Dear summer-lovers, autumn-embracers,
Photo by: Parker Fitzgerald
It’s my profound pleasure to announce that my new record, Goners, will be released October 26th on Barsuk Records (US) and City Slang Records (EU/UK). You can preorder it here
I am also excited to announce the first bunch of tour dates (see below).
Today the Fader premiered a lyric video for the song “Tenderness”. Listen here, and read a few words about the record and the song
The cover of Goners is by the incredible Latvian photographer, Katrina Kepule, from her series Sit Silently. I came across the photo online, and felt an instant connection to it. The image looks like what my soul felt like when making this record. I am honored and amazed that she allowed me to use it. Please check out and support her work.
Goners is about grief, but more specifically, it’s about the ways we share our loss with others, the ways we project pain, lash out, or become cracked open by the immediacy of another person. The act of holding each others’ trauma and grief is both miraculous and messy, and those small moments of tenderness, which may appear insignificant to the outside observer, can feel epic and earth-shaking to the ones experiencing them.
It was a strange time to hide away and make something. I so often wonder about the value of songs, and if my time would be better spent protesting, or registering voters, or raising money (not that I can’t still do those things) or getting a law degree (probably won’t do that). But I’ve been saved often enough by art, to know it is, at the very least, a worthy endeavor. There’s great value in staring into the abyss, and in reckoning with our collective sorrow. With that in mind, I worked hard to make something true, something quiet and beautiful. I hope it’s helpful.
Overall, it’s perhaps my darkest, strangest record. I wanted the songs to feel like fables, to unfold in dream logic. Every singing voice on the record is mine (and at places there are many of my voices stacked and collaged). I ditched my guitar on half the songs and instead played piano and Wurlitzer, instruments I’m still shaky at (note: one way to get better on piano is to make a bet with yourself about playing all the piano on a record). I wanted to leap beyond my abilities and see where I landed.
I was happy to have long-time buddies Dave Depper, Daniel Hunt, and Nate Query on board, as well as new collaborators, the amazing Kyleen King (strings) and Kelly Pratt (horns, woodwinds). I was thankful to co-produce the record with John Askew, who worked so hard with me on Empire Builder. John is one of the most generous, talented collaborators I know.
This fall/winter I’ll be hitting the road with a full band in support of Goners. Here is the first batch of shows, with links to buy tickets. It means a lot to share these songs in person, and word-of-mouth is still the best way for people find out about my music (it’s always wonderful when folks bring friends along). Spread the word, if you wish. Do buy tickets in advance, as some of these cities will sell out.
U.S. Tour Dates
Fri Nov 2 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR // TIX
Sat Nov 3 - St. Mark's Cathedral - Seattle, WA* // TIX
Mon Nov 26 - DC9 - Washington, DC // TIX
Tue Nov 27 - Rough Trade - Brooklyn, NY // TIX
Wed Dec 5 - Bootleg Theater - Los Angeles, CA // TIX
Thu Dec 6 - Grand Ole BBQ - San Diego, CA // FREE
Fri Dec 7 - The Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA // TIX
Sat Dec 8 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA // TIX
*with Horse Feathers and Takenobu
UK/EU DATES
Wed, Nov 7 - Festsaal Kreuzberg - Berlin, DE # // TIX
Thu, Nov 8 - Mojo - Hamburg, DE # // TIX
Sat, Nov 10 - Rolling Stone Weekender - Weissenhäuser Strand, DE // TIX
Sun, Nov 11 - Gebäude 9 - Cologne, DE # // TIX
Mon, Nov 12 - Botanique Rotonde - Brussels, BE # // TIX
Tue, Nov 13 - Queen Elizabeth Hall - London, UK # // TIX
Thu, Nov 15 - Paradiso Noord - Amsterdam, NL # // TIX
Fri, Nov 16 - Petit Bain - Paris, FR # // TIX
Sat, Nov 17 - Rolling Stone Park Festival - Europa-Park, Rust, DE // TIX
Tue, Nov 20 - Bogen F - Zurich, CH # // TIX
Nov 22 - Bluebird Festival - Vienna, AT # // TIX
Nov 23 - Conrad Sohm - Dornbirn, AT # // TIX
Nov 24 - Meet Factory - Prague, CZ # // TIX
#with Dan Mangan
With love and infinite gratitude,
LG