Big Thief dropped their latest album, U.F.O.F., only a few months back, but they’re already announcing a follow-up. The indie folk favorites will release Two Hands on October 11th via 4AD. As a first listen, they’ve shared the lead single “Not”.
Whereas May’s U.F.O.F. absorbed the lush greenery of the Washington state woods that surrounded the recording sessions, Two Hands is said to reflect the orange desert landscape around Texas’ Sonic Ranch. In fact, the new effort is considered “the earth twin” to the previous LP’s “celestial twin,” its content focused on “the very real dangers that face our planet.”
The Sonic Ranch sessions were recorded live, sans overdubs, with the musicians situated as close together as possible. This led to a more intimate affair, one singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker says produced “the songs that I’m the most proud of.” She continued in a press statement, “I can imagine myself singing them when I’m old. Musically and lyrically, you can’t break it down much further than this. It’s already bare-bones.”
“Not” showcases this raw style. Lenker’s voice is more visceral than ever, melodic howls and growls cutting the crackling air above vibrating instrumentation. You can almost picture the band sitting around a microphone together, pushing each other further with their increasingly aggressive performances. Take a listen below.
Pre-orders for Two Hands are going on now. A limited edition desert peach vinyl is available through 4D, Big Thief’s webstore, and indie retailers.
Two Hands Artwork:
Two Hands Tracklist:
01. Rock and Sing
02. Forgotten Eyes
03. The Toy
04. Two Hands
05. Those Girls
06. Shoulders
07. Not
08. Wolf
09. Replaced
10. Cut My Hair
To support Two Hands, Big Thief have expanded their upcoming tour itinerary. The new shows are set for winter 2020 across Europe, following a previously announced fall North American run. Find the band’s full schedule below, and get tickets here.
Big Thief 2019-2020 Tour Dates:
08/14 – Saint-malo, FR @ Route du Rock
08/16 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Festival
08/17 – Wales, UK @ Green Man Festival
08/19 – London, UK @ Bush Hall
10/9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
10/10 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/11 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/12 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/13 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
10/15 – Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe
10/16 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/17 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
10/18 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
10/19 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
10/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/24 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
10/26 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
10/29 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
10/30 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
11/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
11/02 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
11/04 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
11/05 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
11/07 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
11/08 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/10 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/11 – Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre
02/17 – Lisbon, PT @ LAV
02/18 – Porto, PT @ Hard Club
02/19 – Madrid, ES @ Joy Eslava
02/20 – Barcelona, ES @ La 2 de Apolo
02/22 – Bologna, IT @ Locomotiv
02/23 – Milan, IT @ Magnolia
02/24 – Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
02/25 – Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage
02/27 – London, UK @ Hammersmith Apollo
02/29 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
03/01 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
03/02 – Glasgow, UK @ Old Fruitmarket
03/05 – Brussels, BE @ AB Ballroom
03/06 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
03/07 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor
03/08 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
03/09 – Berlin, DE @ Astra
03/11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Main Hall
03/12 – Gotheburg, SE @ Pustervik
03/13 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser
03/14 – Olso, NO @ Rockefeller
03/15 – Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall
