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Feb 19, 2020 Wye Oak By Christopher Roberts Photography by Kendall Bailey Atwater

Wye Oak (Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack) have shared a brand new song, the understated “Walk Soft.” They have also shared a new mini documentary highlighting the history of the band ahead of their upcoming JOIN tour dates later this month and next month. Check out the song and documentary below, followed by the tour dates.

Wasner had this to say about “Walk Soft” in a press release: “When I was younger, I used to work at a stable taking care of horses. I thought they were the most beautiful animals on earth, and seemingly so gentle, so it took me a while to learn that they could also be dangerous, if only because they were so much bigger than I was. Love is like this, too-the bigger it feels, the more power it holds. True beauty should be frightening.”

“Walk Soft” follows “Fortune,” a new song they shared in November that was #1 on that week’s Songs of the Week list, and “Fear of Heights,” a new song they shared in January that was also #1 on that week’s Songs of the Week list.

For the first time since 2012, Wasner and Stack are now both living in the same city together, Durham, NC (home to their label Merge), which has allowed for renewed creativity and led to the band recording last summer. There’s no word yet on a new album or EP.

Wye Oak released their last album, The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, back in April 2018 via Merge. (It was our Album of the Week and one of our Top 100 Albums of 2018.) In February 2019 they shared a brand new song, “Evergreen,” via the Adult Swim Singles series (it was one of our Songs of the Week).

Since their last album, Stack launched his solo project, Joyero, releasing his debut album as Joyero, Release the Dogs, in August 2019 via Merge. Wasner, meanwhile, has been touring as part of Bon Iver’s band. A previous press release promised that the JOIN tour dates will feature an expanded live band and will find them not just performing Wye Oak songs, but also ones by Joyero and Wasner’s Flock of Dimes solo project.

Read our 2018 interview with Wye Oak on The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs.

Pick up our current print issue (the My Favorite Album Issue) to read Andy Stack’s essay about his all-time favorite album.

Wye Oak Tour Dates:

Feb 27 Asheville, NC - The Mothlight* [LOW TICKETS]
Feb 28 Durham, NC - Baldwin Auditorium [LOW TICKETS]
Feb 29 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s* [SOLD OUT]
Mar 01 Baltimore, MD - 2640 Space* [SOLD OUT]
Mar 03 Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair*
Mar 04 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg*
Mar 05 Richmond, VA - The Broadberry*
Mar 20 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile^ [SOLD OUT]
Mar 21 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater^ [LOW TICKETS]
Mar 23 San Francisco, CA - The Independent^
Mar 24 Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery^
Mar 25 Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery^

* w/ Ohmme
^ w/ Lomelda

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