The Mountain Goats released Songs for Pierre Chuvin today on Bandcamp, with additional releases on more digital platforms next week (april 17) and then on a limited run of 1,000 cassettes on June 19.
The album was recorded entirely on John Darnielle's boombox -- the first album recorded in this manner since All Hail West Texas in 2002.
Describing the making of Songs for Pierre Chuvin, Darnielle states:
I WROTE A SONG EVERY DAY for the next ten days while reading A Chronicle of the Last Pagans, starting with “Aulon Raid” and working in exactly the style I used to work in: read until something jumps out at me; play guitar and ad-lib out loud until I get a phrase I like; write the lyrics, get the song together, record immediately. Those original lyrics, exactly as written on the cardstock I save from comic books I buy, with corrections and everything, will be randomly inserted into orders; each is one of a kind, an original first draft of the lyrics to the first all-boombox Mountain Goats album since All Hail West Texas. It seems unlikely that I will ever again offer original drafts of lyrics for sale or otherwise, but pandemics call for wild measures.
I dedicate this tape to everybody who’s waited a long time for the wheels to sound their joyous grind: may they grind us into a safe future where we gather once again in rooms to sing songs about pagan priests & hidden shelters, and where we see each other face to face.
The Mountain Goats have also rescheduled their spring tour for this fall (dates below).
The Mountain Goats on tour:
May 29 El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace*
May 30 Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre*
May 31 Dallas, TX - Kessler Theater*
Jun 04 Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest Cafe at the ArtsQuest*
Jun 05 Woodstock, NY - Levon Helm Studios (SOLD OUT)*
Jun 06 Holyoke, MA - Gateway City Arts Center (SOLD OUT)*
Jun 08 New York, NY - City Winery (SOLD OUT)*
Jun 09 New York, NY - City Winery (SOLD OUT)*
Aug 28 Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
Aug 30 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
Aug 31 Birmingham, AL - Saturn
Sep 02 Austin, TX - Mohawk (SOLD OUT)
Sep 03 Austin, TX - Mohawk
Sep 04 San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
Sep 06 Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf
Sep 07 Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf
Sep 09 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater (SOLD OUT)
Sep 10 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater (SOLD OUT)
Sep 12 Fort Collins, CO - Washington's
Sep 14 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Sep 15 Evanston, IL - SPACE (SOLD OUT)
Sep 16 Evanston, IL - SPACE (SOLD OUT)
Sep 17 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theater (VENUE CHANGE)
* John Darnielle solo
