s.j. armstrong - over here over there

S.J. Armstrong’s third album “Over Here Over There” is a dark sea of thick vocal arrays, complex layering and mysterious, frequently delusional, lyrics. This album is the first that he recorded from start to finish at the studio he built in a small cabin in northern Washington State. Armstrong began “Over Here Over There” directly on the heels of the release of his second album “Clothed by the Dark,” in November of last year. Over the course of ten months, he created a new landscape of sound that is a significant musical departure from his previous work. Though Armstrong has always written and arranged all the music, played most of the instruments, and made the cover art; for this record he did everything entirely himself, including all the audio engineering, mixing, and mastering.

Originally from San Diego, in 2013 S.J. moved to Los Angeles to try his hand at making music professionally. He put together a singer-songwriter act and took the stage name “The Mysterious Mr. Shoe,” where he played original folk songs. After several years, Armstrong dropped the stage name and began working to develop a unique sound for recording.

In July of 2018, He started recording at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. In May of 2019, S.J. self-released released a vinyl-only EP titled “Well Traveled,” then continued to finish it into a full album. His first album, titled “The Narrow Coast,” was mostly completed by February of 2020, and was originally planned for release in the summer of that year. However, the pandemic caused it to be postponed.

In 2021, Armstrong relocated to the Seattle area. In 2022, he moved outside the city and built a small studio in a cabin to continue recording in a home-based setting. At the end of 2022, S.J. self-released his first album, “The Narrow Coast.” In 2023, Armstrong finished and released his second album “Clothed by the Dark.” The record expands on the sound of his previous one but has a more rock-oriented style.

At the beginning of 2024, S.J. started releasing new singles every month. Over the course of this year, he has pushed his sound into new areas and changed many of the sonic elements of his previous two albums. “Over Here Over There” will be available on September 26th, 2024. Following the release of this album, Armstrong will continue to put out new singles on the fourth Thursday of every month. His fourth album is planned to be finished in early Summer 2025.