Okkervil River have released a new song, “In a Light,” marking their first piece of new music since 2018.
“In a Light” is an expansive country-rock tune filled with organ, piano, pedal steel, rich harmonies, and intertwining guitar lines that occasionally take the song into spacier realms and lead an exuberant closing jam. Frontman Will Sheff explained in a statement that he wrote “In a Light” with guitarist Will Graefe, and that Okkervil River recorded it around the time they were making their 2018 album, In the Rainbow Rain, but that the song didn’t quite fit on that project.
Okkervil River had another song lying around as well, “It Hasn’t Happened Yet,” which will be released on Friday, May 14th. Sheff described the two songs as “two sides of the same coin, supporting each other by saying two different but complementary things. And even though I started them a couple of years in the past they both seem to want to talk about the present and future.”
Along with releasing “In a Light,” Sheff announced that he’ll be embarking on a solo Okkervil River tour this fall, co-headlining the shows with Damien Jurado. An East Coast run will kick off September 21st in Evanston, Illinois, and wrap October 7th in Holyoke, Massachusetts; a West Coast run will follow starting December 1st in Santa Ana, California, and ending on December 11th in Bellingham, Washington. Tickets for all shows (save an October 2nd gig in Vienna, Virginia) are on pre-sale starting today, May 11th, while they’ll go on sale to the general public May 14th on Okkervil River’s website.
Okkervil River Tour Dates
September 21 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
September 22 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
September 23 – Grand Rapids, MI – Wealthy Theatre
September 24 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
September 25 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
September 26 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart’s Opera House
September 28 – Nashville, TN – Third Man Records
September 29 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery
September 30 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
October 1 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
October 2 – Vienna, VA – Barns at Wolf Trap *
October 3 – Woodstock, NY Levon Helm Studios ^
October 5 – Boston, MA – City Winery
October 6 – Brooklyn, NY – To Be Announced
October 7 – Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts
December 1 – Santa Ana, CA – Ebell of Santa Ana
December 2 – Ojai, CA – Ojai Women’s Club
December 3 – Oakland, CA – Starline Social Club
December 4 – Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Memorial Library (early show)
December 4 – Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Memorial Library (late show)
December 5 – Sonoma, CA – Sebastiani Theater
December 8 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
December 9 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
December 10 – Tacoma, WA – Fawcett Hall
December 11 – Bellingham, WA – Wild Buffalo
NEW RELEASES
Queens Of The Stone Age have shared fresh information about their upcoming album ‘Perfecth’ alongside the smooth, seductive groove of their latest single, ‘Insignificant Other’.
The record follows their widely praised 2023 album ‘In Times New Roman’ and is scheduled for release on October 30 through Matador Records. The date arrives after the group previously hinted that the album could be released in September with a graphic announcement video.
After introducing the project with the fan favorite ‘Easy Street’, the band have now offered another preview of their ninth studio album. ‘Insignificant Other’ is a relaxed and airy track that carries forward the easygoing rhythm heard on the classic ‘Make It Wit Chu’.
“It’s a song about distance,” said frontman Josh Homme. “About how someone can be your entire world only to simply vanish. And about the strange vertigo of being on the receiving end of that.”
The new song and album reveal are accompanied by a humorous video directed by Chapman Baehler. It stars viral dog Big Chongus as a representation of everything considered “perfecth”. The playful, canine focused video also includes Ruby Homme, Max Homme, Pumpkin Van Leeuwen, Isabella Puppolini (Izzy) Van Leeuwen and Reesa Shuman. Watch it below.
The idea behind the album’s name comes from Homme’s belief that the word “perfect” has never felt truthful because genuine perfection does not exist. He therefore invented a new term that better expresses the concept.
“Nothing in this world is perfect, but everything seems to be ‘perfecth’,” said Homme. “And that title is funny when you’re in a group, but it ain’t so funny when you’re alone.”
Another major influence on the record is Kintsugi, the Japanese practice of restoring broken pottery by highlighting its cracks with gold. Homme explained that the technique shows how “what has been shattered is made more beautiful, not less, by the act of repair”. The concept connected with the band after its members reached a place of “hard-won clarity” together. Across nine tracks, the album explores several kinds of love involving “family, friends, and others both significant and insignificant”.
The project also contains a newly recorded version of ‘Sunday’, originally featured on Homme’s collaborative album with Iggy Pop, ‘Post Pop Depression’. Released in 2016, the acclaimed record also included Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders and QOTSA member Dean Fertita.
Homme produced ‘Perfecth’ alongside bassist Michael ‘Mikey Shoes’ Shuman. Recording sessions took place in several locations, ranging from New Orleans to Los Angeles.
“Every song sounds like it’s from a different world,” added Homme. “And that’s on purpose, because it’s trying to stitch together all these emotions revolving around love, lust, foolishness, and the sort of wisdom that comes as a gift from all that.”
Queens Of The Stone Age will issue ‘Perfecth’ through Matador Records on October 30. Preorder the album here and view its cover art and complete song list below.
Queens Of The Stone Age announce new album ‘Perfecth’
‘It’s Only Love’
‘Insignificant Other’
‘Where The Goth Girls At?’
‘Mono’
‘From The Cliff’
‘Sunday’
‘Easy Street’
‘Phantom Limb’
‘Run Away From The Mob’
The project was additionally shaped by the band’s experience of delivering a minimalist performance inside the historic Parisian Catacombs in 2024. The unusual event was documented through a related concert movie and a live record. NME awarded Alive In The Catacombs four stars, describing the release as a “moving and meditative concert doc”.
Following the Catacombs appearance, Queens Of The Stone Age embarked on a series of intimate concerts across the UK, Europe and North America. A string section joined the musicians throughout the run.
The last UK performance took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall in October. The group presented unreleased music during the stripped back and emotional show, with Matt Berry also joining them onstage. Footage and photographs from the evening can be viewed here.
In 2024, Homme pledged to “roll his sleeves up” and avoid making listeners wait so long for another Queens Of The Stone Age album. Six years passed between the arrival of 2017’s ‘Villains’ and ‘In Times New Roman…’.
Queens Of The Stone Age. CREDIT: Andreas Neumann
“I think we should be making something,” Homme explained at the time. “The mantra of the last five years was, ‘It won’t be long now!’ That needs to pertain to making things too. I certainly think we should make more, faster-er, better-er.”
Having recently completed UK and European stadium concerts as support for System Of A Down, QOTSA are now playing North American dates as special guests of Foo Fighters. Headlining appearances in Iceland, Japan, Australia and other locations will follow. Visit the band’s official channels for ticket details and further information.
