In 2016, singer-songwriter Liz Lehman could hardly foresee that they were about to drop one of the most beloved albums of the ’10s. Their synthpop project The Scary Jokes had earned a cultlike following on Tumblr, fueled by a stream of early demos that showcased Lehman’s penchant for introspective, unabashedly queer, technicolor lyricism delivered via unforgettable earworm melodies.
What nobody was prepared for was the spectacular overarching creative vision of The Scary Jokes’ sophomore album, April Fools. Lehman’s lyrics and melodies were the foundation for an ambitiously arranged 8-bit psychedelic wonderland, rendered as a seamless album experience. Both deeply personal and overwhelmingly relatable, April Fools is a portrait of unrequited love, self-destruction and resilience painted so vividly that it had no choice but to become a viral sensation. Spawning multiple successful singles such as “Icicles,” “Catabolic Seed” and “Apple Pie,” the album catapulted The Scary Jokes into a new stratosphere of popularity at currently ~230,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
5 years later, Needlejuice Records is proud to present Liz Lehman’s masterpiece in a whole new light. The album has been remixed from the ground up and newly mastered by genius producer Angel Marcloid, best known for her acclaimed experimental newage-jazz-metal project Fire-Toolz. This remix is a breathtaking upgrade that heightens the immersive experience of the album. This new, definitive April Fools will be released on digital, CD, cassette and vinyl.
