Alden Hellmuth Talks New Album, Favourite Instruments And More

The Herbie Hancock Institute graduate Alden Hellmuth will release her new album ‘Tether’ on Friday 26th June 2026 via Nils Frahm’s LEITER. 

 

What is your earliest musical memory?

My earliest musical memory is probably singing in church/church choir. I really loved learning the harmony parts to hymns and even creating my own. I remember being really excited about the way a harmony or counter line could bring all these new colors to a melody.

When did you begin songwriting?

Unofficially I started songwriting when I was super young. I was always creating little songs and was really drawn to how emotive it could all be. Officially I started writing more seriously/compositionally in college.

You have your new album ‘Tether’ releasing on 26th June 2026. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

The project started when Miller (Wrenn) asked me to be part of a bill at Non Plus Ultra, a very fun DIYish space in downtown Los Angeles. He told me Logan Kane was also on the bill and I just thought, why not play with both of them?

They’re both such amazing and distinct players and so a lot of the record was built around their musical voices. I also think that very first gig at Non Plus Ultra had a lot to do with the vision for this project.

 

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

I recorded the album at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music recording studio. It’s a beautiful 4,300 sq foot studio. Our engineer, Laura Agudelo Cuartas, totally understood the vision and did such an amazing job capturing the sound. I produced the record myself.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

Nothing too insane happened during the recording session, but I will say that Justin’s yelling at the beginning of Face The Wall was completely unscripted and really elevated the take. It’s also pretty funny because the song is not in 4/4, but he counts “1..2..3..4!” as if it were and then somehow made the 15/8 sound like 4/4. That’s a testament to how incredible Justin is. All of the musicians on this record are just so so incredible and it was an honor to work with them.

 

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

I knew from the beginning that I wanted different textures on certain tracks and so I collaborated with three amazing artists, Caleb Buchanan on guitar, Sharada Shashidhar on voice/fx, and haana lee on effects/processing to create sounds and textures for three of the tracks (Microfictions, Supply Chain, and Fakers). It was a lot of fun to then take those recordings and further process and distort them on my own.

In the studio/during the session with the band, we were all isolated and I was in the biggest room which was such a fun and unique experience. Most of the reverb you hear is the natural reverb from the room.

 

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Happiest: Definitely Not Friends
Angriest: Face The Wall?
Most reflective: Witness

Who were the musicians who were on the album with you?

Logan Kane and Miller Wrenn on bass, Justin Brown on drums, Yakiv Tsvietinskyi on trumpet, and Paul Cornish on piano and also Caleb Buchanan on guitar/fx, Sharada Shashidhar on vox/fx, and haana lee on fx.

Does the album’s title have a specific meaning/significance?

As I was making the record I realized how this band really felt tethered to each other. Even in the moments of pure improvisation, there was so much communication and conversation happening – a truly deep understanding of the music and the moment from everyone.

 

Was it a difficult album to write?

I think because I was in school, the answer is both yes and no. I was writing so much and had a lot of time to workshop my ideas, but I also really challenged myself with new methods and ideas. I also wrote a lot of music that would challenge myself as an saxophonist/improviser so in those ways it was challenging.

Who designed the album artwork?

Trent Rivas – an amazing artist from Los Angeles.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

My hometown is Hartford/Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Five words: Jackie McLean, insurance, river, historic, small.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026?

Yes! We’re doing a tour this July – Basel @ Bird’s Eye July 8&9, Frankfurt @ Jazz Montez July 10, Rotterdam @ North Sea July 12, Berlin @ Donau 115 July 13, and Mantova @ a church/performance space July 14

 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

I hope to make audiences feel. Whatever their experience is, I hope to really impact my listeners. My other goal, which I’m constantly trying to achieve, is to let go and be in the moment as much as possible while performing. If I can let go of myself/the ego and just play, it really feels like a successful performance.

 

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I love trumpet and I love piano, those are the best instruments in my opinion.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I would love to score a remake of “Fight Club.” I think it’d be so fun to play with more experimental sounds/textures/themes, and really lean into the way the story (and main character) unravels. I recently collaborated on a score for a short film about wrestling and we tracked some ambient/textural solo saxophone for the more aggressive/fighting scenes. It was super fun to play with that contrast.

One of the tracks is the single ‘Face The Wall’. What was the story/inspiration behind the song?

As I mentioned before I was listening to a lot of Deerhoof at the time I was writing for this project. I love how they’ll have an odd bar or uneven phrase with a really jagged groove that makes the extra beat or flip feel like a skip or jolt. That unexpectedness is so fun for the listener and this was my attempt to do something similar.

 

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

I’m really inspired by my colleagues and bandmates (check out Logan Kane’s ‘Outside World’ or Justin Brown’s project as a leader ‘NYEUSI’ or Paul Cornish’s debut ‘You’re Exaggerating!’ or Yvonne Roger’s solo record ‘The Button Jar’ or Adam O’Farrill’s Elephant’ or Sharada Shashidhar’s ‘A Foot On The Ground’ ..so many!), and I’m really grateful to have so many incredible mentors who have deeply impacted me.

Ambrose Akinmusire and Steve Lehman are some of my favorite composers, and I’m really lucky that I was able to work closely with both of them during my time in LA. I also was listening to the Kris Davis trio album ‘Run The Gauntlet’ on repeat while making this album – I love how seamless the written and improvised material flows, and how every song is so directional. The compositions take you on a real journey. Ambrose also writes
with that same intentionality, and instilled that compositional practice into us during my time at the Institute.

I also listen to a lot of music across other genres (especially electronic/experimental), but I definitely recommend checking out the two bands I mentioned before – Deerhoof and Otoboke Beaver. I’ve also been listening to/loving ‘URGH’ by Mandy. Indiana and the single from L’Rain’s new record ‘soulless cycle.’

What makes Alden Hellmuth happy and what makes you unhappy?

This is such a fun question –
Happy: laughing with my friends, a caffeinated beverage, live music

Unhappy: when someone doesn’t tip or is rude to a service industry worker

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Baxter PR

Alden Hellmuth’s new album ‘Tether’ is released on Friday 26th June 2026 via via Nils Frahm’s LEITER label.

Pre-order/Pre-Save: https://ltr.lnk.to/TETHER

Visit: LEITER-VERLAG.COM
Follow: @LEITERVERLAG