On her new six-song EP, California 1970, Tara Beier firmly establishes herself as a powerful new voice within the alt-folk scene. Drawing from the full range of her influences, from traditional folk and blues to classic rock and psychedelia, Beier bridges past and future sounds while offering a lyrical perspective both personal and universal.

California 1970 will be officially released April 21 on Beier’s own label, Red Raven Records and distributed through Kobalt Digital. The EP is available to pre-order now from iTunes. [LINK]

Based jointly in Toronto and Los Angeles, Beier produced California 1970 herself at legendary L.A. studio The Village Recorder, joined by guitarist Adam Zimmon (Iggy Pop, Shakira), drummer Tripp Beam (Moby), bassist Eliot Lorango (Sea Wolf), and keyboardist Sasha Smith (Ariana Grande, Linda Perry). Additional sessions were held at former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum’s studio.

Not surprisingly, the songs on California 1970 reflect, on the whole, her recent time living in L.A., using the city as a conduit for some deeply personal themes. Opening track “Fools Paradise” sets the bar high with its taut, slow-burning message of seeking the truth, before exploding by the end into a soaring, string-led chorus.

Directed by Tara and produced by her partner, Grammy-nominated music video producer Dennis Beier, the video for “Fools Paradise” addresses mental health issues in the form of a lost woman living in her own demented reality, or “fantasy rhyme.” Beautifully shot in Altadena, California at the landmark ranch of famed Armenian-American painter Jirayr Zorthian, the video is an ode to Zorthian Ranch’s rich artistic legacy, and universal truths of hope and human struggle.