Mission To Mars
Album by Pride & Shame
The epic new space-rock opera from Baltimore's Pride & Shame - released June 4, 2024
Produced by Pride & Shame
Engineered by Ian Pellicci, Justin Day, & Rick Bowman
Mixed by Chris Freeland @Beatbabies
Mastered by Mat Leffler-Schulman @mobtownstudios
Recorded at:
New Noise Recording, Baltimore, MD
Brothers Chinese Recording, Oakland, CA
Orange Rock Studio, Baltimore, MD
String Arrangements:
Kristofor Heath
Thanks to:
Kristofor Heath, Justin Custer, Steve Colmus, Gregg von Bushberger, Matt Dahl, Steve Wright, David Bailen, Brooke Schmill, Karen Bowman, Bo Moore, Perry Greenfield, Brandon Friedland, & Al at Soundwave
Music video crew:
Brooke Schmill, David Smith, Ariel Rozenbaum, Eric Katsuleres
Additional musicians:
Amos Lee - Lead vocal on #2, Backing vocals on #15
Ali Burnett - Vocals on #2, Backing vocals on #14
Karen Bowman - Backing vocals on #14
Radim Vysotsky - Percussion on #5
Alex Crew - Cello
Maggie Kasinger - Violin
Produced by Pride & Shame
Engineered by Ian Pellicci, Justin Day, & Rick Bowman
Mixed by Chris Freeland @Beatbabies
Mastered by Mat Leffler-Schulman @mobtownstudios
Recorded at:
New Noise Recording, Baltimore, MD
Brothers Chinese Recording, Oakland, CA
Orange Rock Studio, Baltimore, MD
String Arrangements:
Kristofor Heath
Thanks to:
Kristofor Heath, Justin Custer, Steve Colmus, Gregg von Bushberger, Matt Dahl, Steve Wright, David Bailen, Brooke Schmill, Karen Bowman, Bo Moore, Perry Greenfield, Brandon Friedland, & Al at Soundwave
Music video crew:
Brooke Schmill, David Smith, Ariel Rozenbaum, Eric Katsuleres
Additional musicians:
Amos Lee - Lead vocal on #2, Backing vocals on #15
Ali Burnett - Vocals on #2, Backing vocals on #14
Karen Bowman - Backing vocals on #14
Radim Vysotsky - Percussion on #5
Alex Crew - Cello
Maggie Kasinger - Violin
Music Videos
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.
Featuring guest vocals by Amos Lee and string arrangements by Kristofer Heath
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.