Over the past two decades, Alec Ounsworth has continued to steadily release new music under the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah name, most recently 2021’s New Fragility. But Ounsworth also realizes that most people with an interest in Clap Your Hands are strictly conversant with the band’s self-titled 2005 debut album, the self-released stunner that became one of the great blog-rock success stories. So when the album turned 10 in 2015, CYSHY did an anniversary tour. And now that it’s turning 20 next year, Ounsworth is doing it again.

The current iteration of CYHSY will spend a decent chunk of next year away from this home on ice, bringing the band’s early tunes to the world. The tour begins at the end of March and continues around North America through mid-May. A brief run through Europe, the UK, and Ireland follows in September, with a trip to Australia and New Zealand wrapping up the festivities in November. Ticket info will be coming soon at the band’s website.

Along with the tour announcement, Clap Your Hands have shared the original 2004 version of “Heavy Metal,” about which Ounsworth says:

At the time, “Heavy Metal” was meant to appear alongside a small collection of songs to be used for an EP to be shopped around to labels. We never thought that an album was possible at the time. Later, during the mixing of the EP, a decision was made to add other songs. This final collection of songs went on to be the first album.

I guess I didn’t think this original version of “Heavy Metal” sat very well on the album once we started recording some of the later songs (“The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth,” “Is This Love?,” etc.) so I decided the song should be changed even though the original (as a standalone single) had always worked. Now that I listen to the original “Heavy Metal” remixed and mastered, I realize it very well could (should?) have been on the album itself.

I really like both versions of “Heavy Metal” but 20 years later I think I’ve come to appreciate this one a little more. The rest of the album has this excitement too of course but the earliest songs speak even more to a certain innocence around that time which I try hard not to forget.

This version of “Heavy Metal” will appear on a 20th anniversary vinyl reissue coming next year. Listen below, where you’ll also find those dates.

TOUR DATES:
03/31 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis
04/01 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
04/02 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
04/04 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Tulip’s
04/05 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
04/07 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
04/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater
04/09 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent
04/11 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
04/12 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
04/13 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
04/15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
04/16 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird
05/02 – St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar and Hall
05/03 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
05/04 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
05/06 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall
05/07 – Albany, NY @ The Egg
05/08 – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom
05/09 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
05/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09/14 – Leffinge, BE @ Leffingeleuren Festival
09/16 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
09/18 – Paris, FR @ Gaité Lyrique
09/19 – London, UK @ EartH
09/20 – London, UK @ EartH
11/05 – Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
11/07 – Melbourne, AU @ Northcote Theatre
11/08 – Brisbane, AU @ The Triffid
11/11 – Auckland, NZ @ The Tuning Fork