Something happened to Kevin Morby in 2017. Already a prolific musician in his own regard, his confidence and ability as a storyteller seemed to soar with the release of the instant classic City Music. Every release that has followed since has seen Morby operating at a higher level of consciousness. This is a songwriter in command of his craft, both in the studio and on stage. Today, he has announced what’s described as his “magnum opus” in his seventh album, This Is A Photograph.
He wrote the album (which is out on May 13th) and recorded the first demos while living in Memphis and spending his days traversing the city, connecting with its ghosts. Working with producer Sam Cohen, This Is A Photograph sees Morby tapping into the spirit of raconteurs like Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley and working with collaborators like harpist Brandee Younger, jazz drummer Makaya McCraven, and singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins.
The lead title track single is a portrait of heartland nostalgia, featuring backing vocal harmonies by members of Memphis’ Stax Academy Of Music. The interplay of guitar and banjo speaks to Americana and highway rock and roll. Morby is fierce, driven, and on a mission as he sings, “This is what I’ll miss about being alive, this is what I’ll miss after I die.”
“It’s about the battle every family faces, that of chasing the clock, to live our lives and hold onto one another for as long as possible,” Morby said of the song in a statement. “That, and, the dreams that come with being a young family in America and where those dreams eventually end up.”
Watch the video for “This Is A Photograph” above. Check out the This Is A Photograph art and tracklist, as well as Kevin Morby’s tour dates for 2022, below.
1. “Intro”
2. “This Is A Photograph”
3. “A Random Act Of Kindness”
4. “Bittersweet, TN”
5. “Disappearing”
6. “A Coat Of Butterflies”
7. “Rock Bottom”
8. “Forever Inside A Picture”
9. “Five Easy Pieces”
10. “Stop Before I Cry”
11. “It’s Over”
12. “Goodbye To Good Times”
05/20 — Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas
05/21 — Biarritz, FR @ L’Atabal
05/22 — Montpellier, FR @ Le Rockstore
05/23 — Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey
05/24 — Paris, FR @ Le Bataclan
05/25 — Köln, DE @ Kulturekirche
05/26 — Antwerpen, BE @ De Roma
05/28 — London, UK @ Wide Awake at Brockwell Park
05/29 — Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg
05/30 — Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
05/31 — Berlin, DE @ Metropol
06/01 — Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
06/03– Angers, FR @ Levitation
06/04 — Clermont–Ferrand, FR @ La Cooperative de Mai
06/05 — Lille, FR @ Aéronef
06/03 — Bologna, IT @ Covo Summer
06/04 — Terni, IT @ Anfifteatro Romano
06/06 — Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara
06/07 — Budapest, HU @ Akvárium Klub
06/08 — Trencin, Slovakia @ Pohoda Festival
06/09 — Zittau, DE @ Lonesome Lake Festival
06/11 — Vienna, AT @ WUK
06/12 — Munich, DE @ Ampere
06/13 — Bern, CH @ Gurtenfestival
06/15 — Lisbon, PT @ Super Bock Super Rock
08/21 — Erlanger, DE @ Ewerk
08/22 — Hannover, DE @ Café Glocksee
08/24 — Copenhagen, DK @ Punpehuset
08/27 — Prague, CZ @ Meetfactory
08/28 — Darmstadt, DE @ Golden Leaves Festival
08/31 — Brighton, UK @ Chalk
09/03 — Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival
09/04 — Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
09/05 — Glasgow, UK @ Classic Grand
09/06 — Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club
09/07 — Dublin, IE @ Academy
09/28 — Sonoma, CA @ Historic Redwood Barn *
09/29 — San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore *
10/01 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco *
10/03 — Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole *
10/05 — Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf *
10/10 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall *
10/11 — St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Nightclub *
10/12 — Bloomington, IN @ Buskirk–Chumley Theater *
10/14 — Memphis, TN @ The Bluff *
10/15 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East *
10/16 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
10/18 — Jacksonville, FL @ Intuition Ale Works *
10/20 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel *
10/21 — Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall *
10/22 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club %
10/24 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair %
10/25 — Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall %
10/26 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall %
10/28 — Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall %
10/29 — Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag %
10/31 — Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre %
11/01 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom %
11/02 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe %
11/03 — Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads Saloon %
11/05 — Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre %
11/06 — Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s %
11/08 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The CommonWealth Room %
11/10 — Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall %
11/11 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox %
11/12 — Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre %
* with Cassandra Jenkins
% with Coco
This Is A Photograph is out 5/13 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.
