Big Thief have announced their second album of 2019: a ten-track LP called Two Hands. They’ve also posted its first single “Not,” an overdriven and urgent rocker that the band premiered live in 2018. According to a press release, Two Hands was recorded directly following the sessions for their third album U.F.O.F., which came out in May, and was recorded largely in a cabin studio near the Mexican border in Texas. Two Hands will be released by 4AD on October 11; pre-order it here.
Produced by Andrew Sarlo—who has worked with the band on all four of their albums–the group recorded almost all of the album live with no overdubs, including lead singer and songwriter Adrianne Lenker’s vocals. (They sound especially raw and powerful on “Not.”) Of the record, Lenker said: “Two Hands has the songs that I’m the most proud of; I can imagine myself singing them when I’m old. Musically and lyrically, you can’t break it down much further than this. It’s already bare-bones.”
Big Thief’s fall North American shows will directly follow the release of the album, and the band has added new European dates in February and March of 2020. A segment of proceeds from the band’s shows in all territories will go to a collection of charities; in the United States, $1 from each ticket will go to either Little Kids Rock or Youth Speaks. Check out the band’s full list of upcoming tour dates and ticketing information here.
Listen to “Not,” and check out Two Hands‘s cover art and track list, below.
