Dream team trio Better Corners – Valentina Magaletti, Sarah Register and Matthew Simms – have completed a staggering new album Continuous Miracles, Vol. 2 for The state51 Conspiracy, and where their debut LP joyfully opened the door to a brand new room, this one strides purposefully inside.

Cremated Pets is the first single from the upcoming album. Like Gamelan played by a future civilisation who have never heard it, only read about it in ancient books, this is constructed from bowed guitars, hypnotic hand drums and bells.

Sarah Register: I was visiting a beloved aunt's house and slept in her bedroom. In the headboard of her bed, there are lots of places for curiosities and heirlooms. In these spaces, among other things, she has box after box of pets of hers that I had known over the years. So I was spending time with the ashes of these animals who had meant a great deal to my aunt.

Valentina Magaletti: We were chatting and she said, ‘Yeah, there are like seven boxes of cremated pets here in the bed.’ And that title really stuck with us.

Matthew Simms: The initial starting point for this was a sample of me playing a water bowl at the science museum playground in Birmingham. Then Valentina played some percussion and then it was all sent into a spring reverb and the song formed on top from there.

Pre-order Continuous Miracles, Vol. 2 album: HERE
Listen to Cremated Pets single: HERE


Valentina Magaletti - drums, percussion, vibraphone, timpani
Sarah Register - vocals, guitar, flute, synthesizer, piano
Matthew Simms - guitar, bass, modular synthesizer, organ, trumpet, singing water bowl

Animation by Andrew Boyle
Original art by Louise Mason
Music by Better Corners
Produced by Better Corners
Mixed by Matthew Simms
Mastered by Sarah Register