Will Butler + Sister Squares Announce Eponymous Debut Album, Share New Single Long Grass
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Alexa Viscius
Will Butler has teamed up with his backing band Sister Squares for a new album.
'Will Butler + Sister Squares' is scheduled to arrive on September 22 via Merge. It will feature the previously released single, Willows, and the newly shared Long Grass, a punchy synth-pop track. Offering some background on the band —completed by Miles Francis, Julie Shore, Will's wife Jenny Shore and Sara Dobbs— who's been playing with him for a decade, Butler said:
"I met Jenny — my wife! — in college, the year before I joined Arcade Fire. When I needed a band to tour 'Policy' [Merge, 2015], I asked [Jenny’s sister] Julie to join because I trusted her musically. And I asked Sara, Jenny and Julie’s childhood friend, because I knew she was super talented."
The record serves as the follow-up to Butler's 2020 solo effort, 'Generations'. He continued: "After 'Generations', I considered making a weird solo record. Me alone in the basement, etc, etc. Mostly I realized that what I wanted was the opposite."
Following a run of shows in summer 2022, the group headed to Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn to demo new ideas created in Butler's basement and sessions from producer Francis' Synthia Studio.
"I had quit my band Arcade Fire very recently, after 20 years—maybe the most complex decision of my life," Butler continued. "I had spent the preceding two years at home with my three children. I was 39 years old.
"I was waking up every morning and reading Emily Dickinson, until I had read every Emily Dickinson poem. I was listening to Morrissey, to Shostakovich, to the Spotify top 50. I had unformed questions with inchoate answers. But, honestly, I was feeling great about the record."
Will Butler + Sister Squares will support the album with shows in North America, the UK and Ireland. Tickets for their dates in London and Dublin are on sale now, with the North American concerts on sale at 10am local time on Friday (June 30).
In March 2022, Butler officially announced that he'd left Arcade Fire the previous year. He played in the group since 2003 alongside his older brother, frontman Win Butler.
'Will Butler + Sister Squares' tracklist:
1. Open
2. Stop Talking
3. Willows
4. Long Grass
5. Me & My Friends
6. Saturday Night
7. Car Crash
8. Sunlight
9. Arrow of Time
10. I Am Standing in a Room
11. Good Friday, 1613
12. Old Year
13. Hee Loop
14. The Window
Will Butler And Sister Squares Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Sat September 23 2023 - BROOKLYN New York - Zone One (USA)
Tue October 03 2023 - LOS ANGELES California - Zebulon (USA)
Wed October 04 2023 - SAN FRANCISCO California - Independent (USA)
Fri October 06 2023 - PORTLAND Oregon - Mississippi Studios (USA)
Sat October 07 2023 - SEATTLE Washington - Barboza (USA)
Sun October 08 2023 - VANCOUVER British Columbia - Biltmore Cabaret (Canada)
Tue October 17 2023 - BOSTON Massachusetts - Deep Cuts (USA)
Wed October 18 2023 - MONTREAL Quebec - Bar Le Ritz (Canada)
Thu October 19 2023 - TORONTO Ontario - Lees Palace (Canada)
Fri October 20 2023 - DETROIT Michigan - Loving Touch (USA)
Sat October 21 2023 - CHICAGO Illinois - Sleeping Village (USA)
Sun October 22 2023 - CLEVELAND Ohio - Grog Shop (USA)
Fri November 17 2023 - LONDON ICA
Sat November 18 2023 - DUBLIN Whelans
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