Band of Horses has just announced that their fifth studio album, Why Are You OK, will be released this June. The album will be a follow-up to 2012’s Mirage Rock, and was produced by Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle.
Just last week, the band teased the album’s upcoming release with scavenger hunt at SXSW in Austin, TX. The group placed polaroids all around the city with the label #YRUOK, a clever play on the album title. While the track list has yet to be released, the band has shared several details regarding the release. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, guitarist Ben Bridwell revealed that the opening track is an epic seven-minute long jam titled “Dull Times: The Moon,” and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Since the formation of Band of Horses in 2004, the group has gone on to release numerous hit singles, tour the world and even be nominated for a Grammy for their 2010 album Infinite Arms. While the details are still being kept relatively quiet, it is likely that the highly anticipated Why Are You OK will be a hit. While Band of Horses has previously been compared to artists such as The Flaming Lips or My Morning Jacket, it seems they are taking a different approach this time around. In the same EW interview, Bridwell cites Kendrick Lamar and the Outkast reunion as influences for the upcoming album. Will hip-hop be integrated into the indie rock style of Band of Horses? Only time will tell.
While it has been nearly four years since Band of Horses released their last record, its members have kept busy. In 2014, Band of Horses released the live Acoustic at the Ryman vinyl, and last year Bridwell collaborated with Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam for a covers album. Bridwell also joined supergroup consisting of members of Grandaddy, Franz Ferdinand, Travis and Midlake. The currently unnamed group is set to release their debut record later this year.
Be sure to stay tuned for more details including release date, album artwork and tracklist.
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