David Byrne simply introduced his first solo album in seven years, with the Speaking Heads frontman set to launch Who’s the Sky? by Matador Data on Sept. 5.
Produced by Child Harpoon, who produced Harry Types’s “As It Was” and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” the album will function visitor appearances from St. Vincent, Paramore’s Hayley Williams and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner. The album was additionally organized by New York’s Ghost Prepare Orchestra.
Byrne shared the album’s lead single “Everyone Laughs,” together with an accompanying music video, on Tuesday.
“Somebody I do know stated, ‘David, you utilize the phrase ‘everyone’ loads.’ I suppose I do this to provide an anthropological view of life in New York as we all know it,” Byrne stated in an announcement of the brand new tune. “Everyone lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares on the ceiling. Everyone’s carrying everyone else’s footwear, which not everyone does, however I’ve executed. I attempted to sing about these items that may very well be seen as destructive in a approach balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, particularly on the finish, when St. Vincent and I are doing loads of hollering and singing collectively. Music can do this – maintain opposites concurrently. I spotted that when singing with Robyn earlier this yr. Her songs are sometimes unhappy, however the music is joyous.”
Byrne introduced the album contemporary off the heels of becoming a member of Olivia Rodrigo at Governors Ball over the weekend for a shock efficiency of Speaking Heads basic “Burning Down the Home.”
It took me a second to appreciate, ‘Oh yeah, these songs are private,’ however with David’s distinctive perspective on life typically,” Child Harpoon stated in an announcement. “Strolling round New York listening to the demo of ‘Everyone Laughs’ was so joyous, as a result of it made me really feel like we’re all the identical — all of us snigger, cry and sing. The factor about David that resonates with lots of people is that he’s in on the joke. He will get the absurdity of all of it, and all of those private observations are his perspective on it.”
With Who’s the Sky? introduced, Byrne additionally confirmed Tuesday that he’ll be hitting the street for the brand new file with an intensive tour of North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Europe and the U.Ok. He’ll tour the U.S. from September by early December of this yr, beginning in Windfall, Rhode Island and ending in Miami. He’ll hit Australia, New Zealand and Europe in 2026. Tickets go to basic on-sale on Friday, with an artist presale beginning at 10 a.m. ET immediately and ending on Thursday at 10 a.m. native time. Hyperlinks to buy tickets can be found on Byrne’s web site.
“At my age, at the very least for me, there’s a ‘don’t give a shit about what individuals assume’ perspective that kicks in,” Byrne stated. “I can step exterior my consolation zone with the information that I sort of know who I’m by now and type of know what I’m doing. That stated, each new set of songs, each tune even, is a brand new journey. There’s at all times a little bit of, ‘how do I work this?’ I’ve discovered that not each collaboration works, however typically after they do, it’s as a result of I’m capable of clearly impart what it’s I’m making an attempt to do. They hopefully get that, and because of this, we’re now joined collectively heading to the identical unknown place.”
