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Jun 15, 2022 By Mark Redfern Photography by Rebecca McMillan

Bret McKenzie, one-half of beloved New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, is releasing a new solo album, Songs Without Jokes, that, as its title suggests, consists of more serious material without punchlines. Now he has shared its second single, “Dave’s Place.” It has an ’80s vibe (Bob Seger’s “Shakedown,” from the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack briefly came to mind during one part and McKenzie compares it to Dire Straits). Songs Without Jokes is due out August 26 via Sub Pop. Listen below, followed by McKenzie’s upcoming tour dates with a seven-piece band.

McKenzie had this to say about “Dave’s Place” in a press release: “Like most of my songs I wrote this one night at home in Wellington while strumming away on my guitar. I then worked with producer Mickey Petralia in L.A. to develop the initial idea. What started off as a three chord country song, came out the other side an ’80s Blade Runner, Dire Straits-esque jam. The song is called ‘Dave’s Place’ after the late Dave Bianco. Dave was an amazing audio engineer I worked with on various occasions in L.A., but he sadly passed away not long before I started making this record. Dave had a studio in the North Hollywood he referred to as ‘Dave’s place.’ After he passed I finally worked there and this is the track that came out of that session. I sometimes think Dave is watching over this one.”

McKenzie previously shared Songs Without Jokes’ first single, the Randy Newman-esque “A Little Tune,” via a video that is actually rather amusing, even if the song plays it straight.

In a previous press release McKenzie explained why he decided to embrace his more serious side: “Post-Conchords, I’d been working on songs for the Muppets films, and during a session I had the thought that it would be fun someday to work on some songs that weren’t for someone else, that don’t have to tell a story or be funny or continue the narrative plot, checking all the boxes for the character in the movie. I thought it’d be fun to do a record like that, something different.”

Flight of the Conchords also features Jemaine Clement and in 2019 they released the live album, Live in London. The duo had an acclaimed TV show (also titled Flight of the Conchords) that ran for two seasons on HBO (starting in 2007), in which they starred as two hapless New Zealand folk singers also named Bret and Jemaine who were trying to make it in New York City. They also released two comedy albums and an EP on Sub Pop, the last one being 2009’s I Told You I Was Freaky. Over the years the duo have kept busy on separate acting and musical pursuits.

Feel free to read our 2008 cover story article on Flight of the Conchords.

Bret McKenzie Tour Dates:

Fri. Sep. 02 - Nelson, NZ - Trafalgar Centre
Sat. Sep. 03 - Christchurch, NZ - Town Hall
Sun. Sep. 04 - Dunedin, NZ - Town Hall
Mon. Sep. 05 - Invercargill, NZ - Civic Theatre
Thu. Sep. 08 - Wellington, NZ - Opera House
Mon. Sep. 12 - Whanganui, NZ - Royal Whanganui Opera House
Tue. Sep. 13 - Hastings, NZ - Opera House
Wed. Sep. 14 - Auckland, NZ - Town Hall
Thu. Sep. 22 - Birmingham, UK - Town Hall
Fri. Sep. 23 - Leeds, UK - O2 Academy
Mon. Sep. 26 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo
Thu. Sep. 29 - Nottingham, UK - Royal Concert Hall
Sat. Oct. 01 - Portsmouth - Guildhall
Mon. Oct. 03 - Cardiff, UK - St Davids Hall
Tue. Oct. 04 - Edinburgh, UK - Academy
Wed. Oct. 05 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall
Fri. Oct. 07 - Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo
Sun. Oct. 09 - Dublin, IE - The National Stadium
Fri. Oct. 14 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Sat. Oct. 15 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
Mon. Oct. 17 - Philadelphia, PA - Fillmore (seated)
Wed. Oct. 19 - Williamsburg, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu. Oct. 20 - Port Chester, NY - Capitol Theatre
Fri. Oct. 21 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre
Sat. Oct. 22 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
Mon. Oct. 24 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
Tue. Oct. 25 - Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Wed. Oct. 26. - Detroit, MI - Royal Oak
Fri. Oct. 28 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
Sat. Oct. 29 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Sun. Oct. 30 - Minneapolis, MN - Fitzgerald Theater
Wed. Nov. 02 Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
Thu. Nov. 03 - Salt Lake City, UT - Eccles Theater
Sun. Nov. 06 - Seattle, WA - The Moore
Mon. Nov. 07 - Vancouver, BC - The Vogue Theatre
Wed. Nov. 09 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
Fri. Nov. 11 - Los Angeles, CA - Theatre at the Ace Hotel
Sat. Nov. 12 - San Diego, CA - Magnolia
Sun. Nov. 13 - Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum Theater
Tue. Nov. 15 - Dallas, TX - Factory Studio (Canton Hall)
Wed. Nov. 16 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theater
Thur. Nov. 17 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Sat. Nov. 19 - Nashville, TN - James K. Polk Theater
Sun. Nov. 20 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern

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