The Ballroom Thieves Share “Homme Run” From Upcoming Album ‘Unlovely’ (Out February 14)
January 23, 2020 BY Nettwerk
“Human existence has been curated almost exclusively by men, for men. Ironically, as we once again enter the ‘20s20’s, this arrangement remains unbearably exhausting and catastrophic. This song stems from a desire to stop pandering to people who don’t see the problem so we can finish smashing the patriarchy and move on to more important issues, like honoring the matriarchy.” – Calin Peters (The Ballroom Thieves)
Gender equality is not a new issue, but it’s one that The Ballroom Thieves are passionate about. The band’s new song “Homme Run” is a seething critique of our fathomless patriarchal history bundled in gentle sarcasm. To Calin Peters, and the rest of The Ballroom Thieves (Martin Earley and Devin Mauch), people are people, and everyone deserves to have the same rights. “I’m tired of those who question the concept that all humans are worthy of respect and inclusion into whatever society they’re a part of. The idea that any person has to prove their existence or fight for equal rights should be obsolete,“ says Peters.
“Homme Run” is the newest song to be released off their forthcoming album Unlovely, out February 14 via Nettwerk Records. Following the release, the band will set out on an extensive tour that kicks off February in Colorado. The Ballroom Thieves will also join CAAMP for 11 dates on the East Coast, following a successful West Coast run with the band late 2019.
Unlovely will be available on CD, download, and vinyl. Additionally, the famed indie retailer, Newbury Comics will be selling an exclusive signed baby pink vinyl (to pre-order, click HERE).
Additional news and up-to-date tour information can be found at ballroomthieves.com.
Track Listing:
1. Unlovely (Feat. Darlingside)
2. Tenebrist
3. In The Dark
4. Homme Run
5. Don’t Wanna Dance
6. Begin Again
7. Vanity Trip
8. Roll The Bones
9. Pendulum
10. Love Is Easy
11. For Hitchens
Tour Dates:
* w/ CAAMP
1/24 @ Bangor Arts Exchange | Bangor, ME
2/27 @ Friends House Concerts | Colorado Springs, CO
2/28 @ Moxi Theater | Greeley, CO
2/29 @ Globe Hall | Denver, CO
3/3 @ Neurolux | Boise, ID
3/6 @ The Crocodile | Seattle, WA
3/7 @ Mississippi Studios | Portland, OR
3/8 @ Volcanic Theatre Pub | Bend, OR
3/12 @ Bottom of the Hill | San Francisco, CA
3/13 @ The Satellite | Los Angeles, CA
3/20 @ The Sinclair | Cambridge, MA
3/27 @ Mr. Smalls Theatre | Millvale, PA*
3/28 @ Rams Head Live! | Baltimore, MD*
3/29 @ Asbury Lanes | Asbury Park, NJ*
3/31 @ Fete Music Hall | Providence, RI*
4/3 @ Higher Ground – Ballroom | Burlington, VT*
4/4 @ State Theatre | Portland, ME*
4/6 @ Westcott Theater | Syracuse, NY*
4/7 @ Town Ballroom | Buffalo, NY*
4/9 @ The Majestic Theatre | Detroit, MI*
4/10 @ The Sylvee | Madison, WI*
4/16 @ Terminal West | Atlanta, GA
4/17 @ High Watt | Nashville, TN
4/18 @ The Hi-Fi | Indianapolis, IN
4/23 @ Lincoln Hall | Chicago, IL
4/24 @ Redstone Room | Davenport, IA
4/25 @ 7th Street Entry | Minneapolis, MN
4/30 @ U Street Music Hall | Washington, DC
5/1 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn, NY
5/2 @ Johnny Brenda’s | Philadelphia, PA
Critic Quotes:
“The Thieves find new ways to blend the old-school pop and country sensibilities of Etta James and Willie Nelson with gang harmonies and rumbling folk for a sound that’s bigger and sturdier than ever before.” – Consequence of Sound
”The Ballroom Thieves seek shelter from the road in a new song, ‘Love is Easy’…a gentle love song, one that crackles with electricity thanks to Earley’s forthright delivery” – Rolling Stone Country
“Channeling frustration and discontentment at the current political and social situation, the New England-based trio tackled the issues that are nearest to them.” – American Songwriter
“The Ballroom Thieves (feat. Darlingside) ignite a passion for change with their bright rock Beatles-like single, ‘Unlovely.’” – Atwood Magazine
About The Ballroom Thieves:
The Ballroom Thieves – Calin “Callie” Peters (vocals, cello, bass), Martin Earley (vocals, guitar), and Devin Mauch (vocals, percussion) – have announced their latest full-length album Unlovely will be released on February 14, 2020 via Nettwerk Records. With subject matters ranging from female empowerment and the destruction of patriarchy, to love in a committed relationship, to their fury about the current state of American leadership, this collection of tracks is the distillation of the band’s personal and political passions.
Songs like “Vanity Trip” and title track “Unlovely” boil over with exasperation and disgust, rage and resentment running through every line in protest of today’s global status quo.
“I understand that many of us are tired of talking about what we call politics, and some don’t feel that songwriters should be writing about the state of the world,” says Peters. Adding, “but, it’s also personal, as my entire life has been negatively affected by the way things are run. Most of the people that have ever been in charge represent the tiniest piece of the American pie: the rich, straight, white, male, born in the USA slice. If a person is missing any or all of those titles, they are treated as less than worthy. After all this reprehensible American history, we can agree this place isn’t built for the rest of us, and the rest of us make up more than 99% of the people. We stood by and waited for change, we trusted that our leadership had our best interest in mind, that they weren’t just setting it up for themselves, but we were mistaken.”
As the first album entirely co-written by Peters and Earley, save for Peters’ song “Pendulum,” Unlovely is also a tangible reflection of their evolution from band members to life partners. “Figuring out how to write as a writing team has been something of an adventure,” says Earley. “We used to create songs more separately but found that we complement each other well in almost every sense of the word, including songwriting. Most of the songs I brought to the table were inspired by our dreadful news cycle but tend to involve some sort of hopeful or romantic spin, whereas most of Callie’s songs are about smashing the patriarchy and destroying evil forever.”
Incorporating musical styles that range from Motown to classic rock and metal, Unlovely maintains the recognizable, nostalgia-tinged sound of The Ballroom Thieves’ previous outputs while pushing a heightened brashness. Since the release of their first EP and debut full-length, A Wolf in the Doorway, The Ballroom Thieves have consistently and skillfully crossed genres, joining artists like CAAMP, Langhorne Slim and Shakey Graves to bridge the gap between folk, rock, and soul. With Unlovely, thanks in part to frequent collaborator Ariel Bernstein, the trio took it a step further and grew their instrumental arsenal, amplifying their signature energy and eccentricity. “Ariel has been a great friend of ours for years now,” says Earley. “He’s a talented musician, engineer, and unlicensed band therapist, so when we decided to expand our touring party, he was the unanimous first-round draft pick.”
Engineered and produced by Jerry Streeter (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, Vance Joy), Unlovely was recorded in and around the northeast, predominantly at HearStudios in Camden, Maine.
It’s their unique brand of powerful and harmonious music, while never shying away from topics and ideas they are passionate about, that has charmed fans around the country. Their catalog has amassed over 85 million streams and they’ve gained a loyal live following, selling out shows and earning festival spots at Boston Calling, Newport Folk, Moon River, Mountain Jam, and Calgary Folk. Ultimately, Unlovely sets the stage for The Thieves to continue to impact listeners everywhere.
