In 2021, CHAI made their Sub Pop debut with WINK, securing their position as “a professional purveyor of whimsy” (The New York Times).
Today, CHAI is releasing the official video for “MY DREAM,” directed by Yasuaki Komatsu. The single was released internationally earlier this month, and written specifically as the theme song for the Japanese film The Fish Tale, which will see its theatrical release in Japan on September 1st, 2022.
YUUKI says, “When you’re doing something you love, in whatever way you want to, those are the times in life when you feel irresistibly great. The things you love so much that you even dream about, are the very things that shouldn’t be left just as dreams! Nothing can beat your “LOVE” for something! That’s what we felt when we saw the film, and we put all of that into this song.”
CHAI’s international tour schedule in continued support of WINK resumes Thursday, September 15th in Anaheim, CA at The Parish at House of Blues and continues through Friday, November 18th with an appearance at Mexico City’s Corona Capital. Along the way, CHAI will will also support Hippo Campus’s fall tour (Sept. 30-30th), and has scheduled festival appearances in South America for appearances at Primavera Sound’s Sao Paolo, Brazil (Nov. 6th), Santiago, Chile (Nov. 12th) and Buenos Aries, Argentina (Nov. 13th). For up to date information on tickets and new shows, please visit https://chai-band.com/en/category/live.
Thu. Sep. 15 - Anaheim, CA - The Parish at House of Blues
Sat. Sep. 17 - San Diego, CA - Voodoo Room at House of Blues
Sun. Sep. 18 - Los Angeles, CA - Primavera Sound LA
Tur. Sep 20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
Thu. Sep. 22 - Chicago, IL - Garfield Park Observatory
Sun. Sep. 25 - Dover, DE - Firefly Music Festival
Mon. Sep. 26 - New York, NY - (Le) Poisson Rouge
Fri. Sep 30 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa*
Mon. Oct. 03 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater *
Tue. Oct. 04 - Grand Rapids, MI - 20 Monroe Live *
Thu. Oct. 06 - Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater *
Sat. Oct. 08 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral *
Mon. Oct. 10 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall *
Tue. Oct. 11 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater*
Thu. Oct. 13 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
Fri. Oct. 14 - Montreal, QC - Le National *
Sat. Oct. 15 - Portland, ME - State Theater *
Mon. Oct. 17 - Providence, RI - The Strand *
Tue. Oct. 18 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall *
Thu. Oct 20 - Harrisburg, PA - XXL Live*
Fri. Oct. 21 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz *
Sat. Oct. 22 - Charlotte, NC - The Filmore*
Tue. Oct. 25 - Miami, FL - North Beach Bandshell *
Wed. Oct. 26 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues *
Fri. Oct. 28 - St.Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live *
Sat. Oct. 29 - Mobile, AL - Soul Kitchen *
Sun. Oct. 30 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City *
Sun. Nov. 06 - Sao Paolo, BR - Primavera Sound Sao Paulo Brazil
Sat. Nov. 12 - Santiago, CL - Primavera Sound Santiago Chile
Sun. Nov. 13 - Buenos Aires, AR - Primavera Sound Buenos Aires Argentina
Fri. Nov. 18 - Mexico City, MX - Corona Capital
* with Hippo Campus
Naima Bock’s “Campervan,” is a single and official video from Giant Palm, her acclaimed debut. The song, which Stereogum calls “expansive and lovely,” is now the subject of this live performance by Naima, violinist Oliver Hamilton, and the Institute Collective contemporary vocal ensemble. Filmed at Waverley House in Margate, a small seaside town in the Southeast coast of England, it’s an absolutely exquisite presentation of the song. Watch now.
The Institute Collective was founded by composer, producer and vocal arranger Hughie Gavin, and is a collective of artists in their own right who come together to collaborate and perform with other musicians. Gavin offers this on the performance, “I loved arranging ‘Campervan’ as the song has such a natural ebb and flow. I tried to make sure the voices followed that movement, rising and falling throughout. I also wanted to be true to the song’s clear contrasting sections. As well as the part itself, how the choir sung was really important, from the airy builds in the verses to the almost raucous chorus refrain.”
Naima says of the performance, “It was a real pleasure to work with the Institute Collective, we had a beautiful day meeting all of the singers, arrangers and crew. There was a very special energy whilst filming and the more we sang together the better it got. I’m delighted to release this video and to have worked with such a talented bunch”.
Naima Bock’s international tour schedule in support of Giant Palm resumes Friday, September 2nd at The End of the Road festival in Dorset, UK, and currently run through Thursday, October 27th in London at ICA. A US tour announcement will be made soon. Please find a current list of dates below and on naimabock.com.
September and October 2022
Fri. Sep. 02 - Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival
Sun. Sep. 04 - Dublin, IE - Dun Laoghaire Folk Festival (@ The Lighthouse)
Thu. Sep. 08 - Vienna, AT - WAVES Festival (@Fania Live!)
Sun. Sep. 11 - Southampton, UK - Joiners*
Tue. Sep. 13 - Brighton, UK - Chalk*
Wed. Sep. 14 - Margate, UK - Olbys*
Thu. Sep. 15 - Oslo, NO - by:Larm (@ Kafé Hærverk)
Fri. Sep. 16 - Oslo, NO - by:Larm (@Kulturkirken Jakob)
Sat. Sep. 17 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club*
Sun. Sep. 18 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny*
Tue. Sep. 20 - Leipzig, DE - UT Connewitz
Wed. Sep. 21 - Hamburg, DE - Reeperbahn Festival
Thu. Sep. 22 - Berlin, DE - Marie Antoinette
Fri. Sep. 23 - Cologne, DE - Wohngemeinschaft
Sat. Sep. 24 - Frankfurt, DE - Mounsontum
Tue. Sep. 27 - Nijmegen, NL - Merleyn ^
Wed. Sep. 28 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso (upstairs) ^
Thu. Sep. 29 - Bruges, BE - Villa Bota ^
Sat. Oct. 08 - Margate, UK - Elsewhere
Mon. Oct. 11 - Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin
Wed. Oct. 12 - Bristol, UK - The Cube
Thu. Oct. 13 - Manchester, UK - Gullivers
Sat. Oct. 15 - Norwich, UK - Wild Paths Festival (@Voodoo Daddy Showroom)
Sun. Oct. 16 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds
Thu. Oct. 20 - Oxford, UK - Florence Park Community Center
Fri. Oct. 21 - Glasgow, UK - Hug & Pint
Sat. Oct. 22 - Leeds, UK - Mill Hill Chapel
Sun. Oct. 23 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms
Thu. Oct. 27 - London, UK - ICA
* w/ Katy J Pearson
^ w/ Dana Gavaniski
Giant Palm is now available on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop/Memorials of Distinction. LP purchases from megamart.sub pop.com, select independent retailers in North America, in the UK, EU, and Naima’s live dates will receive the Loser Edition of the album on orange vinyl (while supplies last).
Naima Bock’s Giant Palm and its singles, saw praise from the likes of Brooklyn Vegan (“Album of the Week, Indie Basement”), CLASH, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Loud & Quiet, MOJO, New York Times, Our Culture, The Quietus, Stereogum (“Album of the Week”), The Times of London, Uncut, and more.
Recently, Pitchfork included the album in its “34 Great Records You May Have Missed, Spring/Summer,” and said, “Naima Bock has been unraveling her own heritage and weaving it into something new. Bock spent her early childhood in Brazil before relocating to South-East London, and on her solo debut Giant Palm, she braids together bucolic English folk, fluttering Tropicalia, and elements of ’60s psych rock. With the help of producer and arranger Joel Burton, she enlisted over 30 musicians to record on Giant Palm. The cohort’s contributions add a delightful strangeness to the album: Bent saxophone, jazz flute, and strings wrap around Bock’s hazy voice, suggesting some mystical, askew idyll.”
What People Are Saying About Naima Bock’s Giant Palm:
“Exquisite solo debut” - ★★★★ MOJO
“Quiet, melancholy and occasionally divinely uplifting (8/10)” - Uncut
“Hugely ambitious - the individual pieces are delicately arranged, the end product solid as steel” [ “Music of the Month”] - The Quietus
“A real gem…[it’s] cinematic and spectral; it makes one contemplate things like energy flows and meditation and the long arc of history.” [“Album of the Week”] - Stereogum
“Giant Palm, is quietly dazzling, drawing from a wide range of influences including ’70s British folk, jazz, and Tropicalia.” [“Album of the Week, Indie Basement”] - Brooklyn Vegan
“This album has an unforced charm, making it an ideal accompaniment to long summer nights” ★★★★- The Times of London
“Naima Bock’s ‘Giant Palm’ is - frankly - exquisite. A truly special listen” - CLASH
“Steady and calming, intimate and revelatory, sporadically startling - it’s a record as unique as Bock’s history (8/10)” - Loud and Quiet
“As a debut, Giant Palm situates itself in a specific tradition without being constrained by convention - finding a voice in ten tracks that occupy their own lifeforce, almost set in motion by the elements.” ★★★★ - DIY
“Giant Palm is a stellar debut and one of 2022’s more distinct releases (8/10)” - The Line of Best Fit
“Though she took a roundabout path to make and release Giant Palm, the way Bock shares her profound moments and little insights with a generous spirit makes for an often brilliant debut.” ★★★★ - All Music
“There’s a bit of ’70s Brian Eno in her vocal delivery and an echo of John Cale in her arrangements, but the fusion of her disparate cultural influences makes for an enchanting sound entirely Bock’s own.” [“Giant Palm”] - New York Times