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The three members of acclaimed Brooklyn synth pop band Nation of Language<\/a> were quite literally searching for a way forward after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic cut short what would have been their first major tour. After four years of scraping funds together to record one-off singles, they’d finally been able to release debut LP Introduction, Presence<\/a><\/em> in May 2020; when songwriter\/vocalist Ian Devaney and keyboardist Aidan Noel got married, they’d requested guests give them money for studio time in lieu of wedding gifts. But without a tour to promote the album, releasing it seemed like a lost cause – until Introduction, Presence<\/em> gained unexpected traction and critical acclaim, selling out of three vinyl pressings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Devaney, Noel, and bassist Michael Sue-Poi did what any scrappy DIY act would do in a similar situation – they decided to record a quick follow-up with Abe Seiferth (who’d worked on their debut) and Nick Millhiser (of Holy Ghost!). “There was so much uncertainty in not being able to tour that for a while we felt a bit lost while everything was locked down. Starting to write and record seemed like the only way to take a next step and get out from under the cloud that was so heavy over us,” says Devaney. Released November 5, A Way Forward<\/em> takes its title from minimalist album track “Former Self,” in which Devaney sings, “”Away from you\/I cover it well\/But I may crumble\/I can\u2019t stop myself\/A careful word\/Something to guide my soul\/A way forward.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Sonically speaking it felt like a good title because we were diving into a more expanded pool of influences,” he adds. “It felt right both in terms of life during the pandemic, and as a band finding new ways to expand what kind of sonic space we could occupy. There were so many directions that could be taken, but this felt like the right next step.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n