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Scoop
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
David Byrne Announces New Album Who Is The Sky? Due September 5th
is proud to announce Who Is the Sky?, his first new album since 2018's acclaimed and award-winning American Utopia, which will be released September 5th by Matador Records. The album was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Musical friends old and new, including St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco, also make appearances on Who Is the Sky?, which is led by the infectious single ' Everybody Laughs. ' Along with the song, Byrne has released its official 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 realised 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 (aka 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 return to the road with a brand-new live show in support of Who Is the Sky?. The touring band will be comprised of 13 musicians, singers and dancers, including members of the American Utopia band, and all of whom will be mobile throughout the set. The show will arrive in Auckland on 14th January, marking Byrne's first performance in Aotearoa since 2018. See full ticketing information below. In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close after morphing from an album and tour into an acclaimed Broadway show and then a Spike Lee- directed HBO film, Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute. During the tumultuous three prior years, 'I did a LOT of cooking (Mexican and Indian mostly) and a LOT of drawing,' says Byrne, who also started compiling lyric ideas and phrases for possible songs. 'I've found that when the time comes, it's easier to start if there's a little stockpile – and before too long there was. Very rudimentary songs began to emerge, with just me on acoustic guitar singing over a programmed loop or beat.' And with the world, and the in-progress American Utopia Broadway run, on pause, he, like much of humanity, took the opportunity to ask, 'Do I like what I'm doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?' Byrne's attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, which builds upon the optimistic themes laid out by American Utopia and its supporting tour, and more specifically spelled out by the Grammy-winning Broadway show and subsequent movie. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it's always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne's gift for riding the razor's edge of avant-garde and accessible pop. Byrne was inspired to enlist Ghost Train Orchestra for the album after hearing their 2023 tribute album to the blind New York composer and street poet Moondog, and later that year jumped on stage with the group during a Brooklyn performance. Enticed by the 15-member Ghost Train's varied instrumental lineup – which includes drums, percussion, guitar and bass along with strings, winds and brass – he thought to himself, 'what if that's what these new songs of mine sounded like?' Byrne asked if they'd want to serve as his band for the Who Is The Sky? sessions, and they quickly agreed. 'David sent me some demos and asked us to put together some orchestral ideas,' says Ghost Train Orchestra leader Brian Carpenter. 'Curtis Hasselbring and I quickly wrote a couple rough draft arrangements of his songs for Ghost Train, including ' My Apartment Is My Friend,' which was the first song we rehearsed at our tiny rehearsal space in Chinatown. To hear him singing with us for the first time on that song was just incredible.' Via an introduction at a party by a friend, Kid Harpoon came into the picture next. '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 discussion at the former's Santa Monica hotel, he jumped aboard too. There are 'more story songs than usual' on Who Is the Sky?, according to Byrne. These 'mini-narratives based on personal experience' include ' She Explains Things to Me ' (sample lyric: 'how come it's all so obvious to her?'), ' A Door Called No ' (which magically opens after Byrne receives a kiss), ' My Apartment Is My Friend ' ('you've seen me at my very worst / but we always get along,' he sings) and ' I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party ' (at which the onetime spiritual guru is more interested in the unhealthy deserts than deification). Marked by the inviting vocal interplay between Byrne and Paramore's Williams, the jaunty ' What Is the Reason for It? ' aims to codify love in a way logic can rarely accomplish ('does it do something useful? / nobody understands it'), while ' The Avant Garde ' wrestles with the merits of art for art's sake ('it's ahead of the curve / it's deceptively weighty, profound, absurd / it's whatever fits' – a meta observation if ever there was one from one of the most iconoclastic artists to emerge from the New York rock underground. 'I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,' says Byrne, who is planning to tour Who Is The Sky? later this year. 'It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there. At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible. I imagined that Kid Harpoon would help with that, as well as being a set of trusted ears, since there was a lot going on. People think of producers as people who mainly make a record sound good, and Kid Harpoon did that, but he was also aware of how important the storytelling is.' An admitted 'stickler when it comes to grooves,' Byrne welcomed late-in-the-game contributions from Skinner and Refosco, with whom he's recorded and toured for more than 30 years. Mixed by Mark 'Spike' Stent and mastered by Emily Lazar, the finished product is about both hiding and revealing, or as Byrne 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 concepts are heavily incorporated in the Who Is The Sky? album package, which was designed by Shira Inbar and finds Byrne nearly obscured by radiating, 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,' Byrne says. '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.' David Byrne – Who Is the Sky? track list: Everybody Laughs When We Are Singing My Apartment Is My Friend A Door Called No What Is the Reason for It? I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party Don't Be Like That The Avant Garde Moisturizing Thing I'm an Outsider She Explains Things to Me The Truth TOUR DATES Select packages include premium tickets, a tour of the stage and an on-stage photo opportunity, a signed copy of David Byrne's photo book, and early entry into the venue. For more information, visit
Scoop
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
David Byrne Announces New Album Who Is The Sky? Due September 5th
David Byrne is proud to announce Who Is the Sky?, his first new album since 2018's acclaimed and award-winning American Utopia, which will be released September 5th by Matador Records. The album was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Musical friends old and new, including St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco, also make appearances on Who Is the Sky?, which is led by the infectious single ' Everybody Laughs. ' Along with the song, Byrne has released its official 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 realised 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 (aka 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 return to the road with a brand-new live show in support of Who Is the Sky?. The touring band will be comprised of 13 musicians, singers and dancers, including members of the American Utopia band, and all of whom will be mobile throughout the set. The show will arrive in Auckland on 14th January, marking Byrne's first performance in Aotearoa since 2018. See full ticketing information below. In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close after morphing from an album and tour into an acclaimed Broadway show and then a Spike Lee- directed HBO film, Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute. During the tumultuous three prior years, 'I did a LOT of cooking (Mexican and Indian mostly) and a LOT of drawing,' says Byrne, who also started compiling lyric ideas and phrases for possible songs. 'I've found that when the time comes, it's easier to start if there's a little stockpile – and before too long there was. Very rudimentary songs began to emerge, with just me on acoustic guitar singing over a programmed loop or beat.' And with the world, and the in-progress American Utopia Broadway run, on pause, he, like much of humanity, took the opportunity to ask, 'Do I like what I'm doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?" Byrne's attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, which builds upon the optimistic themes laid out by American Utopia and its supporting tour, and more specifically spelled out by the Grammy-winning Broadway show and subsequent movie. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it's always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne's gift for riding the razor's edge of avant-garde and accessible pop. Byrne was inspired to enlist Ghost Train Orchestra for the album after hearing their 2023 tribute album to the blind New York composer and street poet Moondog, and later that year jumped on stage with the group during a Brooklyn performance. Enticed by the 15-member Ghost Train's varied instrumental lineup – which includes drums, percussion, guitar and bass along with strings, winds and brass – he thought to himself, 'what if that's what these new songs of mine sounded like?' Byrne asked if they'd want to serve as his band for the Who Is The Sky? sessions, and they quickly agreed. 'David sent me some demos and asked us to put together some orchestral ideas,' says Ghost Train Orchestra leader Brian Carpenter. 'Curtis Hasselbring and I quickly wrote a couple rough draft arrangements of his songs for Ghost Train, including ' My Apartment Is My Friend,' which was the first song we rehearsed at our tiny rehearsal space in Chinatown. To hear him singing with us for the first time on that song was just incredible.' Via an introduction at a party by a friend, Kid Harpoon came into the picture next. '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 discussion at the former's Santa Monica hotel, he jumped aboard too. There are 'more story songs than usual' on Who Is the Sky?, according to Byrne. These 'mini-narratives based on personal experience' include ' She Explains Things to Me ' (sample lyric: 'how come it's all so obvious to her?'), ' A Door Called No ' (which magically opens after Byrne receives a kiss), ' My Apartment Is My Friend ' ('you've seen me at my very worst / but we always get along,' he sings) and ' I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party ' (at which the onetime spiritual guru is more interested in the unhealthy deserts than deification). Marked by the inviting vocal interplay between Byrne and Paramore's Williams, the jaunty ' What Is the Reason for It? ' aims to codify love in a way logic can rarely accomplish ('does it do something useful? / nobody understands it'), while ' The Avant Garde ' wrestles with the merits of art for art's sake ('it's ahead of the curve / it's deceptively weighty, profound, absurd / it's whatever fits' – a meta observation if ever there was one from one of the most iconoclastic artists to emerge from the New York rock underground. 'I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,' says Byrne, who is planning to tour Who Is The Sky? later this year. 'It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there. At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible. I imagined that Kid Harpoon would help with that, as well as being a set of trusted ears, since there was a lot going on. People think of producers as people who mainly make a record sound good, and Kid Harpoon did that, but he was also aware of how important the storytelling is.' An admitted 'stickler when it comes to grooves,' Byrne welcomed late-in-the-game contributions from Skinner and Refosco, with whom he's recorded and toured for more than 30 years. Mixed by Mark 'Spike' Stent and mastered by Emily Lazar, the finished product is about both hiding and revealing, or as Byrne 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 concepts are heavily incorporated in the Who Is The Sky? album package, which was designed by Shira Inbar and finds Byrne nearly obscured by radiating, 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,' Byrne says. '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.' David Byrne - Who Is the Sky? track list: Everybody Laughs When We Are Singing My Apartment Is My Friend A Door Called No What Is the Reason for It? I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party Don't Be Like That The Avant Garde Moisturizing Thing I'm an Outsider She Explains Things to Me The Truth TOUR DATES Select packages include premium tickets, a tour of the stage and an on-stage photo opportunity, a signed copy of David Byrne's photo book, and early entry into the venue. For more information, visit
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Byrne Announces ‘Who Is the Sky?' Solo Album Featuring Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and Tom Skinner
Just days after performing the Talking Heads' 'Burning Down the House' with Olivia Rodrigo at New York's Governors Ball over the weekend David Byrne announced his 11th solo album, Who Is the Sky? The follow-up to Byrne's 2018 LP American Utopia is due out on Sept. 5 via Matador Records. Produced by Kid Harpoon (Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles), the 12-track album will feature collaborations with Paramore's Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner, with arrangements by the New York chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Byrne previewed the album on Tuesday (June 10) with a video for the universalist anthem about the emotions and feelings we all share. More from Billboard Olivia Rodrigo Brings Out David Byrne for Scorching 'Burning Down the House' (And Does Some of His Dance Moves) at Gov Ball Quincy Jones Remembered by Lucky Daye, Luke James & Miles Caton With Smooth 2025 BET Awards Tribute Jamie Foxx Honored by Stevie Wonder & Reflects on Health Scare at BET Awards: 'You Can't Go Through Something Like That & Not Testify' 'Everybody laughs and everybody cries/ Everybody lives and everybody dies/ Everybody eats and everybody loves/ Everybody knows what everybody does,' Byrne sings over strummed acoustic guitar and a bouncy rhythm in the clip in which the camera scoots from left to right as dozens of people act out the lyrics and bust into an impromptu marching band performance when they're not dancing with selfie sticks. '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,' said Byrne in a statement announcing the album and the single. '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.' Producer Kid Harpoon (born Tom Hull) added, 'It took me a second to realize, oh yeah, these songs are personal, but with David's unique perspective on life in general. 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 said there are 'more story songs than usual' on the new album, tracks he describes as 'mini-narratives based on personal experience including 'She Explains Things to Me,' 'A Door Called No,' 'My Apartment Is My Friend' and 'I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party.' The 'jaunty' song with Paramore's Williams, 'What Is the Reason For It?,' is focused on codifying 'love in a way logic can rarely accomplish.' 'Does it do something useful?/ Nobody understands,' goes one line from the song. 'I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,' Byrne said. 'It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there. At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible. I imagined that Kid Harpoon would help with that, as well as being a set of trusted ears, since there was a lot going on. People think of producers as people who mainly make a record sound good, and Kid Harpoon did that, but he was also aware of how important the storytelling is.' The collaboration with St. Vincent comes more than a decade after the two musicians teamed up for the 2012 album Love This Giant. Among the other contributors to the LP are American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco, who has toured and recorded with Byrne for more than three decades. 'At my age, at least for me, there's a 'don't give a s–t about what people think' attitude that kicks in,' Byrne said. '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.' Byrne will hit the road with a new live show featuring a 13-person troupe of musicians and dancers to support the album on a world tour slated to kick off on Sept. 14 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, R.I. Watch the 'Everybody Laughs' video and check out the Who Is the Sky? tracklist and Byrne's 2025-2026 tour dates below. track list: 'Everybody Laughs' 'When We Are Singing' 'My Apartment Is My Friend' 'A Door Called No' 'What Is the Reason for It?' 'I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party' 'Don't Be Like That' 'The Avant Garde' 'Moisturizing Thing' 'I'm an Outsider' 'She Explains Things to Me' 'The Truth' North America 2025 tour dates: Sept. 14: Providence, RI @ Veterans Memorial Auditorium Sept. 16: Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center PAC Sept. 17: Columbus, OH @ Mershon Auditorium Sept. 19: Akron, OH @ Akron Civic Theatre Sept. 21: Schenectady, NY @ Proctors Sept. 23: Syracuse, NY @ Landmark Theatre Sept. 25: Buffalo, NY @ Shea's Buffalo Theatre Sept. 27: Washington D.C. @ The Anthem Sept. 28: Washington D.C. @ The Anthem Sept. 30: New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall Oct. 1: New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall Oct. 3: Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre Oct. 4: Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre Oct. 7: Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre Oct. 8: Portland, ME @ Merrill Auditorium at City Hall Oct. 10: New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall Oct. 14: Richmond, VA @ Altria Theater Oct. 16: Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark Oct. 17: Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark Oct. 21: Toronto, ON, Canada @ Massey Hall Oct. 22: Toronto, ON, Canada @ Massey Hall Oct. 25: Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre Oct. 28: Chicago, IL @ The Auditorium Oct. 29: Chicago, IL @ The Auditorium Oct. 31: Chicago, IL @ The Auditorium Nov. 3: Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre Nov. 4: Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre Nov. 6: Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre Nov. 7: Denver, CO @ Bellco Theatre Nov. 11: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre Nov. 12: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre Nov. 16: San Francisco, CA @ The Theater at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Nov. 17: San Francisco, CA @ The Theater at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Nov. 20: Los Angeles, CA @ Dolby Theatre Nov. 21: Los Angeles, CA @ Dolby Theatre Nov. 25: Austin, TX @ Bass Concert Hall Nov. 26: Austin, TX @ Bass Concert Hall Nov. 28: Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park Nov. 29: Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park Dec. 2: Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Dec. 3: Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Dec. 5: Miami, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theatre Dec. 6: Miami, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theatre 2026 Australia & New Zealand dates: Jan. 14: Auckland, New Zealand @ Spark Arena Jan. 17: Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Center Jan. 21: Sydney, Australia @ ICC Sydney Theatre Jan. 22: Melbourne, Australia @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl Jan. 24: Adelaide, Australia @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena Jan. 27: Perth, Australia @ RAC Arena 2026 Europe & United Kingdom dates: Feb. 12: Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom Feb. 15: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live Feb. 16: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live Feb. 18: Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National Feb. 21: Milan, Italy @ Teatro degli Arcimboldi Feb. 22: Milan, Italy @ Teatro degli Arcimboldi Feb. 24: Frankfurt, Germany @ Jahrhunderthalle Feb. 27: Zurich, Switzerland @ The Hall March 2: Cardiff, UK @ Utilita Arena March 3: London, UK @ Eventim Apollo March 4: London, UK @ Eventim Apollo March 6: Glasgow, UK @ SEC Armadillo March 7: Glasgow, UK @ SEC Armadillo March 9: Manchester, UK @ o2 Apollo March 10: Manchester, UK @ o2 Apollo March 13: Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena March 15: London, UK @ Eventim Apollo March 18: Paris, France @ La Seine Musicale March 19: Paris, France @ La Seine Musicale Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Mint
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
David Byrne announces new album 'Who Is the Sky?', unveils 2025 world tour plans
David Byrne has revealed details of his first new solo album in six years. Titled 'Who Is the Sky?', the album is set to be released on September 5 through Matador Records. This marks Byrne's return to recording since his critically acclaimed American Utopia in 2018. The album was produced by Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon, best known for his work with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus. It features 12 songs arranged by the New York-based chamber group Ghost Train Orchestra. Special guest appearances include St. Vincent, Hayley Williams of Paramore, and The Smile's drummer Tom Skinner. The first single, 'Everybody Laughs,' is already available along with its official video directed by multimedia artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo. Speaking about the track, Byrne said, 'I often use the word 'everybody' to reflect life in New York. Everybody laughs, cries, and stares at the ceiling. The song touches on these things in a way that still feels uplifting.' Producer Kid Harpoon added, 'It took time to realise how personal these songs are. David has a unique way of seeing the world, and it comes through in every track.' Byrne will also return to the stage with a new live show to support the album. The touring group includes 13 performers – musicians, singers, and dancers – many of whom were part of the celebrated 'American Utopia' show that toured globally and was adapted for Broadway and HBO by Spike Lee. The North American tour kicks off in September, followed by dates in Australia and New Zealand in January 2026, and a European and UK leg starting the following month.
Express Tribune
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
David Byrne announces new album 'Who Is the Sky?' with lead single 'Everybody Laughs'
David Byrne, the iconic Talking Heads frontman, has unveiled his highly anticipated new album, Who Is the Sky?, his first solo release in seven years. The album, due out on September 5 via Matador Records, is a reflection of Byrne's distinct creative voice. Who Is the Sky? follows his 2018 critically acclaimed album American Utopia, which transformed into a Broadway musical and later an HBO concert film. The new record promises to deliver more of Byrne's innovative and thought-provoking sound, blending personal reflections with broader societal observations. The lead single, 'Everybody Laughs,' sets the tone for the album. It comes with an official music video directed by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, and captures Byrne's unique perspective on life. In the song, Byrne explores the shared human experience of joy and sorrow, remarking, 'Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling.' Byrne's choice of the word "everybody" is intentional, offering a wide-angle lens on life in New York City while retaining an intimate, personal touch. The song contrasts themes of negativity with an uplifting musical groove, highlighted by a powerful collaboration with St. Vincent, who joins Byrne for some dynamic vocal exchanges. The album's production features contributions from a variety of notable artists, including St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner. A significant part of Who Is the Sky?'s sound comes from the arrangements crafted by the Ghost Train Orchestra, a New York-based chamber ensemble known for their eclectic approach to music. In support of the album, Byrne has also announced an extensive world tour set to kick off in North America in September 2025. The tour will take him across the United States and Canada, with dates in Europe and Australasia following in 2026. A live band consisting of 13 musicians, singers, and dancers—many of whom were part of Byrne's American Utopia ensemble—will accompany him on the road, ensuring a dynamic and engaging performance. This highly anticipated tour is expected to showcase the intricate sounds of Who Is the Sky?, with all performers being mobile throughout the set, further enhancing the immersive experience. Byrne's Who Is the Sky? promises to be a landmark release in his career, blending his signature eclecticism with deep personal reflections. Fans can expect a thought-provoking journey both on record and live.
