Blonde Redhead’s new album, Sit Down for Dinner, is out September 29th via section1. Today, they present “Before,” one of the most sonically playful tracks on the album. With its stacked vocals by singer and multi-instrumentalist Kazu Makino, “Before” was written with the notion of reincarnation in mind, narrated from the perspective of a kid who seems to know it all : “I don’t need to see/I already know/I can tell you I’ve seen it all before/Once upon a time/Was I a silent child seen it all before/Stop before you run/Before you make a run/Turn it upside down.” Kazu elaborates, “Some children seem quite knowing as if they remember their past lives... or at least that's the impression I get. The song is a sort of celebration of that kind of quality in a young person.” “Before” is the latest in a string of fantastic singles, including the “pillowy and gorgeous” (The Needle Drop) “Melody Experiment” and the “unsettling as it is hypnotic” (Toronto Star) “Snowman.”
In spring 2020, Makino encountered a passage from Joan Didion’s 2005 memoir of grief, The Year of Magical Thinking, which reflects on the author’s devastating experience of witnessing her husband’s sudden death at the dinner table. Makino was thinking of her own parents far away in Japan; the then-lost ritual of congregating for dinner with family; and the heavy, omnipresent feeling that life could change in the instant for any of us. There was one line in particular that would eventually lend itself to the album’s title: “Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” Sit Down for Dinner is immaculately structured, imbued with sensitivity, clarity, and resolve. Throughout the album, the understated yet visceral melodies create a foil to lyrics about the inescapable struggles of adulthood. It’s a meticulous and immersive testament to the unique internal logic Blonde Redhead have refined over their three-decade existence, one characterized by the sense of persistent togetherness. Beginning this October, Blonde Redhead will tour North America, the UK and Europe. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now. In the spirit of Sit Down for Dinner, Blonde Redhead will be hosting special dinners at select restaurants in Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles around the album’s release, offering a rare chance to spend actual time with the band. These are on offer via an exclusive bundle, including the Sit Down for Dinner signed vinyl, a limited edition section1 magazine, and of course, a dinner with the band.
Blonde Redhead Dinner Parties: Sat. Sep. 23 - Paris, FR @ Montezuma Cafe Mon. Sep. 25 - London, UK @ Brilliant Corners Thu. Sep. 28 - New York, NY @ Public Records Sun. Oct. 1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Chainsaw - SOLD OUT Blonde Redhead Tour Dates: Thu. Aug. 31 - Ogden, UT @ Ogden Amphitheater (supporting Phantogram) Fri. Sept. 22 - London, UK @ The Lower Third - RESCHEDULED DATE Thu. Oct. 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Sat. Oct. 14 - Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts Center Mon. Oct. 16 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall Wed. Oct. 18 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre Fri. Oct. 20 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Sat. Oct. 21 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall Tue. Oct. 24 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre Wed. Oct. 25 - Sante Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf Fri. Oct. 27 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk Sat. Oct. 28 - Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory Mon. Oct. 30 - St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar and Hall Tue. Oct. 31 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Thu. Nov. 2 - Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall Fri. Nov. 3 - Montreal, QC @ Le Studio TD Sat. Nov. 4 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre Wed. Nov. 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Thu. Nov. 9 - Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre Fri. Nov. 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Mon. Nov. 20 - Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine Tue. Nov. 21 - Parma, IT @ Teatro Regio di Parma Thu. Nov. 23 - Cologne, DE @ Gebaude 9 Fri. Nov. 24 - Berlin, DE @ Heimathafen Neukölln Sat. Nov. 25 - Hamburg, DE @ Bahnhof Pauli Mon. Nov. 27 - Lille, FR @ Aeronef Tue. Nov. 28 - Paris, FR @ La Cigale Wed. Nov. 29 - Nantes, FR @ Stereolux Fri. Dec. 1 - Rennes, FR @ Antipode Sat. Dec. 2 - La Rochelle, FR @ La Sirene Sun. Dec. 3 - Toulouse, FR @ Le Bikini Tue. Dec. 5 - Brussels, BE @ Orangerie (at Botanique) Wed. Dec. 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Thu. Dec. 7 - Leffinge, BE @ De Zwerver Sat. Dec. 9 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sun. Dec. 10 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla Tue. Dec. 12 - London, UK @ Village Underground
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