Watch Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey’s official video for lead single “2 Ugly 4 NY” from Showboat Honey, their forthcoming new album, available worldwide July 12th, 2019 from Sub Pop. The video is directed by Eleanor Petry, and stars bandleader Craft as Hobo Grimm, a skeleton-faced busker. He says of the video, “Eleanor and I were aiming to snag that “day in the life” feel, following old Hobo Grim around downtown tryin’ to make the illusive busker’s dollar and then heading off into the night to blow it.”
Showboat Honey was recorded and produced by Kyle Craft, Kevin Clark, and Billy Slater at their own Moonbase Studios in Portland over 2018. The album was mixed by Trevor Spencer (Father John Misty) and mastered by April Golden at Golden Mastering.
Showboat Honey is now available for preorder through Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America, the UK and Europe will receive the limited Loser edition on a clear blue translucent mix with spots red hi-melt (while supplies last). There will also be a new T-shirt design available.
Showboat Honey Tracklisting:
1. Broken Mirror Pose 2. O! Lucky Hand 3. 2 Ugly 4 NY 4. Blackhole/Joyride 5. Bed of Needles #2 6. Deathwish Blue 7. Blood in the Water 8. Buzzkill Caterwaul 9. Sunday Driver 10. Johnny (Free & Easy) 11. She’s Lily Riptide
[Photo Credit: Peter Karaviaw]
About Showboat Honey: There is this curious equilibrium to existence: In order to create balance, the universe must giveth, and the universe must taketh. Kyle Craft, along with his now solidified backing band dubbed Showboat Honey, know this all too well. And this is why their self-titled album, the contemplative yet restless Showboat Honey (Sub Pop Records, July 12th, 2019) reflects that sturm und drang. “This is basically an album centered around bad luck and good fortune hitting at the same time,” Craft explains “Then, out of nowhere, I find love. Everything went to shit except that. I guess that’s how life works.”
No track better captures this duality than the sweeping “Sunday Driver,” about sticking to your guns, despite a universe of blowback. “At this point, you get baptized by certain fires and start to walk with the dead a little bit, like nothing can harm you anymore,” says the Portland-based musician. “That’s what self-love sounds like to me, as aggressive as that sounds.”
The sticky-sweet title of the album is lifted from the brightly choral “Buzzkill Caterwaul” (“Once you were the showboat honey/ But your ship sailed out”). “I wanted to make something that sounded like a raucous collision of Leon Russell and Patti Smith,” he says, “But ‘Buzzkill Caterwaul’ was the only tune that ended up showcasing that vision.”
Though aesthetics veer from song to song, Showboat Honey’s steadfast formula remains the same. Drummer Haven Mutlz holds down the machine with a ’60s/’70s fast-molasses groove that locks in with the slinky rolling bass of Billy Slater. When Kevin Clark isn’t bouncing across the piano, his mellotron strings swell in and out of frame. Jack of all trades Ben Steinmetz’s organ parts well up from the deep of the songs, while lead guitarist Jeremy Kale’s solos rip through them like electricity. On top of it all, sits the tongue-in-cheek phantasmagoria created by Craft’s lyrics.
Lyrically, perspectives shift to imbue life into a cast of intriguing, mysterious characters, à la Bob Dylan. (“There is not a single thing in my life that has affected me more than the first time I heard Dylan,” says Craft. “It immediately changed my life.”) “Johnny (Free & Easy)” is seemingly about a date gone awry at a swinger’s party in the Hollywood Hills. And the twangy pop of “O! Lucky Hand” appears to shadow a poor sod desperate to elude a hex. Its antidote is the stunning, cinematic “Deathwish Blue,” which sounds like a deep cut from the book of John Lennon, about the lovesick salvation found in his bride to be, Lydia.
If that’s not head-trippy enough, the carefree sing-along “2 Ugly 4 NY” features a lyrical reference to a previous incarnation of Craft. Its lyrics—“Don’t wanna see Death strum for cash downtown/ Or the look on his face when the change hits the case on the ground”—call out his early days in Portland when he went by the moniker of Hobo Grim. Busking downtown, he’d cover country tunes while dressed as the Grim Reaper so as to conceal his true identity.
Craft started writing about as soon as he could play the guitar at the age of 15. He grew up in the isolated Mississippi River town of Vidalia, Louisiana where his chops weren’t honed in a woodshed, but rather an old, dingy meat freezer that was out of commission. When asked about the first song he’d ever written, he laughs, saying it was an “angsty-rock tune” and “a rare bird of how bad a song could be.”
After years of touring, two LPs with Sub Pop Records, and solidifying the band, he’s since grown into a prodigious songwriter, to say the least. The band recorded Showboat Honey—co-produced by Craft, Clark, and Slater—at their own Moonbase Studios in Portland over 2018. “We approached this record differently for sure,” Craft says. “I’d make a demo, and after putting the songs together, shoot it to the band for ideas.” Tracks such as “Broken Mirror Pose” ended up being highly collaborative, while others settled into Craft’s original vision. “Deathwish Blue,” for instance, was tracked in a similar fashion to his solo debut, Dolls of Highland, with Craft tracking every instrument by himself.
Kyle and the members of Showboat Honey worked at such a feverish wine-fueled pace that they actually ended up with two completely different albums. But at the end of the day, they decided to combine the two into what is now Showboat Honey,a moonstruck rock ’n’ roll record teeming with reckless abandon.
“We thought we had the album done at one point. But at the last minute, I was like, ‘Shit, this isn’t the album. This isn’t it,’” Kyle says. “It was just a gut feeling. I’m glad for that because I feel like I ended up writing some of the best songs I’ve ever written.”
‘Showboat Honey’ out July 12th worldwide on Sub Pop
Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey have delivered an official video for “Broken Mirror Pose,” a highlight from Showboat Honey, the group’s forthcoming album, out July 12th worldwide from Sub Pop. The performance-based visual was directed by the band.
Craft had this to say of the visual, “We shot “Broken Mirror Pose” at Moonbase Studios, which is where we tracked the entire record ourselves! This one was 95% DIY, much like the album. I built out a room inside of the main studio room and my pal, Bryson Cone, showed me how to edit afterward, letting me take the wheel once I had a little know how.”
Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey Tour Dates
Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey are also announcing new headlining dates for 2019 in support of the album, which begin July 11th in Portland at Mississippi Studios and currently end on August 24th in San Francisco at Cafe Du Nord.
Jul. 11 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Jul. 13 - Seattle, WA - Ballard Seafood Fest Jul. 14 - Spokane, WA - The Bartlett Jul. 15 - Billings, MT - Pub Station Taproom Jul. 17 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club Jul. 18 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle Jul. 19 - Louisville, KY - Jimmy Can’t Dance Jul. 20 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop Jul. 22 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern Jul. 23 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse Jul. 24 - Allston, MA - Great Scott Jul. 30 - Woodstock, NY - Colony Aug. 01 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right Aug. 02 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Aug. 04 - Washington, DC - Pearl Street Warehouse Aug. 05 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Aug. 06 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theater Rooftop Aug. 07 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl Aug. 08 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn Aug. 09 - Nashville, TN - The Basement Aug. 10 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry’s Aug. 11 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks Aug. 14 - Shreveport, LA - Minicine Aug. 15 - Dallas, TX - Three Links Aug. 16 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk Aug. 18 - Phoenix, AZ - The Valley Bar Aug. 19 - Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole Aug. 22 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar Aug. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - The Moroccan Aug. 24 - San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
Showboat Honey was recorded and produced by Kyle Craft, Kevin Clark, and Billy Slater at their own Moonbase Studios in Portland over 2018. The album was mixed by Trevor Spencer and mastered by April Golden at Golden Mastering.
Showboat Honey is now available for preorder through Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers in North America, the UK and Europe will receive the limited Loser edition on a clear blue translucent mix with spots red hi-melt (while supplies last). There will also be a new T-shirt design available.
2019 International tour schedule includes North American headlining shows and appearances at Boston Calling, Governors Ball, and Bonnaroo (May 24th-June 13th)
After a landmark 12 months for Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, who released their debut album Hope Downs to worldwide critical acclaim in June 2018 – Sub Pop is excited to reveal new music from the Melbourne band in the form of single, “In the Capital.” The track (which is now live on all digital platforms) will also feature on a limited edition 7-inch alongside a B-side titled “Read My Mind.” The vinyl will be released on Friday, April 26th and is available to pre-order here from Sub Pop.
Rolling Blackouts C.F.’s Fran Keaney describes how “In the Capital” came together: “I first had the idea for the melody and some of the lyrics when I was swimming. It’s taken a while to finish the song, to make it feel like the initial feeling. I can’t neatly describe it, but something like connection despite distance. I was thinking about transience and water and death and big cities and fishing towns and moon river.”
In the Capital / Read My Mind Tracklisting: A. In The Capital B. Read My Mind
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Tour Dates + Ticket Links
To celebrate the arrival of new music, Rolling Blackouts C.F. has extended their 2019 international tour schedule with newly added North American, UK, and European headlining shows and festival appearances.
Rolling Blackouts C.F’s North American shows begin May 24th in Boston for Boston Calling and end June 13th in Manchester, TN at Bonnaroo. The group’s European and the UK run begins July 3rd at in Roskilde, DK’s Roskilde Festival and ends July 27th in Thirsk, UK at the Deer Shed Festival. Additional international festival highlights for the May-July timeframe include Governors Ball (May 31st), Lattitude Festival (May 31st), Down the Rabbit Hole (July 5th), and Mad Cool Festival (July 12th).
Mar. 10 - Tasmania, AU - Panama Fest Mar. 16 - Adelaide, AU - Adelaide Fest Apr. 24 - Brisbane, AU - Triffid May 03 - Castlemaine, AU - Theatre Royal May 04 - Melbourne, AU - Croxton May 10 - Sydney, AU - Manning Bar May 24 - Boston, MA - Boston Calling May 25 - Boston, MA - Boston Calling May 26 - Boston, MA - Boston Calling May 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts May 29 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall May 31 - New York, NY - Governors Ball Jun. 02 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club Jun. 04 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall Jun. 06 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile Jun. 07 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre Jun. 08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge Jun. 10 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall Jun. 11 - Los Angeles, CA - The Lodge Room Jun. 13 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Jul. 03 - Roskilde, DK - Roskilde Festival Jul. 05 - Ewijk, NL - Down the Rabbit Hole Festival Jul. 07 - Paris, FR - Le Point Ephémère Jul. 09 - Liverpool, UK - Invisible Wind Factory Jul. 11 - Dublin, IE - The Iveagh Gardens Jul. 12 - Madrid, ES - Mad Cool Festival Jul. 13 - Lisbon, PT - NOS Alive Jul. 15 - Glasgow, UK - St. Luke’s Jul. 16 - Sheffield, UK - The Leadmill Jul. 18 - Cardiff, UK - Clwb Ifor Bach Jul. 19 - Bedford, UK - Esquires Jul. 21 - Suffolk, UK - Latitude Festival Jul. 22 - Birmingham, UK - Mama Roux’s Jul. 23 - Reading, UK - Sub89 Jul. 27 - Thirsk, UK - Deer Shed Festival
[Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana]
To say 2018 was a big year for Rolling Blackouts C.F. is an understatement. The release of the band’s lauded debut album Hope Downs– which featured singles “Mainland,” “Talking Straight,” “An Air Conditioned Man,” “Time In Common,” and “Sister’s Jeans” – was embraced by lovers of their early EPs, Talk Tight and The French Press, and new fans alike. The record quickly became one of the most internationally acclaimed Australian albums of the year, appearing in many sought after Best of 2018 lists, coming in at #5 on Rough Trade’s Albums of the Year list, #3 on MOJO’s Album of the Year List (+ was named MOJO’s “Debut Album of the Year”), #2 on UNCUT’s Albums of the Year & many more. The band kicked off 2019 by being shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize Award.
Rolling Blackouts C.F. also enjoyed tremendous support from the likes of KCRW, KCSN, KEXP, WXPN, Sirius XMU, The Current, WFPK, WNRN, KJAC, OpenAir, triple j, Double J, FBi Radio, PBS, Triple R,Pitchfork, The Guardian, PASTE,NME, Rolling Stone,BBC 6 Music, Stereogum, DIY, and countless others.
Meanwhile, the band’s renowned live show led to selling-out their mammoth Hope Downs Australian tour, as well as sold-out performances in London, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Philadelphia, New York City and more. The huge touring schedule also included shows at the world’s biggest music festivals, from Coachella, The Great Escape, Primavera, and Shaky Knees to Lowlands, Pukklepop, Green Man and Splendour in the Grass.
Catch the band on the road in June, July & August.
The Gotobeds have released a new video for their song “2:15.” The video was animated by the band’s guitarist, TFP, who had this to say about the video:
“Hey, thanks for checking out my cool lil video for ‘2:15.’ Wow, I can’t believe I actually finished this thing. What an undertaking. I worked on this off and on for two years on a crappy freeware animation program that would crash if the clip was longer than a few seconds. The number of hours I put into this thing are countless and, honestly, I’d rather just get maced again. Enjoy!”
“2:15” features a guest appearance from Matt Barnhart of Tre Orsi/Mint Mile.
We can all watch this cinematic gem right now via Paste, who premiered the video today, May 7th.
The band will play an album release show in their hometown of Pittsburgh, PA on May 25th at Babyland, with midwest, eastern and southern US shows in June, July and August. See below for a full list of dates.
Debt Begins at 30 is out on LP/CD/digital and cassette Friday, May 31st, and it is now available for preorder at the Sub Pop Mega Mart. Preorders of the LP through megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in the US and select European and UK retailers will receive the limited, orange-vinyl Loser Edition while supplies last.
Tour Dates: May 25th - Pittsburgh, PA - Babyland (album release show) Jun. 20 - Pittsburgh, PA - Babyland % Jun. 21 - Chicago, IL - Sleeping Village Jun. 23 - Columbus, IL - Ace of Cups Jul. 16 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle Jul. 17 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Jul. 18 - D.C, Washington - Comet Ping Pon Jul. 19 - Kingston, NY - Tubby’s Aug. 01 - Bloomington, IN - Bishop Aug. 02 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR Aug. 05 - Dallas, TX - Ruins Aug. 06 - Austin, TX - Vegas Aug. 07 - Houston, TX - Satellite Aug. 08 - New Orleans, LA - Santos Aug. 09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl Aug. 10 - Cincinnati, OH - NSYC Oct. 17 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre ^
Orville Peck’s Pony is available now worldwide on CD/LP/DL through Sub Pop, and on Royal Mountain Records in Canada.
Pony, which features the lead single and official video for “Dead of Night,” along with “Turn to Hate,” “Buffalo Run,” and “Big Sky,” was produced by Orville Peck, recorded and mixed by Jordan Koop at The Noise Floor on Gabriola Island, British Columbia and mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering in Montreal, Quebec. Purchase your copy from our Mega Mart today.
Orville Peck has extended his North American touring schedule with newly added Canadian dates. The tour begins on April 11th in Ottawa, ON at the Dominion Tavern and now ends May 26th in Winnipeg, MB at West End Culture Center. Additionally, Orville Peck will join Lord Huron for a series of dates (May 6th-7th; 9th-12th).
Apr. 11 - Ottawa, ON - The Dominion Tavern Apr. 12 - Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo Apr. 13 - Toronto, ON - The Great Hall Apr. 14 - Hamilton, ON - The Casbah Apr. 23 - Cambridge, MA - Great Scott Apr. 25 - Philadelphia, PA - The Boot & Saddle Apr. 26 - Brooklyn, NY - Zone One @ Elsewhere Apr. 27 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery Apr. 28 - Richmond, VA - The Camel Apr. 30 - Pittsburg, PA - Andy Warhol Museum May 01 - Lakewood, OH - Mahall’s May 02 - Detroit, MI - Lager House May 03 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle May 04 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt May 06 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note* May 07 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion* May 08 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk May 09 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace* May 10 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre* May 11 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre* May 12 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren* May 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Moroccan Lounge May 17 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios May 18 - Seattle, WA - Barboza May 19 - Vancouver, BC - The Wise Hall May 23 - Calgary, AB - Commonwealth Bar & Stage May 24 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room May 25 - Saskatoon, SK - Amigos Cantina May 26 - Winnipeg, MB - West End Culture Center
Rock provocateur Marika Hackman returns with melodic earworm “i’m not where you are” which shows off a sharper and more liberated sound than ever before. The track was co-produced by Marika and David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The xx, Let’s Eat Grandma), and is available now digitally from Sub Pop (in North and South America) and AMF Records (for the rest of the world)
“i’m not where you are” “is about breaking up with people, or self-sabotaging relationships” Marika explains. “That feeling of not trusting one’s emotions because you can’t seem to get to the same place as the other person. On the surface, it seems like an arrogant everybody falls in love with me” kind of song but its actually incredibly lonely, introspective and self-deprecating”
“i’m not where you are” fits into a wider narrative, in which the process of writing was cathartic and - as the best songwriters do - she has strengthened her own voice through the process, exploring herself and emerging with a widescreen, heavy-hitting new sound.
Marika has deployed synthesizers that recall the off-kilter, oddball hits of OMD or New Order and places them at the heart of “i’m not where you are.” For all the urgency of the backing music, Marika’s natural delivery and sensuous tone offers a dreamlike quality to the proceedings and allows her to look within to find answers that make sense outside.
Hackman is a Rid of Me-era PJ Harvey for the inclusive generation: unbounded by musical genre, a preternatural lyricist and tunesmith who isn’t afraid to go there. Hackman’s 2015 debut, We Slept at Last, was heralded for being nuanced and atmospheric. She really found her footing with her last release, I’m Not Your Man—which earned raves from The Guardian, Stereogum, and Pitchfork—and its sybaritic, swaggering hit “Boyfriend,” which boasts of seducing away a straight guy’s girlfriend. Marika’s new sound sees her dive into herself, peeling back the skin further and further, exposing herself in a big way, creating something for people to react to.
Having recently teased new music at theBBC 6 Music festival, Marika is gearing up to an exciting year of touring. More news to come.
[Photo Credit: Joost Vandebrug]
What people have said about Marika Hackman: “Her tactile lyrics keep the songs melodically strong and full of surprises…As a writer, Hackman may owe a bit to PJ Harvey, but I’m Not Your Man is the proper arrival of a bold young British force.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Pitchfork
“Hackman’s greatest weapon is her words, and she uses her dark wit to lure you in while conveying strong messages about her life and society.” [I’m Not Your Man] - Stereogum
“A bolder, more upfront record than her first, no longer couching her sexuality in metaphors about nature…” [I’m Not Your Man] - NPR Music
“Marika Hackman’s latest evolution is a triumph that finds equilibrium amid both wit and heart.” [I’m Not Your Man] - All Music
