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Jun 10, 2024 By Mark Redfern Photography by Molly Daniel

Nilüfer Yanya has announced a new album, My Method Actor, and shared a new song from it, almost title track “Method Actor.” My Method Actor is due out September 13 via Ninja Tune. Check out “Method Actor” below, followed by the album’s tracklist and cover artwork, as well as her upcoming tour dates.

My Method Actor is Yanya’s third album and follows her 2022 album, PAINLESS, and her 2019 debut album, Miss Universe, (both released on ATO).

Yanya worked on the album with her regular creative partner, Wilma Archer, in isolation. “This is the most intense album, in that respect,” Yanya says in a press release. “Because it’s only been us two. We didn’t let anyone else into the bubble.”

When writing this album, Yanya was grabbling with hitting her late 20s and dealing with the pressures of being an established musician. “For me, writing is definitely problem solving—in the way they say that dreaming is like problem solving,” she says. “You’re like, ‘Oh, that sounds good. That looks good. That makes sense.’ But you don’t really know why. You’re kind of using that part of your creative brain that doesn’t have to make sense.”

Yanya had this to say about the new single “Method Actor” in a press release: “I was researching method acting—and from what I read, it’s based on finding this one memory in your life, a life-altering, life-changing memory. The reason why some people find method acting traumatic and maybe not safe mentally, is because you’re always going back to that moment. It can be good or bad but you’re always feeding off the energy, something that’s defined you—and that’s what helps you become the character. It’s a bit like being a musician. When you’re performing, you’re still trying to invoke the energy and emotion of when you first wrote it, in that moment. It definitely feels like you’re having to recreate or step into that headspace.”

The album features “Like I Say (I runaway),” a new song Yanya shared in April via a music video in which she is a runaway bride. Yanya’s sister, Molly Daniel, directed the video. “Like I Say (I runaway)” was #1 on our Songs of the Week list.

Yanya also announced some fall tour dates in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe.

Read our in-depth interview with Yanya about PAINLESS here.

Read our rave review of the album here.

Yanya was also one of the artists on the cover of our 20th Anniversary print issue.

My Method Actor Tracklist:

1. Keep On Dancing
2. Like I Say (I runaway)
3. Method Actor
4. Binding
5. Mutations
6. Ready for Sun (touch)
7. Call It Love
8. Faith’s Late
9. Made Out of Memory
10. Just a Western
11. Wingspan

Nilüfer Yanya Tour Dates:

North American Tour Dates:

9/28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts*
9/30 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat*
10/1 - New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel*
10/2 - Boston, MA @ Royale*
10/4 - Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe*
10/5 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre*
10/6 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop+
10/7 - Chicago, IL @ Metro+
10/9 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East+
10/10 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle+
10/11 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West+
10/13 - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck+
10/15 - Denver, CO @ Meow Wolf+
10/18 - Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre+
10/19 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile+
10/20 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom+
10/22 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall+
10/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre+

supported by:

Lutalo & Eliza McLamb = *
Angélica Garcia & Lutalo = +

EU & UK Tour Dates:

11/24 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique Orangerie
11/25 - Amsterdam, NE @ Melkweg Old Hall
11/26 - Berlin, GE @ Kesselhaus
11/28 - Paris, FR @ La Bellevilloise
11/30 - Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
12/2 - Bristol, UK @ Fleece
12/3 - London, UK @ HERE at Outernet
12/4 - Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
12/5 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2

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