Yazan describes himself as “a self-taught musician, a radical artist whose purpose is to serve others.” That mission statement makes sense, considering that the Brooklyn-based artist has seen some real stuff: He was in New York’s financial district during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and as a child, he gained an appreciation for how fortunate his life has been while visiting family in Middle Eastern slums.
For those reasons and surely others, Yazan knows that peace is the best weapon against strife, and he has it in spades on his joyfully titled upcoming album, Hahaha, which is set for release on April 20. Today, the record’s title track is premiering exclusively on Uproxx, so give it a listen below.
The song, although not ripped directly from the history books, has the jubilant and free-wheeling spirit of the ’60s, as it’s a positive and eclectic track that goes through multiple psychedelic and uplifting phases over the course of four minutes. Yazan, who joined Pile for a US tour in 2015, reunites with the band’s Kris Kuss on the album, which promises to combine his influences of “delta blues, classic rock, folk, soul, indie rock, and good ol’ fashioned rock ’n’ roll,” all under one umbrella.
Hahaha is available for pre-order here. Listen to “Hahaha” above, and check out Yazan’s upcoming tour dates below.
3/30 — Washington, DC @ Paperhaus
3/31 — Durham, NC @ Duke Coffeehouse
4/1 — Athens, GA @ The World Famous
4/2 — Savannah, GA @ House show
4/3 — Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
4/4 — Gainesville, FL @ Hardback Cafe
4/5 — Mobile, AL @ Blind Mule
4/6 — Nashville, TN @ Betty’s Grill
4/7 — Memphis, TN @ Railgarten
4/8 — Wichita, KS @ Not Swell House
4/9 — Norman, OK @ Resonator
4/11 — Flagstaff, AZ @ Cottage House
4/12 — Phoenix, AZ @ Trunkspace
4/13 — Yuma, AZ @ Friendly’s Tavern
4/14 — La Mesa, CA @ The Lazy Hummingbird
4/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Lot 1 Cafe
4/17 — Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
4/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Hotel Utah
4/19 — Ashland, OR @ IPub
4/20 — Ashland, OR @ Oberon’s Tavern
4/21 — Seattle, WA @ Victory Lounge
4/23 — Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
4/24 — Denver, CO @ Horse House
4/25 — Omaha, NE @ House show
4/26 — Minneapolis, MN @ Eagles #34
4/27 — Milwaukee, WI @ Puddler’s Hall
4/28 — Chicago, IL @ Smoker’s House
4/29 — St Louis, MO @ Sinkhole
4/30 — Carbondale, IL @ The Swamp
5/2 — Louisville, KY @ Cure Lounge
5/3 — Kalamazoo, MI @ Louie’s Trophy Room
5/4 — Buffalo, NY @ TBA
5/5-6 — Burlington, VT @ Waking Windows Festival
5/9 — Philadelphia, PA @ Lavaspace
5/10 — Brooklyn, NY @ TBA
5/11 — Rollinsford, NH @ Sue’s Space
5/12 — New Paltz, NY @ NEWPALSAPALOOZA
6/9 — Peterborough, NH @ The Thing in the Spring
