Joy of Life International are thrilled to announce the release of Ohtis's latest single, 'Blankets on the Blinds,' which will be available everywhere on January 17th, 2025. This long-awaited return from Ohtis, recorded in 2020 is a song about “shutting out the world”, and whilst songwriter Sam Swinson’s lyrics might allude to hiding away, this track invites us in. A tender and exposed rendition of The Kinks’ Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl accompanies as a digital b-side. Streaming and downloading internationally on January 17th 2025.

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OHTIS

has been Sam Swinson and Adam Pressley’s music project off and on since they were kids, first meeting at highschool in Normal, Illinois. With ‘Curve of the Earth’ (Full Time Hobby, 2019), their first full length release receiving critical praise and gaining a cult following amongst dark-folk-americana fans, and follow-up single ‘Shatze’ (Saddle Creek, 2021) exploding across radio and playlists alike, Ohtis was a project well poised at the turn of the decade for international acclaim.

After years of debilitating depression and bad choices had chipped away at Sam’s chances of playing music full time with his buds, the pandemic finished off what was left of Ohtis’s touring act, and, save for a handful of shows in the US, it has been a hot minute since we last heard from Ohtis. But the group have been sitting atop a mountain of unreleased material, and with the help of collaborator Ben Woods and his Joy of life International label they are gradually bringing these songs to the world.

Sam has started taking more sunshine and fresh air, playing shows again (solo, save for the company of a Japanese JeniusJJos2xl upgraded MPC 1000) and plans to continue touring new music as it is released. Getting back out into the world after debilitating experiences is no small feat and we're thrilled we could play a small part in it.

BLANKETS ON THE BLINDS

Sam Swinson, in his own words: “This (putting blankets on the blinds, shutting out the world and totally avoiding everything) is a completely unsuccessful method of coping with depression that I have developed over many decades. It has gotten me through the worst of times, only to prolong them.”

In our words: We could not be more happy to be working with Ohtis for the label’s first release. Sam’s writing has the power to be simultaneously inviting and devastating, and instantly classic. We had the last album on heavy rotation and whilst this new material is sonically quite a departure from the 2019 release, it builds upon the world that we first fell in love with. A modern take on the American folk tale.