar & Hall)
Oct. 6- Milwaukee, WI (Vivarium)
Oct. 8- Nashville, TN (Blue Room @ Third Man Records)
Oct. 9- Atlanta, GA (Hell @ The Masquerade)
Oct. 11- Tampa, FL (New World Tampa)
Oct. 12- Orlando, FL (The Social)
Oct. 14- Asheville, NC (The Grey Eagle)
Oct. 15- Carrboro, NC (Cat’s Cradle)
Oct. 17- Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Oct. 18- Philadelphia, PA (Underground Arts)
Oct. 21 & 22- Brooklyn, NY (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Nov. 2- Portland, OR (Wonder Ballroom)
Nov. 4- San Francisco, CA (The Regency Ballroom)
Nov. 7- Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern)
Nov. 8- San Diego, CA (The Observatory North Park)
Nov. 9- Santa Ana, CA (The Observatory)
Nov. 10- Phoenix, AZ (Crescent Ballroom)
Nov. 12- El Paso, TX (The Lowbrow Palace)
Nov. 14- Austin, TX (Mohawk)
Nov. 15- Houston, TX (White Oak Music Hall- Downstairs)
Nov. 16- Fort Worth, TX (Tulips)
Nov. 17- Oklahoma City, OK (Beer City Music Hall)
Nov. 20- Denver, CO (Bluebird Theater)
Nov. 22- Salt Lake City, UT (Soundwell)
Nov. 23- Boise, ID (Shrine Social Club)
Nov. 24- Seattle, WA (The Crocodile)
