Nettwerk Singer-Songwriters Ed Prosek and Portair Join Forces For New Project Driftwood Choir; Release New Single “Blue Light Escape”
May 10, 2024 BY Emma Orland
California-born artist Ed Prosek and Australian artist Portair join forces for a new project, Driftwood Choir, after connecting as expat singer-songwriters based in Berlin. Drawing from their shared experiences and musical synergy, Ed’s poignant lyrics and Portair’s composition showcase their undeniable chemistry on the new single “Blue Light Escape.” Listen HERE.
“’Blue Light Escape’ is the third song that Ed and I wrote together,” expresses Portair. “Ed had the concept and lyrics fleshed out but it was something I heavily relate to. We got together to finish the production and composition, and it came together in a way that we’re really proud of. The song is a reflection of self in a modern age, and how addicted we are to our phones and screens. It’s about reaching a point where you realize the detrimental effects of this, and longing for an escape.”
Ed adds, “I’m a recovering scroller. I thankfully broke the habit I developed during COVID-19, but it left me curious and nostalgic for that long forgotten time before social media and smartphones. If it’s not too cliche to ask for the millionth time, ‘what did we do with all our time and uninterrupted thoughts before technology devoured them all?’ This song was an important inflection point for me in terms of how I view my relationship with technology, and – as always – I understand something better when I write a song about it.”
“Blue Light Escape” follows Driftwood Choir’s previous collaborations, “a bad dream from an old life” about longing to connect with nature, and “Constantinople” a powerful track about resilience. When discussing how Driftwood Choir came to be, Ed exclaimed, “Drew and I had instantaneous songwriting chemistry when we first met last year and wrote ‘Constantinople.’ Though we’re from opposite sides of the world, many of our experiences seemed to parallel one another and after writing more together it became clear that our collaborations produced something really important to the both of us. The sound was more unique than what one might expect from such a collaborative effort, so we decided to formalize it as Driftwood Choir, which reflects our transient pasts and our tendency towards recording choir-like vocal productions. Drew and I also began building a recording/production studio together in Berlin as the hub of all of our future work together.”
Stay tuned for more information on upcoming releases from Driftwood Choir.
ABOUT ED PROSEK:
Growing up with a Czech father and an Italian mother, Ed Prosek’s family roots always reached towards the old world. At eight-years-old, he picked up and studied classical trumpet until the age of twenty, before attending the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He eventually lived in the UK for a spell before finding his way to Berlin to set roots and create music.
Following a few independent releases, 2016’s Truth EP yielded the fan favorite “Holy Water,” followed by the Flesh & Blood, Pt. 1 EP in 2017, highlighted by “The Mountain.” He maintained his momentum with Light As A Feather EP [2019] and singles such as “One Man’s Blessing,” “4AM,” “The Other Side,” and “The Garden.” After success from his previous releases and praise from Wonderland, Earmilk, and Atwood Magazine, Prosek released his 2023 EP The Foreigner to rave reviews.
ABOUT PORTAIR
Australian-born indie-pop singer, songwriter, and producer, Portair’s songs and scores have appeared on networks such as Netflix, NBC, MTV, and CBS. He has spent the last two years on the road in North America, Australia, and Europe, supporting artists like SYML,Liz Longley, Post Sex Nachos, Mystery Skulls, Me nd Adam, Begonia, City Of The Sun, and Jonathan Roy. In 2023 his single, “Gloaming Hour,” racked up over 5 million plays on TikTok, and he released The Place To Start EP and Learning How To Die EP. The latter featured buzzy New York artist Vérité, Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling songwriter, artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist WYNNE, and Los Angeles singer-songwriter Emily James. He recently relocated from Los Angeles to Berlin and is currently on tour in Europe with Jonathan Roy.
