Waldemar Launch 'Summer Rain' in Advance of Debut Album RUTHLESS

Waldemar releases the new single "Summer Rain" from the forthcoming debut album Ruthless, to be self-released on May 5.

The six-minute song is a slow groove that simmers before it boils; pulsing with bottomless, echoing drums and reverberating, crescendoing guitars. The swaying '80s alt-rock feel lends the center stage to an eerie harmonica and lead singer/songwriter Gabe Larson's powerful, belting vocals.

"'Summer Rain' is a slow burn song I wrote about the way that pain shapes who we are," says Larson. "The chorus asks the question "Am I anything without my pain?" It's tinged with sadness but also gratitude for past pains and the growth and character that pain produces. Pain is a thorough teacher. Might be my personal favorite song on the record."

Waldemar - named after Larson's grandfather, a hard-laboring Midwestern farmer - exemplifies an acceptance of personal heritage and an understanding of the difficulties we inherit and share. Years ago, at a creative crossroads following a band breakup, Larson found inspiration in the tenacity of his once-struggling ancestor and used it to forge his path forward.

With his brother, he transformed a rundown horse barn on his property into a professional recording studio, then meticulously wrote, recorded, scrapped and rewrote the 11 songs that make up Ruthless. The previously released album-titled single can be heard here.

Throughout the five-year studio and album construction process, Larson worked manual labor jobs installing floors, fixing roofs, painting houses, and driving school buses to fund his passion and support his growing family. The story is a living metaphor - rather than abandon those things that needed repair, Larson and his collaborators tirelessly worked to remake them and find a way to instill personal meaning.

Ruthless is the relentless vision of a musician perfecting a sound, the cascades of guitars, synths and vocals washing over a listener like rivers polishing stone, like grit on grains of wood. In a Midwestern setting that gave rise to so many other American dreams, Waldemar's debut album is a testament to the power of struggle - that we are made by what we make.

Waldemar also announced their first run of tour dates in several years.

Tour Dates

5/6 - Eau Claire, WI - Stones Throw
5/11 - Madison, WI - The Bur Oak
5/12 - Milwaukee, WI - Company Brewing
5/13 - Winona, MN - Mid West Music Fest
5/25 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
5/26 - Chicago, IL - Judson and Moore Distillery
5/27 - Dubuque, IA - Fox Den Motel