Gus Dapperton Unleashes New Album 'Henge'

rising alt-pop artist Gus Dapperton releases his sprawling new album HENGE along with an awe-inspiring new video for "Homebody". The album is a widescreen look at dichotomies—life and death, the war between change and monotony, the cycle of love—that shows off his boundless musical curiosity and ability to seamlessly bring dynamic collaborators into his universe. 

HENGE follows the journey of a single lost soul over the course of an evening in New York City, and is bookended by the upbeat "Sunset" and the meditative "Sunrise." The latter track features critically acclaimed poet Ocean Vuong reciting a verse over blurry keyboards and synthesizers, grasping for meaning amidst "the dust of crushed hours."

Dapperton was gifted Vuong's 2019 novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, and ironically while reading, he discovered that he was thanked by Ocean. Already fans of each other's work, this inspired Gus to work with the MacArthur Fellow. The poem that results is an arresting end to an ambitious album and a stunning example of creative minds in sync.

Gus brings his vision to life in the new music video for "Homebody" where he concludes the conceptual journey that is HENGE. A long night in New York city creeps into the dawn hours as the sun rises and finds him galavanting on nearly empty sidewalks and dancing his way home. It's both cathartic and thrilling to watch as the morning unfolds to the music.

Each song between "Sunset" and "Sunrise" captures a different series of thoughts about life's dueling forces. "Don't Let Me Down," a duet with Dapperton's "Supalonely" collaborator BENEE, is a disco-tinged conversation between two ex-lovers who are warily eyeing each other as they ponder whether or not to rekindle their trust.

Elsewhere, Dapperton shows off his ability to create plush, large-scale pop of all types; on “Horizons," neon-bright synths streak through the pulsing production, while “Wet Cement” blooms from a simple acoustic guitar-led track into a massive lament punctuated by an electric-guitar solo. "Homebody," another standout, is a lush dance anthem about finding a connection under the disco ball.

Prior to HENGE, Gus released 2020’s Orca, which spawned the singles “First Aid,” “Post Humorous,” and “Bluebird.” On HENGE, Dapperton takes the next step with songs that are grandly catchy while having a yearning spirit. It's an album that reminds listeners that time heals all wounds—but only if you make it home before the sun comes up. 

U.S. HEADLINE TOUR

Sept 14 - Burlington, Vt - Higher Ground

Sept 15      Montreal, Qc - Le Studio Td

Sept 18 - Columbus, Oh - Newport Music Hall

Sept 19 - Indianapolis, In - Deluxe At Old National Centre

Sept 21 - Chicago, Il - Thalia Hall

Sept 22 - Milwaukee, Wi - Turner Hall

Sept 23 - Minneapolis, Mn - Fine Line

Sept 26      Vancouver, Bc - Hollywood Theatre

Sept 27 - Seattle, Wa - Neptune

Sept 28 - Portland, Or - Wonder Ballroom

Sept 30 - San Francisco, Ca - Bimbo’s

Oct 1 -   San Francisco - Bimbo’s

Oct 3 -   Los Angeles, Ca - The Bellweather

Oct 4 -   Santa Ana, Ca - The Observatory

Oct 5 -   Phoenix, Az - The Van Buren

Oct 7 -   Austin, Tx - Acl Music Festival

Oct 9 -   St Louis, Mo - Delmar Hall

Oct 11 -  Denver, Co - Ogden Theatre

Oct 14 -  Austin, Tx - Acl Music Festival

Oct 16 -  Birmingham, Al - Saturn

Oct 17 - Charlotte, Nc - Neighborhood Theatre

Oct 18 -  Carrboro, Nc - Cat’s Cradle

Oct 21 - Asbury Park, Nj - Asbury Lanes

EUROPE HEADLINE TOUR    

Oct 31 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Tolhuis (paradiso Noord)

Nov 1 -   Hamburg, Germany - Nochtspeicher

Nov 2 -   Berlin, Germany - Maschinenhaus

Nov 4 -   Cologne, Germany - Helios37

Nov 5 -   Brussels, Belgium - Botanique - Orangerie

Nov 6 -   Paris, France - La Maroquinerie

Nov 8 -   London, Uk - Islington Assembly Hall

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