Last year, Mike Krol’s first two albums were reissued into one compilation, aptly titled Mike Krol Is Never Dead: The First Two Records. Today, the Los Angeles-based musician is sharing his first new material since 2015’s Turkey full-length, the A-side to an upcoming 7″ that will be released to coincide with his tour dates with his Merge labelmates Swearin’ in the fall.

“An Ambulance” has a wailing energy, with crunchy guitars that sound like the scratching against walls in a prison of your own making. “Can somebody call an ambulance to save me from myself or selves?” Krol sings in the chorus.

Here’s a statement from Krol about the pair of new tracks:

Music listeners of the world, I present to you “An Ambulance”: a rallying cry for anyone who has suffered from being their own worst critic, and how finding someone else in the world who listens and understands can help change your perception of yourself. Sometimes just the act of sending out a distress signal is enough to help you learn more about who you are and find the confidence to break through any mental barriers in your way. The song itself is longer and a bit more technical guitar-wise than my earlier material, which I’m especially excited about since it’s indicative of what you can expect from me in the very near future.

The B-side, “Never Know,” was written, performed, recorded, and mixed by me in three days. While “An Ambulance” was more carefully crafted over several months, “Never Know” was a direct retaliation to that, a self-issued challenge to complete a song as quickly as possible. Even in the mastering process, I worked with my friend Dave Gardner to make some bold decisions so that the result sounded like it was done by the studio intern after the boss left for the night. I like it when B-sides have a casual immediacy to them, and I think this track accomplishes that.

So tell your friends—Mike Krol is back, and the best is yet to come!

Listen below.

TOUR DATES:
08/01 San Diego, CA – Space Bar*
08/02 Los Angeles, CA – Highland Park Ebell Club*
08/03 San Jose, CA – The Ritz*
08/05 Seattle, WA – Chop Suey*
08/06 Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret*
08/07 Portland, OR – Doug Fir*
08/09 San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop*
08/10 Fresno, CA – Strummer’s*
08/11 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s*
09/12 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
09/13 Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
09/14 Dubuque, IA – The Lift
09/15 Milwaukee, WI – Bay View Bash
09/15 Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club (Bay View Bash After Party)
09/17 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
09/18 St. Louis, MO – The Monocle
09/19 Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
* w/ Swearin’

“An Ambulance” b/w “Never Know” is out 8/3 via Merge Records. Pre-order it here.