Paper Castles is the songwriting project and band fronted by Jericho, Vermont’s Paddy Reagan.

 

I’m Sad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Fake It Anymore is the best, sharpest, briefest, and fourth record from Reagan and his bandmates Brennan Mangan, Wren Kitz, and Emily Tompkins. It’s out digitally May 13, and in stores the Friday before on cassette, May 09—preorder via Sipsman’s Bandcamp or your favorite independent record shop.

Today, the band offers the album’s opening track “Content Creator.” It’s an Elvis Costello & the Attractions-style rave-up chock full of outsiders-looking-in snark and cutting couplets. The single arrives on all digital platforms today along with a live performance of the song, captured at Reagan’s Jericho home by Kayhl Cooper.



“Avalon” was released last month with a music from Cooper cut up from those Jericho sessions. “Sometimes when I don’t know what to write about I think about how much time I spent in parked cars smoking weed and listening to cassettes…” reflects Reagan, before adding “...not really liking the people I was around (probably not actually liking myself and projecting it on them), but not really knowing what else to do with myself.”


Some background on Paper Castles: if 2011’s Bleating Heart had Reagan making sense of Bill Callahan and Jeff Tweedy’s respective songbooks, then 2013’s Vague Era had Reagan making sense of Pavement and Deerhunter’s respective sonics. Those poles were channelled into the DMZ of 2018’s Acceptionalism while upping the recording fidelity thanks to Ryan Power and Urian Hackney (Rough Francis, The Armed) behind the decks. Reagan also solidified the Paper Castles lineup in the years following Acceptionalism, the project still firmly bolstered by drummer Brennan Mangan, (NNA Tapes and Sophomore Lounge recording artist) guitarist Wren Kitz, and bassist Emily Tompkins. Throughout its existence, PC has warmed Vermont stages for literally every single artist touring through, including Big Thief, Sheer Mag, Explosions in the Sky, Chris Cohen, Frankie Cosmos, William Tyler, Protomartyr, Pile, and The Wallflowers to name just a few.

Paper Castles on tour:
May 03 Winooski, VT – Waking Windows
May 14 Catskill, NY – Avalon Lounge
May 15 Dover, NH – Auspicious Brew
May 16 Portland, ME – Oxbow
May 17 Keene, NH – Kilkenny Pub
May 18 Providence, RI – AS220