New York singer-songwriter, Odetta Hartman is today sharing her new single “Good Socks” which comes with an accompanying video directed by Water From Your Eyes’ Rachel Brown. The new track arrives alongside word of a three-track EP, Restoration – out via Transgressive on September 20 – which will land just before a show as part of the label’s 20th anniversary celebration taking place at Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn (alongside The Antlers, MICHELLE, Mutual Benefit, Julien Chang and Mykki Blanco). Restoration trails Hartman’s recent album, swansongs which was released earlier this year earning praise from Paste Magazine, Gorilla vs Bear and BrooklynVegan.

A song that has lived with Hartman for years, “Good Socks” was once imagined to feature on swansongs however the ephemeral sentiment of the song didn’t quite fit with the record’s themes of duality and dichotomy. Speaking about the track, Hartman says:

“The first release from my upcoming Restoration EP has been a back pocket anthem for years – performed in churches and clubs, sidewalks and schools, as a circle song sing-a-long shared with audiences around the world. In its nascent form, this little love song was simply strummed over two acoustic chords; the feel-good magic of simplicity with a sticky, happy hook. The concept for the Restoration EP was born: a return to a former flavor, grounded in a familiar faculty. With maestro Lorenzo Wolff at the helm, we prioritized strings over synths, acoustics over ableton, and live takes over digital tricks. Bridging the two-fold projects together, “Good Socks” begins with a found sound meditation that serves as an invitation to wonder “what makes you happy?”

When discussing the accompanying video, Odetta expands to say:

“The video for “Good Socks” was inspired by Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and serves as an authentic window into a very familiar day of my life. By fate stranger than fiction, I am raising my baby on the same cubic block that I grew up on, nestled in NYC’s Lower East Side amongst an iconic cast of characters. We spend our days walking – searching for sprinklers, praying for naps and stumbling into synchronicity on every corner. Accompanied by director Rachel Brown, we strolled through historic landmarks of the East Village and my childhood, popping into postcards of a downtown life and collecting friendly smiles along the way.”

Restoration finds Odetta return to her roots, stripping back the eccentric maximalism of swansongs, retreating to a more organic, pastoral sound. Pre-save the Restoration EP here – out via Transgressive on September 20.

North American Tour Dates

September 25 – Baby’s All Right, New York, NY – Tickets, here.