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Feb 03, 2017 Father John Misty By Christopher Roberts

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Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) is releasing a new 75-minute long album, Pure Comedy, on April 7 via Sub Pop worldwide (except in Europe, where it’s a Bella Union release). He’s already shared the six-and-a-half minute title track, “Pure Comedy,” which comments on our current society, politics, and religion, via an accompanying video featuring images of President Donald Trump, among others. Then he shared another new song from the album, “Two Wildly Different Perspectives,” via its video featuring images of kids interacting with guns, which was followed two days later by another song, “Ballad of the Dying Man.” Today Tillman was a guest on Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 6 show. During it he performed Pure Comedy‘s centerpiece track, “Leaving LA,” which took 13-minutes to play.

Tillman took swipes at the music industry and the media in the song, singing: “These LA phonies and their bullshit bands that sound like dollar signs and Amy Grant. So reads the pull quote in my last cover piece, entitled ‘The oldest man in folk rock speaks.’” He also poked fun at himself: “Oh great, another white guy in 2017 who takes himself so goddamn seriously.” In an interview with Laverne he says it took him “a good three years” to write and record the song. Listen below.

Tillman and long-time producer Jonathan Wilson co-produced Pure Comedy, which was mixed by Tillman, Wilson, and Trevor Spencer, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios. Pure Comedy features string, horn, and choral arrangements by Gavin Bryars (Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet, Sinking of the Titanic) and there are additional contributions from Nico Muhly and Thomas Bartlett. The album’s front/back covers and gatefold feature a “gargantuan original piece” by Ed Steed (The New Yorker). The deluxe 2xLP version will be on aluminum & copper vinyl and includes “a die-cut customizable jacket with four interactive ‘background’ sleeves (so you can have whatever sky you damn well feel like as the cover), all encased in a clear slipcase. Includes a fold-out poster and an exclusive holographic tarot card by Ed Steed.”

The album is the follow-up to Father John Misty’s excellent 2015-released sophomore album, I Love You, Honeybear. I Love You, Honeybear, was Under the Radar’s #1 album of 2015. Consequently, Father John Misty was on the cover of our Best of 2015 print issue and you can read that cover story article here. Also read our earlier 2015 print article on Father John Misty and our earlier 2015 bonus Q&A with Tillman (also read our 2012 interview with him).

(Via Pitchfork)

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