After a three-year absence, Unknown Mortal Orchesta reemerged last year with a pair of singles, “Weekend Run” and “That’s Life.” Now the vibey, funky psych-pop project is back with something a bit different.

The acoustic “I Killed Captain Cook” has its roots in Ruban Nielson’s cultural heritage. His mother, Deedee Aipolani Nielson, is a Kanaka Maoli from Hilo and was named Miss Aloha Hula 1973. That’s her on the cover art and in the music video. When Nielson was a child, his mom told him about the demise of Captain James Cook, the English explorer who spearheaded the colonization of Polynesia and was eventually killed by a Hawaiian after attempting to kidnap the Hawaiian chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu. “I Killed Captain Cook” is told from the perspective of the Hawaiian who ended Cook’s life, a subject his mother recalled with great pride.

“I Killed Captain Cook” is billed as the lead single from a forthcoming UMO double album. Hear it below, where you can also find Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s tour dates.

TOUR DATES:
03/20 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Spokane
03/22 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
03/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre
03/27 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
03/31 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
04/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
04/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
04/04 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
04/05 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
04/06 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
04/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/08 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
04/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
04/11 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04/13 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
04/14 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
04/18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
04/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
04/22 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
05/30 – Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr Pavilion
05/31 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
06/15 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
06/16 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
06/17 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers