It’s Wednesday and things are fairly glum around here. It seems that my world has been turned upside down as of late and it’s very hard to cope. There’s some dry optimism hidden in Ryley Walker’s new track “Spoil With The Rest” and I hope you’ll check it out to discover what I’m talking about.
Ryley Walker today shares “Spoil With The Rest,” the third and final single from his forthcoming album, Deafman Glance. The album is due to be released on May 18th by Dead Oceans. Following previously released singles “Telluride Speed” and “Opposite Middle,” Stereogum says “it perfectly set[s] the stage for the new atmosphere of Walker’s music”. Having just wrapped up a run of U.S. dates with Calexico, Walker will tour Europe extensively this summer and fall as well as a headline run through North America in September. However, first he will play two record release shows at Hungry Brain in his hometown of Chicago, on May 18th (sold out) and May 19th.
“’Spoil With The Rest’ was, I think, the first or second tune written for the record in January of 2017,” says Walker. “I think it’s a really funny look at trying and failing. I tune the bottom two strings up a full step for this song. I always think I’m gonna break the strings when I play it live. Very fitting.”
Deafman Glance is the second Ryley Walker album produced by LeRoy Bach and Walker himself. It was largely recorded at the Minbal (now JAMDEK) Studios in Chicago. Some later sessions also took place at USA Studios and in LeRoy’s kitchen. Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave) recorded and mixed the album, as well as adding his shimmering synths all over it. Ryley plays electric & acoustic guitars and was joined by long-time 6-string sparring partners, Brian J Sulpizio and Bill Mackay, who both play electric. LeRoy Bach also plays some electric guitar, whilst adding all piano and other keys. Andrew Scott Young and Matt Lux play bass – Andrew supplying some double-bass, both of them played electric. Drums / percussion are handled by Mikel Avery and Quin Kirchner. Topping off this list of notorious Chi-Town players is Nate Lepine, who added a lot of flute and a little saxophone too.
Deafman Glance will be available digitally, on CD and on LP, which was cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios in London, using his half-speed mastering method for the greatest possible audio detail and fidelity.
Ryley Walker Tour Dates:
Fri. May 18 – Chicago, IL @ Hungry Brain (Record Release Show)
Sat. May 19 – Chicago, IL @ Hungry Brain (Record Release Show)
Sun. July 15 – Bruges, Belgium @ Cactus Festival
Wed. July 18 – Helsinki, Finland @ G Livelab
Thu. July 19-Sun. July 22 – Salisbury, UK @ Larmer Tree Festival
Sun. July 22 – Leeuwarden, Netherlands @ Welcome To The Village Festival
Tue. July 24 – Munich, Germany @ Milla
Thu. July 26 – Ravenna, Italy @ Hana-bi
Fri. July 27 to Sunday July 29 – Vasto, Italy @ Siren Festival
Fri. Aug. 24 – Sun. Aug. 26 – Pine Plains, NY @ Huichica East Music Festival
Tues. Sept. 11 – St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Wed. Sept. 12 – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Café
Thu. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Fri. Sept. 14 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Sat. Sept. 15 – Dallas, TX @ The Foundry
Mon. Sept. 17 – Santa Fe, NM @ Rufina Taproom
Tue. Sept. 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Thu. Sept. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
Fri. Sept. 21 – San Francisco @ The Chapel
Sat. Sept. 22 – Big Sur, CA @ Freaks of The Festival
Mon. Sept. 24 – Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
Tue. Sept. 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall
Wed. Sept. 26 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Thu. Sept. 27 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Gardens – Great Escape Series
Fri. Sept. 28 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sat. Sept. 29 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Sun. Sept. 30 – Fort Collins, CO @ Downtown Artery
Tue. Oct. 2 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
Wed. Oct. 3 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag
Thu. Oct. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
Fri. Oct. 5 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Sat. Oct. 6 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Backroom @ Colectivo
Tue. Nov. 6 – Berlin, Germany @ Frannz Club
Wed. Nov. 7 – Aarhus, Denmark @ Atlas
Thu. Nov. 8 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega
Fri. Nov. 9-Sat. Nov. 10 – Wangels, Germany @ Rolling Stone Weekender
Tue. Nov. 13 – Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique
Wed. Nov. 14 – Köln, Germany @ Artheater
Thu. Nov. 15 – Bern, Switzerland @ ISC Club
Fri. Nov. 16 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Bogen F
Fri. Nov. 16-Sat. Nov. 17 – Rust, Germany @ Rolling Stone Park
Mon. Nov. 19 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sidecar
Tue. Nov. 20 – Madrid, Spain @ El Intruso
Wed. Nov. 21 – Sevilla, Spain @ Sala X
Thu. Nov. 22 – Lisbon, Portugal @ ZDB
Sat. Nov. 24 – San Sebastian, Spain @ Badabada
Tue. Nov. 27 – London, UK @ Scala
Wed. Nov. 28 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece
Thu. Nov. 29 – Manchester, UK @ Band On The Wall
Fri. Nov. 30 – Brighton, UK @ The Old Market
Sat. Dec. 1 – Paris, France @ Point Ephemere
Sun. Dec. 2 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso Noord
Thu. Dec. 6 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
Fri. Dec. 7 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G
Sat. Dec. 8 – Montreal, QC @ L’Esco
Sun. Dec. 9 – Portland, ME @ SPACE Gallery
Tue. Dec. 11 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
Wed. Dec. 12 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre
Thu. Dec. 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Sat. Dec. 15 – Montclair, NJ @ Outpost In The Suburbs
Sun. Dec. 16 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
Tue. Dec. 18 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
Wed. Dec. 19 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
