In 2024, Kevin Barnes released the latest of Montreal record, Lady On The Cusp. The indie-pop veteran has since relocated to Brooklyn, and now he's announcing a new album called aethermead. The lead single "When" is a steamy, silly, serious banger.
"'When' is more a song about yearning, sadness, confusion, frustration...than it is a song about having sex," Barnes explains, continuing:
Clearly all of the things listed in the verses are the things I actually desire. I'm hiding behind a shield of sexual bravado and pretending as if my only needs are physical. It's very transparent that I'm longing for much more than just libidinal fulfillment, but those other things are being withheld. It's much easier to say "When can I fuck you again?" than it is to say "When will you be loving, affectionate, and emotionally generous and make me feel whole again?"
The thumping beat and caustic riffs magnify the emotionally guarded attitude, but the lyrics are endearingly funny: "I don't wanna start a band with you/ Or act in your movie/ All these feelings are like having rabies/ But I'm not competing with that nepo baby." Poetry!
aethermead was recorded at Brooklyn's the Honey Jar with engineer Drew Vandenberg, in addition to drummer Clayton Rychlik, keyboardist Jojo Glidwell, and bassist Ross Brand. Below, check out "When," along with of Montreal's upcoming tour dates.
TOUR DATES:
06/19 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club ~
06/20 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ~
06/21 – Norfolk, VA @ The Annex ~
06/22 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ~
06/23 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall ~
06/24 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ~
06/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts ~
06/26 – Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall ~
06/27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls ~
06/28 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick ~
06/29 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Café ~
06/30 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall ~
07/01 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall ~
07/02 – Chattanooga, TN @ Barrellhouse Ballroom ~
07/03 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle ~
07/04 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Pour House ~
07/21 – Nashville, TN @ The Mil at Cannery Hall
07/22 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall *
07/23 – Wichita, KS @ WAVE *
07/24 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
07/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Metro Music Hall *
07/26 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall *
07/27 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
07/28 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
07/29 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall *
07/30 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post *
07/31 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
08/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater *
08/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
08/03 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister *
08/05 – Dallas, TX @ Trees *
08/06 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
08/07 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea’s Live *
08/08 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn *
~ w/ Cormae
* w/ Sloppy Jane
aethermead is out 6/5 via Polyvinyl. Pre-order it here.
