John Butler Trio Announces Album Details & North American Tour; Listen To Lead Single “Home”
August 3, 2018 BY Nettwerk
“Butler is a road warrior. Battle-hardened, but enlightened from decades on the go. It’s this unusual ride which gave life to the new project…On it, Butler explores new channels of sound. The LP represents a “genuine creative leap,” with flourishes of electronic and hip-hop production and another dive into his deep well of folk and blues.” – Billboard Magazine
Award-winning band, the John Butler Trio will release their forthcoming studio album HOME on September 28 via Nettwerk Records.
While continuing to create as a trio, this album was largely recorded and produced in a more solo format with long-time friend and producer Jan Skubiszewski and reflects the deeply personal, critical yet redemptive nature of the inner and outer worlds Butler was experiencing and observing during this latest chapter of his life.
“I’ve been dealing with anxiety on and off for ages. I hadn’t always been able to name it. It was in this fractured state that I started trying to wrangle this new mob of songs – wild horses I’d met over the last four years. Songs about family life, love, what it means to be a modern man and personal insights into dealing with my anxious projections. Songs have always been my friends. No matter what I’m going through they help me convey the things my heart feels but my brain is too afraid to say. But grappling with this herd in this state would prove uniquely tricky. As things turned out that journey would actually be critical in helping me deal with my shit. In the meantime though, I was lost and somehow I had to find my way home. There was no choice. Like that classic children’s book, ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’ says; “Can’t go under it. Can’t go over it. Can’t go around it. MUST go through it,” says Butler.
“Throughout the years that it took to make this album, there were tears and frustration, confusion and chaos. But there was also family and friends, honesty and vulnerability, gardens and harvest, service and surrender. And in amongst it all, ultimately, there was joy,” says Butler. Adding, “It turns out that breakdowns can lead to breakthroughs if you’re willing to get under the hood and get your hands dirty.”
While exploring this inner world, Butler also traverses new sonic territory to combine his love of electronic and hip-hop production with folk and country instrumentation and songwriting traditions that have always inspired him. Partnering with Billboard to premiere, the title track “Home” represents a genuine creative leap. “Home” (out today) captures the emotional and sonic landscape that would become the bedrock of this album – a complex mesh of poignant lyrics, industrial rhythms and a grinding electronic soul. Dark and brooding, yet at the same time offering hope, this first musical taste pushes the envelope, digs deeper and explores the frustrations, vulnerabilities and tensions of modern life.
The John Butler Trio is guitarist/vocalist John Butler, bassist Byron Luiters and percussionist Grant Gerathy.
Tour Dates:
**Tickets on sale Friday 8/10 at 10AM local (Oakland, CA on sale on Friday 8/17 at 10AM PST)
Friday, 11/16 Washington DC @ Warner Theatre
Saturday, 11/17 Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
Tuesday, 11/20 New York, NY @ The Beacon Theatre
Wednesday, 11/21 Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
Friday, 11/23 Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
Saturday, 11/24 Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre
Sunday, 11/25 Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
Tuesday, 11/27 Ann Arbor, MI @ Michigan Theater
Thursday, 11/29 Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
Friday, 11/30 Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
Saturday, 12/1 Pelham, TN @ The Caverns
Sunday, 12/2 Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
Tuesday, 12/4 Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
Wednesday, 12/5 New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater
Friday, 12/7 Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
Saturday, 12/8 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Sunday, 12/9 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Thursday, 12/13 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
Friday, 12/14 Los Angeles, CA @ The Theater at Ace Hotel
Saturday, 12/15 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
Track List:
- Tahitian Blue
- Wade in the Water
- Just Call
- Running Away
- Home
- Miss Your Love
- Faith
- Coffee, Methadone & Cigarettes
- Tell Me Why
- Brown Eyed Bird
- You Don’t Have to Be Angry Anymore
- We Want More
Pre-order the album here: smarturl.it/JBTHome
About John Butler Trio:
Centered around John Butler’s virtuoso guitar stylings and powerful, progressive lyricism, the band draws upon a remarkable variety of musical genres, spanning folk, blues, funk, classic rock ‘n’ roll, and beyond. The John Butler Trio made their U.S. debut with Three, the first of six albums to receive an American release. Back home, Three would reach Top 30 and achieve platinum sales. The band’s subsequent albums – Sunrise Over Sea, Grand National and April Uprising all debuted at #1 on the Australian album charts. John and the band have gone on to win five APRA awards and seven ARIA awards, including “Best Male Artist” in 2004 and “Best Blues & Roots Album” for 2014’s Flesh & Blood.
