Ruston Kelly Shares Newest Single 'Mending Song'
Kelly's album will be released on April 7th by Rounder Records.
By: Michael Major Feb. 23, 2023
On the heels of announcing a North American spring tour in support of his highly anticipated upcoming album, The Weakness, Ruston Kelly has unveiled the second preview from the project, "Mending Song."
The first track that Kelly completed for The Weakness, "Mending Song" helped to spark the free-flowing creativity that ultimately fueled all his songwriting for the album, which will be released on April 7th by Rounder Records. Pre-order for The Weakness is available HERE.
Although he penned most of the new LP at home in Portland, Tennessee, "Mending Song" took shape during a solo trip to California's Joshua Tree. "I rented this little cabin out on 22 acres, just me and the coyotes, and ended up checking out a shop nearby and buying a baritone ukulele," Kelly says.
"I remember thinking, 'This is so stupid - I'm trying to be that guy, going out to some cabin and writing my opus. Why don't I just have some fun?'" Once he'd loosened up, Kelly came up with a jangly ukulele riff and opening lyric that soon gave way to the autobiographical storytelling of "Mending Song" : "Something grew up twisted in me / Ripping all the seams / But I was mended by the love of my momma / To fight the devils down in me.".
Threaded with sweetly ethereal tones sculpted through producer/songwriter/multi instrumentalist Nate Mercereau's use of guitar-based synth, "Mending Song" was built from a voice-note demo recorded in Kelly's L.A. hotel room, amplifying its unfettered emotion to sublime effect. "You can hear the dryer running in the background, but there's something really special about the feel of that recording," says Kelly.
"Mending Song" is the follow-up to Kelly's first single from the record, "The Weakness," which was released last month. Writing in Rolling Stone, Jon Freeman proclaimed it a "massive rock anthem," while WFUV's Kara Manning praised the "shimmering, slow burn of a song," with its "ghostly, lushly-conceived rock arrangements."
Watch "Mending Song" video below. Directed, produced and edited by Bella Mazzola and filmed by Andy Hawkes and Bella Mazzola.
The Weakness tour begins April 12th at Louisville's Mercury Ballroom and will find Kelly playing NYC's Webster Hall (April 21st), Chicago's House of Blues (April 29th) and Los Angeles's The Fonda Theater (May 14th), and ending with a hometown show at Nashville's Ascend Amphitheater (June 2nd) with Jenny Lewis opening. Information about tickets and VIP packages, which include an intimate soundcheck performance and Q&A, can be found at https://www.rustonkelly.com.
The Weakness Tour Dates:
April 12th - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom ~
April 13th - Birmingham, AL - Iron City ~
April 15th - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theater ~
April 16th - Charlotte, NC - Underground ~
April 17th - Washington, DC - 930 Club *
April 19th - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry *
April 20th - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony *
April 21st - New York, NY - Webster Hall *
April 22nd - Philadelphia, PA - TLA *
April 25th - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
April 27th - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird #
April 28th - Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache #
April 29th - Chicago, IL - House of Blues #
April 30th - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue #
May 2nd - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre #
May 3rd - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot #
May 5th - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory ^
May 6th - Seattle, WA - Showbox ^
May 7th - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall ^
May 9th - Eugene, OR - WOW Hall ^
May 11th - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore ^
May 12th - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up ^
May 13th - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theater ^
May 14th - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom ^
May 16th - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf ^
May 18th - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge and Music Hall #
May 19th - Houston, TX - House of Blues #
May 20th - Austin, TX - Stubb's #
May 22nd - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads #
June 2nd - Nashville, TN - Ascend Amphitheater $
Support:
~ Annie DiRusso
* Purr
# Briscoe
^ Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners
$ Jenny Lewis
Ruston Kelly on tour with Noah Kahan:
June 17th - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park, Atlanta, GA - SOLD OUT
June 18th - Firefly Distillery, Charleston, SC - SOLD OUT
Aug 31st - Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY - SOLD OUT
Sept. 12th - KEMBA Live!, Columbus, OH
Sept. 13th - St. Louis Music Park - Maryland Heights, MO - SOLD OUT
Sept 15th - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN - SOLD OUT
Sept 16th - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, Sterling Heights, MI - SOLD OUT
Sept. 17th - Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
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