Phil Cook is perhaps best known as being part of the band Megafaun and for being a James Vernon collaborator, but over the past few years, he’s made a name for himself on his own. He has a couple solo albums to his name, and now he has a third on the way: People Are My Drug will be out on June 1 via Psychic Hotline/Thirty Tigers. To celebrate, he recently shared “Steampowered Blues,” the first taste of the album that starts as a midtempo folk rock track before gradually evolving into a downright soulful party.
Cook says of the track:
“‘Steampowered Blues’ is the first song I wrote for People Are My Drug. I’ve long been drawn to the swing and swagger of New Orleans’ step rhythms. The left-right bass lines get my feet stepping, whereas the drums channel my hip movements and the weightless carefree melodies often coax my arms from my sides toward the sky. Lyrically, it’s playful in a way that I can get behind. Tamisha Waden and Chastity Brown’s vocal expressions are stunning. The payoff when Mountain Man enters at the end of the double-time chant makes me cheer every time. Within my mortal body and experience, this music is my church.”
People Are My Drug is available for pre-order now. Listen to “Steampowered Blues” above, and check out Cook’s upcoming tour dates below.
4/07 — Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
6/08 — Washington DC @ Songbyrd
6/10 — Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
7/31 — Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom*
8/01 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent*
8/3-5 — Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon
8/7-8 — Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern*
* with Daniel Norgren
