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Apr 30, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Big Thief

Big Thief are releasing a new album, U.F.O.F., this Friday (May 3) via 4AD, their first for the label after two albums on Saddle Creek. Now they have shared the third and last pre-release single from the album, the chill folk-tinged “Century.” The song premiered this morning at 11 a.m. EST, when it was simultaneously broadcast on the following radio stations: KCRW Los Angeles, WFUV New York, WFPK Louisville, WYMS Milwaukee, and KCMP Minneapolis. Listen below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Previously Big Thief shared U.F.O.F.‘s first single, the similarly titled “UFOF” (which was one of our Songs of the Week). Then they shared its second single, “Cattails.”

The “F” in U.F.O.F. stands for “friendship.” The album is the follow-up to 2017’s Capacity and 2016’s debut album, Masterpiece. Last fall singer/songwriter/guitarist Adrianne Lenker released a new solo album, abysskiss, via Saddle Creek. Lenker and the rest of the band (guitarist Buck Meek, bassist Max Oleartchik, and drummer James Krivchenia) recorded the album at Bear Creek Studios in rural western Washington. The album was tracked live with engineer Dom Monks and producer Andrew Sarlo.

A previous press release stated that lyrically, ”U.F.O.F. is a dream in the dark,” adding that “characters and scenery interact outside of time. Names of mystery women appear, then disappear. Cruelties flash. Pronouns meld. There is a darkness here, but it’s not one to be feared.”

Lenker added: “Making friends with the unknown… All my songs are about this. If the nature of life is change and impermanence, I’d rather be uncomfortably awake in that truth than lost in denial.”

Big Thief are partnering with Plus1 for their North American shows, with $1 from every ticket sold in the U.S. going to benefit SAEF, Little Kids Rock and Youth Speaks. Shows in Canada will benefit DANS LA RUE, Sketch, and UNYA.

Read our 2016 Pleased to Meet You interview with Big Thief.

Read our 2017 interview with Big Thief on Capacity.

Big Thief Tour Dates:

Thu. May 2 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
Fri. May 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bootleg Theater (SOLD OUT)
Sun. May 5 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (SOLD OUT)
Sat. May 18 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club (SOLD OUT)
Sun. May 19 - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3
Tues. May 21 - Dublin, IR @ Vicar Street
Wed. May 22 - Manchester, UK @ The Ritz
Thu. May 23 - London, UK @ Roundhouse
Fri. May 24 - Bristol, UK @ SWX
Sun. May 26 - Cambridge, UK @ Cambridge Junction
Mon. May 27 - Paris, FR @ Trabendo
Tue. May 28 - Brussels, BE @ Orangerie
Thu. May 30 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Fri. May 31 - Nîmes, FR @ This Is Not a Love Song Festival
Sun. June 2 - Amsterdam, NL @ Best Kept Secret
Mon. June 3 - Marina Di Ravenna, IT @ Beaches Brew Festival
Mon. June 3 - Berlin, DE @ Lido
Tue. June 4 - Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
Sat. June 8 - Porto, PT @ NOS Privaera Sound
Tue. August 6 - Oslo, NO @ Oya Festival
Thu. August 8 - Copenhagen, DK @ Lille Vega
Sat. Aug 10 - Helsinki, FI @ Flow Festival
Mon, Aug 12 - Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival
Wed. Aug 14 - Saint-malo, FR @ Route du Rock
Thu. August 15 - Wales, UK @ Green Man Festival
Fri. August 16 - Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Festival
Wed. Oct. 9 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Thu. Oct. 10 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Fri. Oct. 11 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sat. Oct. 12 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Sun. Oct. 13 - Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
Tue. Oct. 15 - Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe
Wed. Oct. 16 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Thu. Oct. 17 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
Fri. Oct. 18 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
Sat. Oct. 19 - Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
Mon. Oct. 21 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Thu. Oct. 24 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Fri. Oct. 25 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
Sat. Oct. 26 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
Mon. Oct. 28 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Wed. Oct. 30 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Fri. Nov. 1 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Sat. Nov. 2 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
Mon. Nov. 4 - Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
Tue. Nov. 5 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
Thu. Nov. 7 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Fri. Nov. 8 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
Sat. Nov. 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sun. Nov. 10 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Mon. Nov. 11 - Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre

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