Sis and the Lower Wisdom release new album Saints and Aliens via Native Cat Recordings
Los Angeles-based collective Sis and the Lower Wisdom return with their new album Saints and Aliens, arriving January 9, 2026, via Native Cat Recordings. The nine-track, 30-minute release situates itself within alternative and indie pop/rock genres, unfolding as a fluid, exploratory work that balances songcraft with improvisational instinct.
Produced by: Dougie Stu and Jenny Gillespie Mason
Across its concise runtime, Saints and Aliens occupies what the band’s press release describes as a “messy, luminous space between improvisational jazz and Mason’s longtime love of catchy pop.” The album’s sonic palette blends analog synthesizers, layered keyboards, hand percussion, and live drums with a tactile, homespun production style. Rather than leaning into polish, the record favors texture and movement, allowing songs to breathe, stretch, and subtly transform as they unfold. Thematically, the album explores lived experience, spirituality, and embodiment, drawing inspiration from the Gnostic concept of divine wisdom descending into the material world.
Early highlights like ‘Crocus Man’ and ‘Wolf Child’ establish the album’s more direct emotional register, grounding its philosophical scope in personal, song-forward structures. As the record progresses, Saints and Aliens widens its lens. Tracks such as ‘Yoga of the Soul’s Release’ and ‘Luce’ drift into meditative territory, emphasizing atmosphere, rhythmic patience, and gradual harmonic development. Elsewhere, ‘Big Bend (Oh Jai Ma)’ and the title track underscore the album’s collaborative nature, weaving together layered percussion, saxophone, and synthesizers without overwhelming the core melodies.
The project marks the emergence of Sis and the Lower Wisdom as a collective rather than a solo endeavor. What began as Mason’s solo experiments expanded to include a broader circle of LA-based musicians, including Brijean Murphy on congas and percussion and Nicole McCabe on alto saxophone. Drumming duties are shared across the album, with contributions from Chris Thalmann, Adam Starkopf, Kosta Galanopolous, and Hamir Atwal, while Pope Flyne adds talking drum, conga, djembe, and frame drum textures. Arlo Perlstein contributes additional piano on ‘Luce.’
All songs on Saints and Aliens were written by Jenny Gillespie Mason and produced by Dougie Stu and Jenny Gillespie Mason, with engineering handled by the same duo. Pope Flyne’s parts were engineered by Jay Pellicci at Brothers Chinese Recording. The album was mixed by Dougie Stu and mastered by Bijan Sharifi. Visual elements, including photography and album design, were created by Ginger Fierstein, reinforcing the project’s cohesive, handcrafted feel.
Saints and Aliens is out now via Native Cat Recordings. The new album is available to stream and download across major platforms.
Standout Songs: ‘Crocus Man,’ ‘Wolf Child,’ and ‘Yasholipsa.’
Release Date: January 9, 2026
6.3
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