Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
Owen and Polyvinyl Records are excited to share “A Burning Soul,” the third single off the forthcoming LP, The King of Whys, due out July 29th. The solo project of celebrated musician and American Football frontman Mike Kinsella, Owen’s new record was produced by S. Carey in Eau Claire, WI and has already garnered early attention from the likes of Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, and NPR Music, who noted that “the lush and lively The King Of Whys feels different and familiar at once,” with Kinsella exhibiting a “renewed sense of purpose.” Owen’s upcoming tour dates in North America and the UK in support of The King of Whys include a four night stand in London and gigs in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, and a newly-announced dates in Los Angeles, and San Francisco. All upcoming tour dates are listed below. The King of Whys will be released outside of North America via Wichita Recordings.
“Yet Kinsella undertakes so many stylistic turns over the track’s runtime that it also nearly crosses over into territory befitting Sufjan Stevens or Cymbals Eat Guitars. “Settled Down” conjures up comparisons to a lot of lush and evocative music, but it remains distinctly the product of Kinsella’s melancholy momentum.” – Stereogum
“With acoustic guitar, pizzicato strings, upright bass, piano and pedal steel, Kinsella’s free-floating thoughts and soft-spoken melodies sound more grounded than ever.”
– NPR Music
“Kinsella has particular knack for turning unfiltered spates of emotion into songs that swell and flow beautifully.” – THE FADER
Where Owen’s prior outings were almost entirely performed by Kinsella on his own, Carey brought in some of the Badger State’s finest players to add new flesh to his bare-boned songcraft. Kinsella, as usual, is up front on guitar, vocals, bass, drums, and bells, accompanied by Carey (keyboards, vocals, drums, bells) and such WI musicians as Zach Hanson, who also served as engineer on the record, violist Michael Noyce, pedal steel guitarist/keyboard player Ben Lester, horns player Andy Hofer, and bassist Jeremy Botcher, all of whom share credits including Bon Iver, S. Carey, The Tallest Man On Earth and more. Together the combo crafts an expansive but still grounded backdrop for Kinsella’s candid confessionals.
An intimate singer/songwriter album recorded under contemporary circumstances, The King of Whys utilizes progressive techniques, song structures, and time signatures, but Owen’s introspective humanity is timeless. Having made music for a very long time, Mike Kinsella continues to push himself towards transcendence with honesty, artistic ambition, and a sense of real circumstance.
Keep posted for further news in the coming weeks.
Upcoming Tour Dates Below.
The King of Whys Album Art
Upcoming Tour Dates:
AUGUST
01 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall
02 – Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch
19 – Compton Martin, UK – ArcTanGent Festival
20 – Compton Martin, UK – ArcTanGent Festival
SEPTEMBER
15 – Somerville, MA – Arts At The Armory
16 – New York, NY – Rough Trade NYC
17 – Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMOCA
22 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
23 – San Francisco, CA – Swedish American Hall
NOVEMBER
21 – London, UK – St. Pancras
23 – London, UK – The Forge
24 – London, UK – The Forge
25 – London, UK – St. Pancras
