Old 97, a pioneering alt-country band, has released their final advance single "Somebody" ahead of their soon-to-be "shipped-out" 13th studio album: "American Primitive," out this coming Friday, April 5, through ATO Records.
Alongside their new releases, Old 97 has also announced a lengthy summer tour with twenty-plus dates, which will kick off in July and go across Boston, New York, Washington DC, and many others.
In addition, the band will depart for their West Coast tour this Wednesday, April 3, starting at Santa Fe, NM before passing through other venues in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, among other cities. The full list of Old 97's tour dates can be found here.
Old 97 Returns to Their Garage Rock Roots With 'Somebody'
Released last Tuesday, April 2, "Somebody" is Old 97's return to their origins as a "Garage Rock" band, according to a statement by frontman Rhett Miller, whose bandmates include bassist Murry Hammond, guitarist Ken Bethea, and drummer Philip Peeples.
"Of all the genres into which we get shoehorned, that is the least often referenced, and the most applicable," he continued. "We started off in a literal garage, and have never truly left it."
Miller added that he expected the band to go in a "softer" direction and "settle down" under "some boring goodnight." However, three decades later, they are still wreaking beautiful musical havoc and are still "more caveman than ever," Miller said.
"I'm glad that we have always been willing to lean into what we are good at, the weirdness that makes us the Old 97's," expressed the singer. "And I think 'Somebody' is the perfect example of that."
You can now watch an official lyric video for the single right below.
Old 97 Celebrates 30 Years of Rock and Roll With 'American Primitive'
Old 97's most recent release follows up on previous advance singles "Magic" and "Where The Road Goes," the latter of which served as the band's lead single for their forthcoming record that features Peter Buck on guitar.
"Where The Road Goes," which was shared last Feb. 20 alongside a music video, has since garnered critical acclaim with praises from Rolling Stone, BrooklynVegan, No Depression, The Dallas Morning News, and others.
The song is only one among a collection of tracks that are "mostly big and loud and brutal and dirty," something that Miller says "felt right" for their new record.
"American Primitive" is slated to arrive within months before the 30th anniversary of their powerhouse debut album, "Hitchhike to Rhome," which has since proved to be a vital part in the development of the alt-country genre.
Because of this, the new Tucker Martine-produced record reveals the band's attunement to rock and roll in full, showing the full extent of their raw and reckless energy across a set of new "rabble-rousing" songs.
"American Primitive" is now available for pre-save and pre-order by clicking here.
