Two of the buzziest names in indie rock are teaming up on a collaboration album and taking it on the road, including to Dallas.
On Wednesday, Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett announced a North American tour in which the two singers and guitar players will be backed by a new group, known as the Sea Lice. They'll be playing McFarlin Auditorium on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas on Nov. 10. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 9. (Or snag 'em pre-sale this week with the code BLUEBERRYHILL.)
Vile and Barnett first played together in 2014, when they shared a bill at a concert in Australia where Barnett is from. The next time Vile was in town, he hit her up about working together.
"It started out as, maybe we'll do a split 7-inch together, but then I figured let's make it a 12-inch so it doesn't get lost in the world, shoot for 5 songs," Vile said in a statement. "It wasn't until I had another KV tour booked for the following summer in Oz that we thought we should record as much as we can, just see what happens, no major goal to make it a full length, but it came together that way 'cause the vibe was so strong with everyone."
Soncially, the collaboration feels like a natural fit. Both Vile and Barnett are beloved in indie circles for their grunge-tinged tunes, distinct voices and psychedelic vibes.
In March, the duo teased something was in the works, posting a picture from Newmarket Studios in Australia. According to a statement, the album came together over the course of eight studio session in 15 months. It will be released "later this year" on Matador Records, Marathon Artists and Milk! Records.
When Vile and Barnett take the album on the road, their band the Sea Lice will feature a rotating lineup of musicians, including Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint, Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinny, Rob Laakso of the Violators, and Katie Harkin of Harkin. Australian songwriter Jen Cloher will be the opener. Additionally, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the ALCU.
Neither has shared any track from the album, but Barnett recently released what she calls a "new old song," entitled "How to Boil an Egg." Check it out:
h/t Pitchfork
