High Llamas’ Sean O’ Hagan prepares first solo album in nearly 30 years; Radum Calls, Radum Calls out in October on Drag City

High Llamas' Sean O’ Hagan prepares first solo album in nearly 30 years; Radum Calls, Radum Calls out in October on Drag City
Photo: Steve Brummell

Recognize the name? I know you do. There’s a few trillion (or a few hundred, depending on how “recreational” your high school years were) synapses flickering right now, I can assure you. How about if I mention Microdisney, The High Llamas, Turn On…Stereolab? Yes, that’s him. Understandably, you are forgiven for the momentary brain ache for not clicking with Sean O’Hagan: the name, the solo artist. With his only solo album, High Llamas, coming out back in 1990, O’Hagan has kept his name on inner sleeves and back covers rather than fronts, but has also kept busy as one of the most recognizable and dependable indie-pop composers and arrangers for decades.

Of course, The High Llamas pretty much IS O’Hagan’s solo musical vehicle, but he is discarding the group moniker for his new batch of songs. The Irish multi-instrumentalist will release his second solo album, entitled Radum Calls, Radum Calls, on October 25 through Drag City.

The first teaser from Radum Calls, Radum Calls is the off kilter first single “On a Lonely Day (Ding, Dong).” The familiar Brian Wilson-meets-Tropicália-meets-everything-else influence still shines through on the track, but O’Hagan has been his own sound for years now, and this one’s O’Hagan-esque through and through.

The video for “On a Lonely Day (Ding, Dong)” is just as interesting. The mix of hand-animation, stop-motion, and city video was created by the misterioso UK musician and animator Paperface and can be seen below.

Radum Calls, Radum Calls can be pre-ordered here on CD, LP, and DL.


Radum Calls, Radum Calls tracklisting:

01. Candy Clock
02. Better Lull Bear
03. I Am Here
04. The Paykan (Laili’s Song)
05. McCardle Brown
06. Clearing House
07. On a Lonely Day (Ding, Dong)
08. Spoken Gem
09. Sancto Electrical
10. Take My Steps (Nora Bramms)
11. Radum Calls
12. Calling, Sending

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