Esperanza Spalding Plots ’12 Little Spells’ EP, Pop-Up Shows

Esperanza Spalding will release a new EP, 12 Little Spells, October 19th, with the musician planning to share a new song from the project each day starting October 7th and culminating with the release of the full EP.

Per a statement, 12 Little Spells is “an exploration of the body, human energy and healing,” with each track ”“ or “spell,” as Spalding refers to them ”“ corresponding to a different body part. Song-specific imagery and a short film will accompany the release of each individual track.

Spalding wrote much of 12 Little Spells in an Italian castle last month and recently finished recording the project in Brooklyn. For the visual components, she collaborated with artist Carmen Daneshmandi, opera and theater director Elkhanah Pulitzer, wardrobe specialist Diego Montoya and video artist Ethan Samuel Young. Spalding tasked her collaborators with crafting their contributions based solely on the project’s title and the spell names, without hearing any music.

To support the project, Spalding will play a series of 12 pop-up shows, with details expected to arrive soon. Each performance will focus on a single song and “feature an explosion of music and words, color and movement.” No two shows will be the same, but all 12 will be recorded for a live concert film that will be released next year. At each show, Spalding will also be selling limited music and merchandise, with a full deluxe package of 12 Little Spells set to arrive next year via Concord Records.

12 Little Spells follows Spalding’s 2017 album, Exposure.

Esperanza Spalding 12 Little Spells Track List

1. “12 Little Spells” ”“ Thoracic Spine
2. “To Tide Us Over” ”“ Mouth
3. “Until The Next Full” ”“ Eyes
4. “Thang” ”“ Hips
5. “Touch in Mine” ”“ Fingers
6. “The Longing Deep Down” ”“ Abdominal Portal
7. “You Have To Dance” ”“ Feet
8. “Now Know” ”“ Solar Portal
9. “All Limbs Are” ”“ Arms
10. “Readying to Rise” ”“ Arms
11. “Dancing The Animal” ”“ Mind/Brain
12. “With Others” ”“ Mind/Brain