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Apr 23, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Waxahatchee

Superchunk released a new album, What a Time to Be Alive, back in February via Merge. Now they have shared a video for previous single “Erasure,” which features the guest vocals of Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) and Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Whitey McConnaughy directed the video, which humorously shows the negative effect President Trump’s tweets can have on people on a day-to-day basis. Watch the video below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan had this to say about the video in a press release: “The song ‘Erasure’ is about the desire and attempt, on the part of the old white men currently running this country, to erase the experience, history, and existence of entire groups of people who don’t look or think like them. They want a straight white America which does not and has never existed, but they hope to make it so. When director Whitey McConnaughy heard the song and started thinking about video ideas, he heard another angle, which is also a theme of our album: Given today’s anxiety-inducing, creeping authoritarianism, how do we get through each day when we feel like we’re losing our minds?”

McConnaughy added: “In today’s modern world of 24/7 news cycles, updates, tweets, and posts, we could all use a little Erasure.”

Previously Superchunk shared a lyric video for its title track, as well as the audio for “Erasure,” which featured the guest vocals of Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) and Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), and the video for “Cloud of Hate.”

As its title suggests, the album is partly inspired by America’s current political situation, including the election of Trump. McCaughan had this to say about What a Time to Be Alive in a previous press release: “The album is about a lot of things of course but mainly dealing with anxiety and worse in the face of incipient authoritarianism…. [It’s a record] about a pretty dire and depressing situation but hopefully not a record that is dire and depressing to listen to.”

McCaughan later added: “It would be strange to be in a band, at least our band, and make a record that completely ignored the surrounding circumstances that we live in and that our kids are going to grow up in.”

The album also features backing vocals from Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit), and Skylar Gudasz. “Part of that was wanting a feeling of community,” McCaughan explained. “I think that’s important to not be completely bummed out about everything all the time.”

Superchunk also features Jim Wilbur, Jon Wurster, and Laura Balance. The band’s last album was 2013’s I Hate Music.

Superchunk Tour Dates:

Apr 26 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West#
Apr 27 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle# (SOLD OUT)
Apr 28 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle#
May 03 Houston, TX - The Secret Group
May 04 Austin, TX - 3Ten Austin City Limits Live
May 05 Austin, TX - 3Ten Austin City Limits Live
May 19 Minneapolis, MN - Grumpy’s Northeast
May 25 Madrid, ES - Tomavistas Festival
May 27 Glasgow, UK - Stereo
May 28 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
May 29 London, UK - ULU
May 31 Paris, FR - Maroquinerie
Jun 01 Kortrijk, BE - De Kreun
Jun 02 Berlin, DE - Quasimodo
Jun 20 Jersey City, NJ - White Eagle Hall

# w/ The Rock*A*Teens

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