Kurt Wagner's Nashville-based indie project Lambchop has been going in one form or another since 1986, and it's been responsible for some devastating music over the years. Today, Wagner announces plans to follow Lambchop's 2022 album The Bible with a new one that has the beautifully evocative title Punching The Clown.
Almost since its beginnings, Lambchop has been a revolving-lineup deal, with Wagner as the only constant member. On Punching The Clown, he's joined by Fog's Andrew Broder. The two of them recorded the LP at Justin Vernon's April Base studio in Wisconsin, with Vernon buddy and Gayngs mastermind Ryan Olson producing. Vernon himself plays banjo on lead single "Weakened," a striking and awfully pretty song that also features a children's choir.
"Weakened," which Wagner and Broder wrote together, is a spare number that seems to be sung from the perspective of a Notes From The Underground type, an isolated figure meditating on "the weaker souls." Wagner's voice has a ton of character, and it becomes a point of stark contrast when those choral voices come in. Here's what Wagner says about it in a press release:
in early 2024 i heard a song on the radio on my way to get some gas.
just a minimal single chord strummed banjo and a small group of voices.
it seemed perfect in the moment as the moment became perfect in itself.
i never found out who it was, sounded kinda like early country gospel?
in a time of searching i discovered a type of gospel singing known as lined out singing
which is said to have begun in the late 1800s in scotland.
it migrated to appalachia and became an obscure root of american gospel, country.…
a spontaneous call and response type of acapella singing led by a clerk with a chorus of singers
revealing the raw beauty and power of the human voice with its unique varieties
its unadorned simplicity gave weight to the words as they were sung.
i wanted to make a record that emulated this kind of music.
Below, check out "Weakened," the Punching The Clown tracklist, and Lambchop's upcoming live shows, including a residency at a Minneapolis supper club.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Just West Of Nicollet"
02 "A Doctor In The House"
03 "Weakened"
04 "Stella"
05 "Punching The Clown"
06 "White People"
07 "The New World Wave"
08 "Andrew Jackson Ass Hat"
09 "Afterburner"
10 "Cigar"
11 "To Do"
12 "No Chicago"
TOUR DATES:
6/28 - Minneapolis, MN @ Crooners Supper Club
8/30 - Minneapolis, MN @ Crooners Supper Club
9/27 - Minneapolis, MN @ Crooners Supper Club
9/29 - Chicago, IL @ Maurer Hall at The Old Town School of Music
10/01-02 - Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records
11/18 - Viseu, Portugal @ Teatro Viriato
11/19 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Culturgest
11/21 - Braga, Portugal @ Theatro Circo
11/22 - Espinho, Portugal @ Auditório de Espinho
11/24 - Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall
11/25 - Sheffield, UK @ Octagon
11/26 - Gateshead, UK @ Sage 2
11/27-28 - London, UK @ Union Chapel
12/01 - Dudelange, Luxembourg @ Opderschmelz
12/02 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Arenberg
12/03 - Roeselare, Belgium @ De Spil
2/07 - Oslo, Norway @ Konserthus
2/09 - Trondheim, Norway @ Byscenen
2/11 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ DR Koncerthuset
2/12 - Hamburg, Germany @ Christianskirche
2/13 - Berlin, Germany @ Passionkirche
2/14 - Erlangen, Germany @ Markgrafentheater
2/16 - Vienna, Austria @ Theater Akzent
2/17 - Budapest, Hungary @ House Of Music
2/19 - Glasgow, UK @ St Lukes
2/20 - Galway, Ireland @ St Nicholas’ Church
2/21 - Dublin, Ireland @ The Helix
Punching The Clown is out 8/21 on Peak Vinyl/Merge in North America and City Slang in the rest of the world. Pre-order it here.
