Rex Orange County dreams big with new LP
Rex Orange County is officially opening the door to a new era of sound with the release of his sixth studio album, Dream Fatigue, arriving on November 6th from AWAL. This isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a testament to a profound shift in creative philosophy, marking a transition from the solitary, DIY ethos of bedroom pop to a deeply collaborative, expansive vision.
For years, Rex built his career largely by working independently, a creative isolation he once described as a matter of choice. He often wrestled with the idea of making decisions alone, reflecting on how the presence of multiple minds in the room could lead to confusion. That narrative changed in 2024, as Rex began inviting collaborators into the creative process, transforming Dream Fatigue into a highly interactive and global endeavor.
The making of the album was anything but conventional. It involved unplanned expeditions to cities and landscapes across the globe—New York, Toronto, Rome, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Los Angeles. The process favored spontaneity, often starting songwriting on the guitar rather than inside a traditional studio setting, allowing ideas to flow organically from these shared experiences.
This collaborative spirit yielded some truly unexpected sonic results. The album features contributions from a diverse group of talent, including Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes, Daniel Caesar on the track “Indecision,” and others like Mustafa, dexter in the newsagent, and Jockstrap’s Taylor Skye. The newly emerged track, “Grandma Song,” is already visually captivating, featuring Rex amidst a spectacular display of fireworks in Montana.
The creative relationships extended beyond the music itself, spilling onto the live stage. The collaboration with Brendan Yates, a fellow drummer, became a dynamic partnership that extended into producing and video direction, culminating in their joint performance of “Elvis” at an intimate London show.
This shift has profoundly changed Rex’s perspective. Where he once focused on internal control, he now describes the collaborative experience as an awakening. “Suddenly your eyes open to everything, and you just want it. You want to raise the bar,” he notes, reflecting on the liberation that comes from sharing the creative load.
Rex continues to aim for an experience that is both immediate and intimate. Following a summer filled with personal performances in fans’ homes across the U.K., Ireland, and Asia, he is keen to maintain that sense of immediacy. He envisions the next chapter of his career retaining that feeling of raw, in-the-moment creation—ideally performing in people’s living rooms, if they’ll have him.
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