David Byrne has announced a new album, titled, Who Is The Sky?.
Who Is the Sky?, Byrne's first new album since 2018's American Utopia, will be released on September 5th by Matador Records. The album was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon, while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra.
Pre-order the album, including a limited Cantaloupe Orange / Strawberry Pink split vinyl featuring a lenticular cover, at https://davidbyrne.mat-r.co/whoisthesky.
Byrne's musical friends, including St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco, also make appearances on Who Is the Sky?
Byrne also shared a video of the record's lead single, "Everybody Laughs," directed by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo.
"Someone I know said, 'David, you use the word 'everybody' a lot.' I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it," says Byrne. "Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. Everybody's wearing everybody else's shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done. I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together. Music can do that - hold opposites simultaneously. I realized that when singing with Robyn earlier this year. Her songs are often sad, but the music is joyous."
"It took me a second to realize, oh yeah, these songs are personal, but with David's unique perspective on life in general," adds Kid Harpoon. "Walking around New York listening to the demo of 'Everybody Laughs' was so joyous, because it made me feel like we're all the same - we all laugh, cry and sing. The thing about David that resonates with a lot of people is that he's in on the joke. He gets the absurdity of it all, and all of these personal observations are his perspective on it."
Who Is The Sky? Tracklist:
01. Everybody Laughs02. When We Are Singing03. My Apartment Is My Friend04. A Door Called No05. What Is The Reason For It?06. I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party07. Don't Be Like That08. The Avant Garde09. Moisturizing Thing10. I'm an Outsider11. She Explains Things To Me12. The Truth
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