Time Flies: MJ Lenderman Drops New Single ‘Wristwatch’

MJ Lenderman — the North Carolina-based singer, songwriter, and musician — has released the final taste from his upcoming new album, Manning Fireworks, out this Friday via ANTI-, with the instantly addictive new single “Wristwatch.” As praised by the New Yorker, “Wristwatch” is “one of the best songs from Manning Fireworks, [Lenderman] imbues clever lyrics with real, modern heartache.” In addition, Lenderman and his live band The Wind have announced an early 2025 tour. Tickets are on sale Friday, Sept. 6th and will be available here.
 
Following in the footsteps of the “slacker anthem of the summer” (The FADER) “She’s Leaving You” and the “Manning Fireworks thesis statement” (UPROXX) “Joker Lips,” “Wristwatch” sees Lenderman again provide us with a world-weary story that straddles the line between humor and sadness, as he sings of someone that’s too proud of what they have to be humble about what they’ve forsaken. “I got a beach home up in Buffalo / And a wristwatch that’s a compass and a cell phone,” Lenderman deadpans, before eventually realizing it’s just “a wristwatch that tells me / I’m on my own.”

 

Recorded at Asheville’s Drop of Sun Studios and co-produced with frequent collaborator Alex Farrar, Manning Fireworks is an instant classic of an LP and a remarkable development in Lenderman’s story as an incisive singer songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines from his previous albums are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made him a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. Executed with a precision and care that make his songs feel like short films, Lenderman simply offers everyday anxieties and enthusiasms in uncanny ways.

 
Pre-order Manning Fireworks
 
Watch the Video for “She’s Leaving You”
 
Watch the Video For “Joker Lips”
 
MJ Lenderman Tour Dates
(New Dates in Bold)
Thu. Sept. 5 – Sat. Sept. 7 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
Wed. Sept. 18 – Nashville, TN @ Blue Room at Third Man % [SOLD OUT]
Thu. Sept. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East (ANTI- Showcase at Americanafest)
Thu. Oct. 3 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West &
Fri. Oct. 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West & [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Oct. 5 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East & [SOLD OUT]
Sun. Oct. 6 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater &
Mon. Oct. 7 – Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger &
Tue. Oct. 8 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway & [SOLD OUT]
Thu. Oct. 10 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room &
Fri. Oct. 11 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s &
Sat. Oct. 12 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue &
Sun. Oct. 13 – Eau Claire, WI @ Stones Throw & [SOLD OUT]
Mon. Oct. 14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall &
Wed. Oct. 16 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall & [SOLD OUT]
Thu. Oct. 17 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall & [SOLD OUT]
Fri. Oct. 18 – Detroit, MI @ El Club & [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Oct. 19 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace & [SOLD OUT]
Mon. Oct. 21 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount &
Tue. Oct. 22 – Boston, MA @ The Royale & [SOLD OUT]
Thu. Oct. 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer & [SOLD OUT]
Fri. Oct. 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg & [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Oct. 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg & [SOLD OUT]
Sun. Oct. 27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg & [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Oct. 29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall & [SOLD OUT]
Wed. Oct. 30 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club & [SOLD OUT]
Fri. Nov. 1 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel &
Mon. Nov. 11 – Berlin, DE @ Privatclub ~
Tues. Nov. 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang ~
Thu. Nov. 14 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet
Fri. Nov. 15 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Witloof Bar
Sat. Nov. 16 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere ~
 Mon. Nov. 18 – London, UK @ The Garage ~ [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Nov. 19 – London, UK @ The Garage ~ [SOLD OUT]
Thu. Nov. 21 – Manchester, UK @ YES Pink Room ~ [SOLD OUT]
Fri. Nov. 22 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club ~ [SOLD OUT]
Sat. Nov. 23 – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club ~ [SOLD OUT]
Sun. Nov. 24 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s ~
Wed. Jan. 29 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^
Thu. Jan. 30 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^
Fri. Jan. 31 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt ^
Sat. Feb. 1 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn ^
Sun. Feb. 2 – Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s ^
Tue. Feb. 4 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s ^
Wed. Feb. 5 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) ^
Thu. Feb. 6 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s ^
Sat. Feb. 8 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall ^
Mon. Feb. 10 – Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroot ^
Tue. Feb. 11 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole ^
Thu. Feb. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda ^
Fri. Feb. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda ^
Sat. Feb. 15 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre ^
Mon. Feb. 17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ^
Tue. Feb. 18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ^
Thu. Feb. 20 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall ^
Fri. Feb. 21 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre ^
Sat. Feb. 22 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre ^
Sun. Feb. 23 – Boise ID @ Shrine Ballroom ^
Mon. Feb. 24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell ^
Wed. Feb. 26 – Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie ^
Thu. Feb. 27 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre ^
Fri. Feb. 28 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre ^
Sat. Mar. 1 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep ^
Mon. Mar. 3 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck ^
Tue. Mar. 4 – Urbana, IL @ Rose Bowl Tavern ^
Thu. Mar. 6 – Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern ^
Fri. Mar. 7 – Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern ^
Tue. Apr. 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel $
Wed. Apr. 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel  #
 
% Solo w/ Karly Hartzman
& w/ Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band
~ w/ Hollow Hand
^ w/ Wild Pink
$ w/ This is Lorelei
# w/ Nap Eyes