Unknown Mortal Orchestra‘s previously teased double album now has a name and a release date. The 14-track V will arrive March 17 from longtime label home Jagjaguwar, and another pre-release track, “Layla,” is out today (Feb. 2). It’s accompanied by a video directed by Vira-Lata, which is the first in a two-part series “documenting the adventures of two young women,” per a statement.
V spans material inspired by time spent in Palm Springs, Calif., and Hilo, Hawaii, and features contributions from frontman Ruban Nielson’s father Chris on saxophone and flute as well as UMO’s Jake Portrait.
“In Hawaii, everything shifted off of me and my music,” says Nielson. “Suddenly, I was spending more time figuring out what others need and what my role is within my family. I also learned that things I thought were true of myself are bigger than I thought. My way of making mischief: that’s not just me — that’s my whole Polynesian side. I thought I was walking away from music to focus on family, but the two ended up connecting.”
The new album is the follow-up to 2018’s IC-01 Hanoi, UMO’s second full-length release of that year following Sex & Food. The group released two one-off singles last year, the yacht rock-leaning “Weekend Run” and “That Life,” both of which appear on V.
UMO will return to the road March 20 in Spokane, Wash., and has multiple nights on tap in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Here is the track list for V:
“The Garden”
“Guilty Pleasures”
“Meshuggah”
“The Widow”
“In the Rear View”
“That Life”
“Layla”
“Shin Ramyun”
“Weekend Run”
“The Beach”
“Nadja”
“Keaukaha”
“I Killed Captain Cook”
“Drag”
