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Feb 08, 2022 By Joey Arnone Photography by Marie Lin

Philadelphia-based punk quartet Empath have shared a video for their new single “Elvis Comeback Special.” It is the latest release from their forthcoming album, Visitor, which will be out this Friday (Feb. 11) via Fat Possum. The band has also announced a string of tour dates for this year. Check out the Halle Ballard-directed video below, along with the list of dates.

“‘Elvis’ started as a discarded voice memo. Sometimes I’ll play little guitar parts and melodies into my phone and then not think anything of them until many months later. When I listen back it’s like listening to someone else’s music and I can hear the song more clearly,” states frontwoman Catherine Elicson in a press release. “So I fleshed out all the parts, and when I brought it to the whole band, all these unexpected rhythms and melodies popped out of the song. The song came to life; that’s the most exciting part of collaborating as a band.

“The lyrics took me the longest of any song to complete. The morning of the day I was to sing all my vocals in the studio, I was sitting outside a cafe hyped on caffeine and sweatily typing new words into my notes app. The lyrics deal with the feeling of uncertainty in yourself when you’re caught up in someone else’s world and you have to disentangle fantasy and cold reality. Because the song has these sharply rhythmic moments, Jake [Portrait] suggested I sing the lyrics really lazily as a contrast. The effect, though subtle, added a more compelling vibe to the whole song.”

Visitor was produced by Jake Portrait of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Previously released tracks from the album are “Born 100 Times” and “Diamond Eyelids.”

Empath 2022 Tour Dates:

2/24 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge *
2/25 - Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace *
2/26 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom *
3/17 - Philadelphia, PA @The Dolphin
4/15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Funhouse
4/16 - Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
4/17 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
4/19 - Toronto, ON @ Monarch
4/20 - Montreal, QC @ L’esco
4/21 - Cambridge, MA @ Lilypad
4/22 - Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye
4/23 - Washington, DC @ Comet

*with Sunflower Bean

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