Desiree Cannon - Radio Heat (2024)

Radio Heat is the sophomore album from Desiree Cannon and a step further into her world of constellations, waterways, and cosmic omens. Like her debut LP, Beach Sleeper, the album is a cohesive, yet diverse collection of songs that each act as a doorway to access the sonic multiverse of the record. You could step into the album through the dark, Lynchian ballad Latigo, the sparkling surf-inspired track Tower, or the modern, heartworn waltz Fault Line, and each would serve as a proper introduction into Desiree’s vibrant, intentional collection of songs.

The album is unified around the core concept of Radio Heat - a collective electrical energy that is perpetually transferring human emotions through space and time, and our ability to transform that energy through acts of beauty, intention, and art. In this way, Radio Heat as a concept and an album transmutes pain - in its many guises - into song. While Cannon’s country influences and songwriting inspirations are interwoven throughout the album, Radio Heat stretches to include a multitude of musical styles, and is ultimately a soundtrack for the present day, looking towards a future where grief is shed and beauty abounds.

The heart of Radio Heat was recorded to tape on a remote hilltop in Big Sur during 2020 and 2021, a time of intense uncertainty and deep need for artistic collaboration. Being separated from the news cycle and among the stars allowed for these songs to be imagined and reimagined to match the rugged, staggering Esselen lands that surrounded their creation.