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New York-based artist and creative multi-hyphenate Late Again (Rafael Melo) has announced his new independent EP, Clearly It’s All Staged, is slated for release on September 2nd. Known for his signature blend of dream pop, electronic, indie, and lo-fi elements, Late Again crafts a mesmerizing world of hazy soundscapes underscored by honest, witty, introspective, and subtly ironic lyricism. The new EP heralds a bold evolution, weaving together indie rhythms with the textures of his Brazilian heritage as he fully embraces his ironic yet non-ironic self.
Clearly It’s All Staged spans six tracks that explore themes of rejection — whether platonic, romantic, or professional — and the complex process of letting go. Written and recorded in Brooklyn, the EP is co-produced by longtime friend and collaborator Heal Mura (Aldo, The Band) and features contributions from talented artists such as Ella Walton, Nathan Dies, and Jared Yee. It includes the previously released singles, “Ick?,” a sharp, cynical track about catching the “ick” and being unapologetically annoyed about it, layered with dreamy guitars and a soulful bassline, and “Sunrise/Sunset”, a reflective take on the blurred boundaries of a situationship. The EP represents a subtle departure from 2024’s debut projects Migraine Fever Dream and Absolutely Almost Sure, which delved into themes of belonging, self-doubt, identity, impermanence, and longing for connection.
Speaking on the new EP, Late Again shares, “It’s an EP about rejection and learning to let things go. I like to think each song explores a different step in that process, from denial to acceptance.”
Coinciding with today’s news, Late Again also unveils his new single and video “Easy On Myself”, the latest offering from the upcoming EP. The stirring yet optimistic, jazz-tinged track explores self-discovery through the lens of self-care and daily routine. Written during a time when Rafael was on the verge of quitting his day job, the song opens with a real voice memo sampled from a Zoom meeting on his final day.
The accompanying visual, co-directed and shot on green screen in collaboration with visual artist Rollinos (Toro y Moi, Remi Wolf, Benee, Fazerdaze, Badbadnotgood, Metronomy), brings the track’s whimsical spirit to life. It follows Late Again on a surreal, dreamlike bike trek in search of meaning, unfolding across a series of vibrant retro-styled scenescapes imbued with a nostalgic and psychedelic feel.
Late Again shares, “The song was written when I was on the verge of quitting my job, and it talks about self-care and getting back to basics in life as a response to our inherent emptiness. It also talks about biking. Ironically, and by pure coincidence, the music video was shot on the day I finally quit. The voice memo sampled on the song’s intro is literally from a BS Zoom meeting on my last day at work.” He adds, “we shot the music video on a green screen with the help of visual artist Rollinos. It tells the story of an endless, surreal bike ride in search of answers, and it carries this lighthearted, ‘90s feel that takes it easy on itself.”
Check out “Easy On Myself”, pre-order Clearly It’s All Staged, and stay tuned for more news to follow as Late Again sets the stage for his new EP.