Turtle Bay’s Thomas MacGregor announces debut solo EP Juvenilia

Thomas MacGregor, AKA Thomas Cockram of Perth band Turtle Bay, is set to release his first EP as a solo artist, titled Juvenilia, on Friday, March 1.

The material for the EP emerged during the writing of Turtle Bay’s sophomore album, but took on a distinct alt-country character that MacGregor felt warranted exploration outside of the band and its established sound.

Influenced by the likes of American songwriter Gram Parsons (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers) and reclusive author Thomas Pynchon (Inherent Vice, The Crying of Lot 49), Juvenilia sets out to explore themes of yearning, imperial excess, love, the limitations of individualism, and spiritual uncertainty.

The first song, Consternation was recorded with former Turtle Bay member Will Johnson in his home studio, while Someone To Watch Over Me and America were tracked as live demos with Turtle Bay members and subsequently fleshed out with overdubs from MacGregor and his collaborators. All songs were mixed by Jeremy Segal and mastered by Dan O’Connor of Encoder Sound.

We’re told that for now, this project remains a recording one with no live shows planned; however, MacGregor has already begun work on his second and third EPs, so further releases are not far away.

Thomas MacGregor’s debut EP Juvenilia is out on Friday, March 1, 2024. Check it out on Soundcloud or Bandcamp.