Mary Lattimore — Returned To Earth

Returned to Earth names twelve minutes of music by harpist Mary Lattimore and Soap Library’s sophomore release. The two tracks that make up this limited edition tape, like alternating sides of a shiny coin, share Lattimore’s trademark grace but vary in conception.

A-side offering “For Scott Kelly, Returned to Earth” was written for its namesake man + moment—the American astronaut’s homecoming from a year spent living aboard the International Space Station. Kelly’s ship-to-shore transmissions via social media redefined our image of the Astronaut from intrepid explorer to something of an omniscient, benevolent spirit. Orbiting, watching, he posted updates on his orange zinnia (#spaceflower), aerial shots of great rivers and their curious zig-zags (#earthart), a moon rise, an aurora borealis. Lattimore followed and marveled at the sincerity in Kelly’s extreme, singular solitude. She fortuitously fell and fractured her jaw that winter, necessitating it be wired shut in order to heal. Undergoing two months without the ability to speak, Lattimore was confined to a strange isolation. Come spring, jaw healed and soul inspired, Mary wrote a song for Scott Kelly as he returned to Earth after his final, year-long mission aboard the ISS—a new “Space Oddity” for the Aquarian Age.  

Lattimore and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma crossed paths in the high desert plains of Marfa, Texas and reunited to jam + record in New York City shortly thereafter. “Borrego Springs” is six minutes of beautifully balanced improvisations from this day spent together and completes Returned To Earth. Lattimore’s painterly flourishes are grounded by Ledesma’s expressive interplay of piano, guitar and the very room itself—leaving one instrument to reverberate while crossing the space to re-activate the other. The resulting piece evolves the harp from a categorically solitary instrument to the anchor and root of this unique collaboration.

Each cassette is paired with a hand-stickered envelope containing a palmful of heirloom orange zinnia seeds, care instructions, and digital download card. Soap Library will donate every dollar received from Bandcamp sales of this release to the Sierra Club. Please purchase with purpose and help us to protect our planetary home.