Today, Boston-based trio Palehound have shared the title track "Black Friday" from their highly-anticipated album Black Friday due out next Friday,June 7 on Polyvinyl Record Co.
On the quietly hypnotic new track, prolific singer/songwriter Ellen Kempnercaptures the specific ache of uneven emotional investment between friends, framing her plaintive acceptance in particularly barbed lyrics ("You're Black Friday and I'm going to the mall"). Kemper also shared insight on her songwriting influences for the LP including Tierra Whack, Prince, Alex G, and Big Thief, with a special FLOOD Magazine playlist.
Listen to "Black Friday" HERE.
Kempner explains the song is, "About how fed up it is that we're all conditioned to feel we need to compete against others to get what we want. How success is measured in who you're above and who you're below. This one is framed through a specific relationship where you feel like you're investing more into a person than they are in you, and that you feel you need to compete for their attention and love."
The third full-length from Palehound is a finespun exploration of all the forms that love can take: love between friends, love for people no longer in your life, love in the face of self-hate, love that endures through major life changes or through many tiny catastrophes. With Black Friday building off the emotional complexity of its predecessor, Palehound hope that the album might help others to work through their own troubles in life and love of all kinds. "Making music's always been a therapeutic thing for me-that's such a big part of the reason why I do it in the first place," says Kempner. "What I always want to do with my songs is to help people heal in some way, or come to some new understanding about whatever it is that they're going through. Even if it's just hearing a song and feeling less alone than they were before, that would mean so much to me." Kempner previously showcased her thoughtful narrative voice and lyrical finesse on "Worthy", speaking to the challenge of navigating self-confidence issues in relationships.. Palehound announced Black Fridayalongside lead single/video "Aaron," a song Kempner wrote for her partner in the midst of his transitioning process, and previously shared "Killer" which debuted via NPR All Songs Considered.
Palehound examine the intricacies of friendship and partnership all throughoutBlack Friday, handling the subject with a level of attention rarely found in pop songs. Co-produced by Kempner and Gabe Wax (Beirut, Soccer Mommy), she and her bandmates Jesse Weiss (drums) and Larz Brogan (bass) recorded at Panoramic House in Stinson Beach, California, tracking most of the songs live and breathing a new vitality into Palehound's elegantly detailed sound.
Palehound is set to continue an ascent as one of the most compelling voices in indie rock and will follow the release of the new album with a North American Tour alongside Big Thief. Be sure to catch Palehound's electrifying live show coming to a city near you! Tour dates below and HERE.
National Fall Tour Dates
% = w/ The Breeders and Divino Niño
# = w/ Big Thief
06/15: Chicago, IL @ House of Vans %
10/11: New York, NY @ Webster Hall #
10/12: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom #
10/13: Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre #
10/15: Montreal, QC @ Le 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 @ Crystal Ballroom #
10/25: Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre #
10/26: Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre #
10/28: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #
10/30: Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory #
11/01: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom #
11/02: Albuquerque, NM @ Sister #
11/04: Austin, TX @ Stubb's #
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 @ Athenaeum Theatre #
Photo Credit: Bao Ngo
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