Death Cab For Cutie Announce A New Album, ‘Asphalt Meadows,’ With The Rocking Single ‘Roman Candles’

Last week, Death Cab For Cutie declared a new album, which will be their tenth, was finished and that new music was arriving on May 11. Well, that’s today, and sure enough, the band has released a single called “Roman Candles,” a two-minute song with a pronounced rock edge. The track is actually the lead single from a newly announced album, Asphalt Meadows, which is set for release on September 16. The LP will be the group’s first since 2018’s Thank You For Today.

The band says of the song in a statement, “‘Roman Candles’ is about the crippling, existential dread that goes hand in hand with living in a nervous city on a dying planet, and that the only way to be in the moment is to let it all go.” Gibbard adds, “The lyrics were cobbled from a couple of different songs dealing with my general sense of anxiety; the feeling that the fabric that weaves a functioning society together was crumbling during the pandemic.”

The band also announced a run of fall tour dates with support from Low and Yo La Tengo. These shows add onto the recently announced set of July shows featuring Illuminati Hotties.

Listen to “Roman Candles” above and check out the Asphalt Meadows tracklist and Death Cab For Cutie’s upcoming tour dates below.

Death Cab For Cutie Asphalt Meadows
Atlantic

05/21 — Guadalajara, MX @ Corona Capital Guadalajara
05/28 — Portland, OR @ TEDxPortland Year 10 @ Moda Center/Theater of the Clouds
07/07 — Cincinnati, OH @ PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation †
07/08 — Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe †
07/09 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest @ Generac Power Stage
07/11 — Buffalo, NY @ ARTPARK †
07/12 — LaFayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards †
07/14 — Harrisburg, PA @ Harrisburg University at Riverfront Park †
07/15 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena †
07/16 — Poughkeepsie, NY @ MJN Convention Center †
09/22 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee ^
09/23 — Minneapolis, MN @ Surly Brewing Festival Field
09/24 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
09/26 — Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! ^
09/27 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem ^
09/29 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met ^
09/30 — New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium ^
10/01 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion ^
10/03 — Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater ^
10/04 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy ^
10/06 — Richmond, VA @ Virginia Credit Union LIVE! ^
10/07 — Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit ^
10/08 — Charleston, SC @ Firefly Distillery ^
10/10 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE ^
10/11 — Detroit, MI @ The Masonic ^
10/13 — St. Louis, MO @ The Factory ^
10/14 — Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland ^
10/15 — Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
10/17 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
10/18 — Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim #
10/19 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl #
10/21 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre #
10/22 — San Diego, CA @ venue TBA #
10/23 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater #
10/24 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater #
10/26 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
10/27 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre

† with Illuminati Hotties
^ with Low
# with Yo La Tengo

Asphalt Meadows is out 9/16 via Atlantic. Pre-order it here.

Death Cab For Cutie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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