Views: 5
David Byrne is proud to announce the release of his new album, ‘Who Is The Sky?’, his first since 2018’s critically acclaimed ‘American Utopia’. ‘Who Is The Sky?’ is set for release on September 5 via Matador Records / Beggars. Produced by Grammy Award winner Kid Harpoon, the 12-track album is arranged by members of New York chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra.
The album’s first single is the infectious “Everybody Laughs.” The song is accompanied by a music video directed by multimedia artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo.
“Someone I know said, ‘David, you use the word “everybody” a lot.’ I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it,” says Byrne. “Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. Everybody’s wearing everybody else’s shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done. I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together. Music can do that – hold opposites simultaneously. I realized that when singing with Robyn earlier this year. Her songs are often sad, but the music is joyous.”
“It took me a second to realize, oh yeah, these songs are personal, but with David’s unique perspective on life in general,” adds Kid Harpoon (Tom Hull). “Walking around New York listening to the demo of ‘Everybody Laughs’ was so joyous, because it made me feel like we’re all the same – we all laugh, cry and sing. The thing about David that resonates with a lot of people is that he’s in on the joke. He gets the absurdity of it all, and all of these personal observations are his perspective on it.”
Byrne will also be touring again with a brand new live show. The touring band will feature 13 musicians, singers and dancers, including members of the American Utopia band. All performers will be able to move freely around the stage during the show.
On Sunday 15 and Monday 16 February, David Byrne will perform at AFAS Live, Amsterdam.
With this album, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity, set against the chaotic backdrop of the world. ‘Who Is the Sky?’ is eminently cinematic, humorous and joyful, but it often carries an underlying message – that love is inexplicable, that enlightenment means something different to everyone, and that whether you wake up with baby-soft skin or not, it’s always a good idea to hydrate.
Byrne was inspired to enlist Ghost Train Orchestra for the album after hearing their 2023 tribute album to blind New York composer and street poet Moondog. Later that year, he performed with the group in Brooklyn. Enticed by Ghost Train’s diverse instrumental lineup, consisting of fifteen members, he thought to himself, “what if that’s what these new songs of mine sounded like?” Byrne asked if they would perform as his band during the Who Is The Sky? sessions, and they quickly agreed.
After a friend introduced him at a party, Kid Harpoon came into the picture. “Sometimes things do happen at parties,” Byrne notes. “I knew this could all get complicated and I also wanted to be sure the recordings sounded as good as possible. An outside set of ears can be super helpful. A few artists I knew had worked with Kid Harpoon, and I thought those records sounded really good.” Byrne sent Harpoon some demos and after a chat, Kid Harpoon joined the project.
Musical friends, both old acquaintances and new collaborations – including St. Vincent, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Tom Skinner and Mauro Refosco – can also be heard on ‘Who Is the Sky?’.
Byrne, who describes himself as a “stickler when it comes to grooves,” welcomed the late contributions of Skinner and Refosco, with whom he has recorded and toured for more than 30 years. Mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent and mastered by Emily Lazar, the final product is about both concealment and revelation, or as Byrne himself puts it, “a chance to be the mythical creature we all harbor inside. A chance to step into another reality. A chance to transcend and escape from the prison of our ‘selves.’” These ideas are strongly reflected in the packaging for ‘Who Is The Sky?’, which was designed by Shira Inbar. On the cover, Byrne is almost entirely hidden behind radiant, colored patterns and psychedelic, spiky outfits designed by Belgian artist Tom Van Der Borght.
“At my age, at least for me, there’s a ‘don’t give a shit about what people think’ attitude that kicks in,” says Byrne. “I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I’m doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There’s always a bit of, ‘how do I work this?’ I’ve found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it’s because I’m able to clearly impart what it is I’m trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we’re now joined together heading to the same unknown place.”
Tracklist ‘Who Is The Sky?’
1. Everybody Laughs
2. When We Are Singing
3. My Apartment Is My Friend
4. A Door Called No
5. What Is the Reason for It?
6. I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party
7. Don’t Be Like That
8. The Avant Garde
9. Moisturizing Thing
10. I’m an Outsider
11. She Explains Things to Me
12. The Truth
Connect with David Byrne:
