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May 15, 2025 By Mark Redfern Photography by Ebru Yildiz

Synth-pop trio Nation of Language have signed to Sub Pop and in honor of this exciting news they have released a new single, “Inept Apollo,” and announced some tour dates in North America, the EU, and the UK. Below watch the video for “Inept Apollo,” followed by the tour dates.

The Brooklyn-based band features Ian Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar), Aidan Noell (synthesizer), and Alex MacKay (bass guitar).

“Work is a respite from pain. Whether it’s a paying job or just the thing you pour yourself into, having a direction to move in, finding a flow state, it can move focus away from the heaviness of the heart. So after life’s losses, in moments of despair, we resolve time and time again to dive headfirst into the work as best we can. But the artistic process also tends to be when imposter syndrome rears its ugly head—when I find my inner monologue spiraling: ‘this is the best coping mechanism I have at my disposal and I’m not even qualified to be doing it.’

“Accompanying the song is a killer music video by our friend and brother John MacKay: it is an homage to creative pursuits, and in some ways came to represent the feeling of living in a city as an artist. The video feels like walking through an old warehouse in Brooklyn, full of practice spaces and studios, each room occupied by artists striving to express and understand themselves and their place in the world. No matter how bizarre the act may seem or how much self-doubt or pain runs through the mind of the creator, the beautiful thing is the striving and continuing on, rather than the final product or any notion of ‘success.’ The power of creation belongs to all of us; requires the approval of none.”

Nation of Language released a new album, Strange Disciple, in 2023 via [PIAS]. It was one of our Top 100 Albums of 2023. Strange Disciple was the band’s third album and the follow-up to 2021’s A Way Forward and 2020’s Introduction, Presence.

Read our interview with Nation of Language on A Way Forward.

Nation of Language also took part in our 20th anniversary Covers of Covers album, where they covered Broken Social Scene’s “Stars and Sons.”

Nation of Language Tour Dates:

Spring & Summer 2025 Festival + Support Shows

Sat. May 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Cruel World Fest
Sun. May 18 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Block Party
Thu. Jul. 31 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena **
Sat. Aug. 02 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena **
Tue. Aug. 05 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out]
Wed. Aug. 06 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out]

August - October 2025

North American Headline Shows

Thu. Aug. 21 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom !
Fri. Aug. 22 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater !
Sat. Aug. 23 - Portland, ME - State Theatre !
Thu. Sep. 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
Fri. Sep. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
Sat. Sep. 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
Sun. Sep. 21 - Boston, MA - Royale #
Tue. Sep. 23 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic #
Wed. Sep. 24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall #
Fri. Sep. 26 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue #
Sat. Sep. 27 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom #
Mon. Sep. 29 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown #
Tue. Sep. 30 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman #
Thu. Oct. 02 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre #
Sat. Oct. 04 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory #
Sun. Oct. 05 - Missoula, MT - Top Hat #
Wed. Oct. 08 - Vancouver, BC - The Pearl ^
Sun. Oct. 11 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall ^
Mon. Oct. 13 - San Francisco. CA - The Fillmore ^
Fri. Oct. 17 - San Diego, CA - Music Box *
Tue. Oct. 21 - Austin, TX - Mohawk *
Wed. Oct. 22 - Dallas, TX - The Studio at The Bomb Factory *
Thu. Oct. 24 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall *
Sat. Oct. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
Sun. Oct. 26 - Chapel Hill, NC - Cat’s Cradle *
Mon. Oct. 27 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry *
Wed. Oct. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer *
Thu. Oct. 30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *

November 2025

UK/EU Headlining Shows

Fri. Nov. 07 - Dublin, IE - Opium
Sat. Nov. 08 - Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz Manchester ^
Sun. Nov. 09 - Glasgow, UK - St. Luke’s ^
Tue. Nov. 11 - Cardiff, UK - Tramshed ^
Wed. Nov. 12 - London, UK - The Roundhouse ^
Fri. Nov. 14 - Paris, FR - Elysee Montmartre ^
Sat. Nov. 15 - Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg ^
Sun. Nov. 16 - Nijmegen, NL - Doornroosje ^
Tue. Nov. 18 - Cologne, DE - Gloria ^
Wed. Nov. 19 - Hamburg, DE - Uebel & Gefährlich ^
Fri. Nov. 21 - Berlin, DE - Columbiahalle ^
Sat. Nov. 22 - Munich, DE - Technikum ^
Sun. Nov. 23 - Milan, IT - Magazzini Generali
Wed. Nov. 26 - Barcelona, ES - Razzmatazz
Thu. Nov. 27 - Madrid, ES - La Riviera
Fri. Nov. 28 - Lisbon, PT - LAV

** w/ Death Cab For Cutie
! w/ Safe Mind
# w/ Greet Death
* w/ Deeper
^ w/ Westermann

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