Brooklyn indie band Big Thief have announced their highly anticipated follow-up to 2017’s Capacity. Their new record UFOF will arrive May 3 via 4AD.
The album’s unusual title is a spin on “UFO,” but with an extra “F,” to stand for “friend.” Singer and guitarist Adrianne Lenker shared the thought process behind the album’s naming in a press release: “Making friends with the unknown… All my songs are about this. If the nature of life is change and impermanence, I’d rather be uncomfortably awake in that truth than lost in denial.”
“UFOF” sparkles with tenderness for the unknown. Lenker’s soft and resonant voice leads the multilayered, warm track through unexpected musical flourishes and a grounding guitar.
In the time since Capacity, the band have kept busy touring, playing headlining shows, festival dates, and opening for Perfume Genius. Lenker released a solo album, the magnificent, gentle Abysskiss last fall. Uproxx named the album the best indie album released in 2018.
Big Thief are touring Europe and the US this year, with a long set of dates through November. Check out their North American itinerary below, and listen to “UFOF” above.
04/20 – San Diego, CA @ Irenic
05/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
05/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bootleg Theater
05/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
10/10 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/11 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/12 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/13 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
10/15 – Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe
10/16 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/18 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
10/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/24 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
10/26 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
11/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
11/02 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
11/04 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
11/05 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
11/07 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
11/08 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/10 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
