Truth Or Consequences Alternate Versions

The day before the release of Yumi Zouma’s third album, ‘Truth or Consequences’, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 an official pandemic. The band had arrived in the United States for what was set to be their first ever fully sold-out US tour. However, the chain of events that followed meant that by the time they finished their set on the opening night in Washington DC, restrictions on venues had been enacted by local governments and all remaining tour dates were cancelled.

After returning home and spending a few numb weeks adjusting to this strange new way of life, April came, the reality set in, and Yumi Zouma quickly started to miss that feeling of exploring their new songs by playing them live. They had missed out on such a crucial part of the process – with no concrete idea of when they might next get the chance. It felt too soon to move on – they felt the pull to work on new music, but still felt a strong attachment, an unresolved connection to this new record that they had laboured over and had waited so long to release.

Writing new music around them, they took the songs of ‘Truth or Consequences’ and found themselves a new way of re-contextualising them safely, amidst the tragedy and fear going on in the world outside our windows – and the Alternate Versions were born. This new reimagining of ‘Truth or Consequences’ is the result of that process. Ten new arrangements that reflect feelings of optimism, helplessness, and a desire to keep exploring.