Opal Eskar is the new project of, “some of Philadelphia’s busiest indie musicians”. Fronted by acclaimed solo artist, and frequent collaborator Karl Blau, the trio also consists of Heyward Howkins, founding member of The Silver Ages, and Chet Delcampo, aka Hong Kong Stingray. Recorded with the help of The War On Drugs’ rhythm section, Opal Eskar’s self-titled debut EP will arrive in May via Spiral Valley Records, and today the band are premiering the video that accompanies their latest single, And Yet Love Rules.

Heyward Howkins and Chet Delcampo had previously performed together as Later Fortune, who at the time covered David Bowie’s track, Win, and the spirit of Bowie lives on into Opal Eskar. As Chet recalls, “a few years after Bowie’s death, I was reflecting upon his methodology of assembling an interesting cast of characters into the right room at the right time”. That was exactly his thinking when he approached Karl Blau about starting something new, and the influence flows through into the band’s own take on a modern love song, And Yet Love Rules.

Speaking of the track, Karl explains it is, “about letting love be the governing force in exchanges with other humans”. The song reflects on how we shouldn’t make assumptions about what’s going on behind anyone’s eyes, and we should go in open-heartedly into any conversation, “let the innocence of our inner child – the curiosity that permeates life – help lead our actions and interactions”. Musically, Chet recalls that And Yet Love Rules, “was the musical jumping off point of our Opal Eskar journey”, a song recorded quickly and straight to tape, grabbing the vibe of the musicians in this moment of creativity and capturing it for the world to hear.

The resultant track is a suitably dreamy affair, combining widescreen Americana with the smooth luxury of The The or Matthew E. White. The track has a certain nostalgic quality, that plays out in the accompanying video, directed by Julie Casper Roth, who explains, “the video is a rumination on nostalgia or memory – its imperfection, its fragments, and its shifting prominence in our lives”. Check it out below

The Opal Esker EP is out May 19th via Spiral Valley Records. For more information on Opal Eskar visit https://opaleskar.bandcamp.com/.