The Brother Brothers Release New Single 'The Illinois River Song,' Tease Forthcoming New Album

Indie folk duo The Brother Brothers released a brand new single called “The Illinois River Song.” 

The track is their first new original to release since 2021's Calla Lily and provides an early peak at more new music to come later this year. What began as a nice old time banjo melody soon took on the form of a new sonic direction for the group and became a rumination on their home state of Illinois, a midwest river town, its beauty, and poverty.

“The Illinois River Song” imagines a fellow down on his luck with not many prospects to dig himself out of the proverbial hole he has found himself in.

Of the song, the brothers stated, “The heartland of America can be one of the most beautiful places in the country, and we wanted to highlight that, but also reinforce its slowness to progress with much of the rest of the country.”

The Brother Brothers kicked off the year with a new headline tour that has brought them through Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City with upcoming stops including Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. See below for a full list of tour dates or visit www.thebrotherbrothersmusic.com.

Formed in 2016, The Brother Brothers came together after twins Adam and David Moss spent years on separate roads of musical exploration and self-discovery, culminating in a culture of music steeped in the appreciation for songwriting and tradition at its core. They released their first recordings in 2017 with the 5 song EP Tugboats which was followed by their debut full-length Some People I Know through Compass Records.

It earned critical praise from Billboard, American Songwriter, No Depression, and NPR's World Cafe who called it “wonderful…fabulous old-time playing and sibling harmony.” They later released their sophomore album Calla Lily as well as a 2022 album of covers called Cover to Cover, earning further acclaim from Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Vegan, Relix, Wide Open Country, and The Boot among many others.

Since then, the duo have performed worldwide, appeared at festivals including Edmonton Folk Festival, FreshGrass Music Festival, Nelsonville Music Festival, and toured with artists such as Big Thief, Lake Street Dive, and Shakey Graves.

Tour Dates:

02/01 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
02/02 - Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress
02/10 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
02/11 - Portland, OR @ The Old Church Concert Hall
02/12 - Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub
02/14 - Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall
02/15 - Sebastopol, CA @ Hopmonk Tavern
02/16 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall
02/17 - Atascadero, CA @ Bristols Cider House
02/21 - Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
02/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Pico Union Project
04/14 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
04/18 - Little Rock, AR @ Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Concert Series

Photo Credit: Alex Farias