From near-death to 'angel': singer de augustine's astonishing recovery
Angelo De Augustine, the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for his haunting melodies and collaborations with Sufjan Stevens, faced a brush with mortality that forced him to rebuild his life—literally. After a sudden collapse on Halloween 2022 left him grappling with debilitating sensory loss and motor control issues, doctors offered a chilling prognosis: “Come back if you go completely deaf or blind.”
The unexplained illness and a race against time
The 33-year-old musician's ordeal began with a cascade of strange sensations and a rapid loss of bodily function. Rushed to a Los Angeles hospital, he endured days of exhaustive testing, all while remaining conscious—a grim experience he wryly describes as “unfortunately.” Despite the medical interventions, a definitive diagnosis remained elusive. The dismissive advice from physicians—a return visit only upon experiencing total sensory failure—left De Augustine reeling. His immediate instinct wasn't despair, however, but a fierce determination to complete his then-unfinished album, Toil and Trouble. “Nobody was helping,” he recalls, “and I didn’t think I would survive the illness. I just wanted to get it finished.”
A career forged in collaboration and unique soundscapes
De Augustine's musical journey has been marked by a steady rise in recognition. Following his 2014 debut, Spirals of Silence, he gained prominence through his work with Sufjan Stevens, culminating in the critically acclaimed 2021 album, A Beginner’s Mind. The track “Time,” from his 2019 album Tomb, further amplified his reach when featured in Zach Braff’s A Good Person, achieving over 31 million streams. But even as his career gained momentum, De Augustine was battling a silent, internal crisis.
Relearning life and embracing antique instruments
The years since his collapse have been a grueling process of rehabilitation, requiring him to relearn fundamental skills—walking, talking, hearing, playing, and singing. This profound experience has deeply informed his new album, Angel in Plainclothes, a collection of ethereal reflections on life's fragility. The album’s sonic palette is particularly striking, incorporating an array of antique instruments—a bowed psaltery, aquarion, Marxophone, bass recorder, train whistle, 1960s German guitaret, miniature accordion, and even a 1990s synthesiser version of a Japanese koto harp. “I just found a civil war-era pump organ in a local store,” De Augustine shares with palpable enthusiasm. “You can carry it in a suitcase.”
The musician attributes his recovery, in part, to a growing understanding of the nervous system’s role in overall health. “There’s emerging science about the central nervous system’s ability to self-regulate,” he explains. “Chronic fear and stress can push you past that point, triggering strange symptoms.” His mother, Wendy Fraser, a professional vocalist who herself contributed percussion to the new album, played a pivotal role in his recovery, providing unwavering support and a nurturing environment.
A return to the stage and a renewed perspective
Last year, De Augustine bravely returned to live performance for the first time in five years. “There were some difficult moments,” he admits, “but getting through that just felt amazing.” Now, he describes himself as “something like my old self” but fundamentally changed. “I’m just really trying to find myself again,” he says. “For so long, my only focus was trying to be a great songwriter, and perhaps I paid the price for that.” Angel in Plainclothes, released on April 24th via Asthmatic Kitty, stands as a testament to resilience and a poignant reminder that sometimes, the most profound art emerges from the darkest of times – a truth De Augustine now embodies with quiet grace.