For the first time since his 2015 debut, Jim Hewitt, the songwriter behind Lost Film, ventured outside his home to make music. Taking with him both the essentials, a stack of recording equipment and a heap of instruments, as well as the comforting, vintage lamps and wool rugs that probably came in handy in a New Hampshire log cabin during a blizzard, he set to work. The result is Keep It Together, a record full of rich musical textures and lyrical honesty, that finds Jim exploring his past as it, “looks back at the decisions I’ve made with my life and who I am now”. With the album set for release next month on Relief Map Records, today Jim is sharing the latest track from it, Notion.

Described by Jim as the, “really poppy one that sort of sounded like the first Lost Film bedroom recordings”, Notion is also thematically different to much of the rest of Keep It Together. The track steps outside of the personal, confronting ideas of climate change, rising sea levels and the anxiety it can bring in us all. Musically, the track is a luxurious slice of dreamy-indie, like the middle ground of New Order and Wild Nothing as driving guitar lines sit in contrast to the wavy electronics and steady pulse of the snare drum. Atop it, Jim’s vocals are downbeat and hazy with reverb, as he weighs up the scales of apathy and anxiety, “I like my cars and I like my movies, it’s not my fault I’m all I consume, someone else will fix it, but something it will not be is me, no it won’t be me”. Jim casts the rising water levels as a distant threat, one we’re in danger of sleepwalking under with inaction, ending with the repeated warning, “it’s not a notion, it’s an ocean”, and one we can’t afford to ignore much longer.

Check out Notion below, and then read on for my recent interview with Jim where we discussed timeless influences, the pros and cons of releasing on your own label, and why he feels like he has, “already met my aspirations for this record even though it’s not out yet”.

FTR: For those who don’t know, who are Lost Film?

Lost Film has been my (Jim Hewitt) solo recording project that I started around 2014 after moving to Western MA from Boston. It came about after accidentally figuring out how to loop guitars and a drum machine together while I was in between jobs. We play as a live 5-piece band and I’m joined by Ben Husk (drums), Eric Presz (bass), Chloe Deeley (synthesizer), and Connor Presz (guitar).

FTR: Today you’re premiering your new single, Notion, what can you tell me about the song?

“Notion” is an outlier on the record thematically. This particular collection is all pretty personal which is unlike most of the other records but this song is about climate change and sea level rise. I try not to have two songs that sound alike so when I was narrowing down the final track listing I realized that there needed to be a really poppy one that sort of sounded like the first Lost Film bedroom recordings. It’s also the only song where I played drums on instead of Ben.

FTR: The track’s lifted from your new album, Keep It Together, what can you tell me about the
recording process?

This was by far the most fun I’ve had recording an album. We went to a friend’s log cabin in New Hampshire for a weekend and the day we got in, over a foot of snow fell so we really couldn’t go anywhere or do anything other than record. My friend Matt Freake who plays in Dutch Tulips stayed with me and Ben and since there weren’t the constraints of a traditional studio, it felt really comfortable and relaxed. We had a fire going and even though it was March the family still had their Christmas tree up. Matt is an excellent engineer and since he knows exactly how I like things to sound we were able to record basically the whole album in a weekend.

FTR: What did you do differently with this album compared to your previous releases?

A few things were quite different this time around. The main aspect being that I spent 4 or 5 years writing and fine-tuning the songs where I usually rush out and record a batch every year or so. I think that really shows here. The other part was the recording process. The past few records were done in my basement in bits and pieces so this is the first album made outside of my home since 2015. I don’t really like the sterileness of studios but don’t quite have a space at home that can quite reach where I want to go so the cabin getaway was a perfect blend.

FTR: The album’s coming out on Relief Map Records, how did that come about?

I run the label by myself in addition to doing Lost Film so I had an inside advantage to getting signed. In all seriousness though I did struggle with the idea a bit on mixing the worlds in an effort not to feel like I was using the label to prop my art up. It’s been a couple years and I’ve done 11 other releases before doing mine and it just feels right being on my own label to show that I’m proud to be a part of it in that way too. I’m also able to experiment on the release strategy a bit more and take chances on things that might not work and if it does, I can work that in on other releases.

FTR: Who are the influences on your songwriting? What were you listening to when you wrote
Keep It Together?

I put off listening to Fountains of Wayne for a really long time but got really into them and Ivy the past couple of years. I did the same thing with R.E.M. four or 5 years ago. I think I spent a long time looking at what contemporaries were doing but there is so much to say about the timelessness of bands like those that I really wanted to strive for this time.

FTR: Will you be touring Keep It Together? What can people expect from the Lost Film live show?

The live show right now is the best I’ve been a part of and I’m really grateful for it. We’ve started incorporating a sampler with some backing elements that really lift the show. It felt like the band was doing the same 7 or 8 songs in a pretty straightforward manner just to get the songs out but the goal now is to start playing bigger rooms and put on a much bigger show from start to finish.

FTR: What are your aspirations for this record? Do you see music as a viable lifestyle?

In all honesty, I feel like I’ve already met my aspirations for this record even though it’s not out yet. By taking that much time writing and being able to get the recordings to sound this good without spending a ton of studio money – paired with it being the first release on vinyl feels like a huge accomplishment. I guess it would be nice if people connected with the songs too but frankly, this record especially was for me to get some stuff out. Music can certainly be a viable lifestyle if you have your expectations right. The only way to make a living off music now is by relentless touring and or landing sync deals. It’s pretty rare to make a career off music without those but like any profession, if you put all of your energy into your craft and become a part of an artist community opportunities fall in line.

FTR: What’s next for Lost Film?

We’re gonna play some shows and wait for the songs to hopefully find people. Particularly proud of our release show bill coming up with Laveda, Shrill Pill, and Gardens East at the Marigold Theater in Easthampton, MA.

Keep It Together is out September 15th via Relief Map Records. For more information on Lost Film visit https://www.lostfilmband.com/.