If we’re not counting last year’s The Waterfall II (since it was really just made up of leftovers from The Waterfall that vocalist Jim James put together while he was in quarantine), then My Morning Jacket hasn’t released a new album since the Obama administration. Seeing as the world is a pretty different place now compared to 2015, it only seems appropriate for James, Tom Blankenship, and the rest of the indie rock group to put out a new album that fits the times.
On Oct. 22, My Morning Jacket will do just that. The band’s ninth album (including The Waterfall II) will be a self-titled work released through ATO Records, and we’ve already got a glimpse into what it’ll sound like. The band released the new album’s first single, “Regularly Scheduled Programming,” today alongside the announcement.
“This song really hits home for me after what we’ve gone through with the pandemic,” James said in a statement. “But even before then, it felt like so many of us were trading real life for social media, trading our own stories for the storylines on TV, trading our consciousness for drugs. We need to help each other wake up to real love before it’s too late.”
Check out the video for “Regularly Scheduled Programming” (which James also co-directed) below.
As for the album itself, James just wants to provide folks with a little levity and enjoyment through the upcoming release.
“I hope this album brings people a lot of joy and relief, especially since we’ve all been cooped up for so long,” James said. “I know that feeling you get from driving around blasting music you love, or even lying in bed and crying to the music you love. The fact that we’re able to be a part of people’s lives in that way is so magical to us, and it feels really good that we’re still around to keep doing that.”
Check out the tracklist for My Morning Jacket below.
My Morning Jacket Track Listing:
Regularly Scheduled Programming
Love Love Love
In Color
Least Expected
Never In The Real World
The Devil’s In The Details
Lucky To Be Alive
Complex
Out Of Range, Pt. 2
Penny For Your Thoughts
I Never Could Get Enough
