In July, LVL UP’s Dave Benton announced a new album as Trace Mountains, Into The Burning Blue, and shared a lead single, “In A Dream.” Today, Benton is back with a follow-up single and video called “Friend,” which features Craig Hendrix of Japanese Breakfast.

“I like to joke that I’m a ‘loner in recovery,'” Benton says of “Friend” in a press release. “When I wrote ‘Friend,’ I was facing a pretty big transition in my life. I needed to address my own loneliness, and writing the song was like my first step on that path. It was my way of saying, ‘Yep, I feel lonely sometimes’ and dealing with that good old millennial malaise. I’m just really grateful for the people in my life and trying to tackle the meaning of a word like ‘Friend’ feels impossible, but it’s fun to try.”

Watch and listen below.

TOUR DATES:
10/09 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
10/10 – Wilmington, NC @ Reggie’s
10/11 – Durham, NC @ Rubie’s
10/12 – Boone, NC @ Lily’s Snack Bar
10/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Altar
10/16 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement
10/17 – Columbus, OH @ Space Bar
10/18 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR
10/19 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
10/20 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
10/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye
10/25 – Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts
12/03 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
12/04 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
12/06 – Arcata, CA @ Miniplex
12/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
12/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers
12/11 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
12/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Linger Longer Lounge

Into The Burning Blue is out 9/27 via Lame-O.