David Byrne announced this Wednesday, the 13th, the new single “The Avant Garde”. The track is part of Who Is the Sky?, his first new album since the acclaimed and award-winning American Utopia , from 2018. The album will be released on September 5th by Matador Records .
Byrne commented: “Some people will hear this and say, ‘David is calling his friends bullshit,’ but it’s more subtle than that. Anyone who knows me knows I go to a lot of shows that could be classified as avant-garde or experimental. Bold and unconventional works inspire me deeply, as they often change my way of thinking and influence what I do (hopefully without simply appropriating the ideas).”
The artist continued: “That said, attempting something unprecedented and radically new is risky. As with any risk, sometimes you don't quite hit the target. There's no guarantee you'll achieve what you set out to do, but when you do, the emotional and intellectual rewards are worth it. That's the risk you take when creating something new and unconventional. So yes, there are times when it means nothing, but often totally original creations emerge and it's all worth the effort. I love that the guys from Ghost Train and Kid Harpoon took what could have been a fairly conventional song I wrote (at least musically) and turned it into something that, to me, sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Dirty Projectors.”
New album by David Byrne
Produced by Kid Harpoon New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra Click here to order the album.
Friends from the music scene, old and new, including St. Vincent , Hayley Williams from Paramore, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco , are also featured on Who Is the Sky?, which is led by the infectious single “ Everybody Laughs ”.
Regarding the launch, Byrne commented: “Someone I know said, ‘David, you use the word ‘everyone’ a lot.’ I think I do that to give an anthropological perspective on life in New York as we know it.”
Byrne will also be returning to the road with a new live show of Who Is the Sky?. The touring band will consist of 13 musicians, singers and dancers, including members of the band American Utopia, and they will all be in constant motion during the show. The North American tour begins on September 14th in Providence, Rhode Island, and the European dates begin in March 2026.
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