New rock opera: Mission To Mars (2024)
The Who of Pride & Shame
Mission To Mars - Pride & Shame’s epic new rock opera of an alt-history of the 1960’s space program. Gritty vintage guitars, lush strings, and spacey moog sounds are punctuated with heavy drums and 3-part harmony. A trip that requires headphones and with the imagination of a teenager on acid.
The story begins with the birth of the astral son who feels he never quite fit in on Earth. He dreams of a better life that awaits him on another planet (Hey, Astronaut Two). We hear snippets of melancholic abandonment (Alien In the USA) and triumphs of humankind (Last Day On Earth). As the long journey to Mars progresses, the astronaut unexpectedly falls in love with his chimp co-pilot as told in My Good Luck Charm. Dreams of new discovery are dashed as he finds that life on Mars is no better than the isolation on Earth (Alien On Mars). The story ends—or does it(?)—as we hear the final warbled transmission from the spacecraft as it barrels toward the assumed greener grass of Venus.
Pride & Shame crafted each song to not only fit the rock opera format, but to stand on its own as a complete pop song.
Recorded in Baltimore, MD at New Noise Recording with Justin Day (Meth Rats) & Oakland, CA at Brothers Chinese Recording with Ian Pellicci (The Dodos, Deerhoof) with overdubs in LA by Kristofor Heath (Alto Verde). Mixed by Chris Freeland at Wrightway Studios—where Future Islands and Turnstile crafted some of their recent recordings & mastered by Mat Leffler-Schulman @mobtownstudios.