Owen (Mike Kinsella) is proud to share two new singles from the forthcoming album ‘The Falls of Sioux,‘ co-produced by Sean Carey (Bon Iver) and Zach Hanson (Bon Iver, Low, Waxahatchee) and due out April 26th via Polyvinyl Record Co. ‘Virtue Misspent’ and ‘Hit and Run’ are out today, the former paired with its own music video directed by Alec Basse and Max More.
“‘Virtue Misspent’ is an homage to one of my all-time favorite bands, New Order,” shares Kinsella. “The guitar part always sounded to me like a Peter Hook bassline, so I sort of leaned into that in the studio by adding synth strings and plugging the electric guitar straight into the board, etc. The video is an homage to me, having lived a life and having fucked up a lot along the way.” ‘Hit and Run’ for its part, may be the most personally affecting for the artist, “There’s usually one song on each of my ow(e)n albums that makes me cry,” he shares, “and this is the one this time.”
Music video directors Basse and Moore aimed to emulate their own visceral reaction upon hearing ‘Virtue Misspent’. “Listening to the song feels like that last look at your past and the roller coaster of emotions that can follow. A taste of the universal nostalgia that we all experience,” share the directors. “To visualize that emotion, we aimed to recreate the adventures of our own youth. An amalgamation of all of the fond memories and perfect days experienced in the Midwest. A bit of boyhood wonder, a little rebellion, and a touch of genuine friendship. To capture these illusions we basically just let the boys play. We created these scenarios and then told them to let loose, have fun. Luckily the boys were excellent and we ended up with something that we think resonates and feels honest.”
In addition to Kinsella’s shows this year with American Football for the band’s 24th anniversary of LP1, and a gig with Cap’N Jazz at Best Friends Forever fest, he will tour as Owen this spring and summer, playing these songs and more from ‘The Falls of Sioux’. A full list of upcoming Owen dates can be found below.
Upcoming tour dates:
April 25th – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL
April 29th – Alchemy – Providence, RI
April 30th – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT
May 1st – Sonia – Boston, MA
May 2nd – Sultan Room – New York, NY
May 3rd – Philadelphia Ethical Society – Early Show – Philadelphia, PA
May 3d – Philadelphia Ethical Society – Late Show – Philadelphia, PA
May 4th – Songbyrd – Washington, DC
June 3rd – Heliogàbal – Barcelona, ES
June 8th – Oslo – London, UK
June 9th – Brudenell – Leeds, UK
July 24th – Voodoo Room – San Diego, CA
July 25th – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
July 26th – Bottom Of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
August 5th – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
August 6th – Madame Lous – Seattle, WA
August 22nd – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH
August 23rd – Ninth Ward – Buffalo, NY
August 24th – Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
August 25th – Ace of Cups – Columbus, OH