Devendra Banhart Announces New Album Ma and Gives Haruomi Hosono a Nod in New Video for Kantori Ongaku

Singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart’s announced his latest album, simply titled Ma. The record will be out on September 13 on Nonesuch Records, marking his first new album in three years after the release of Ape in Pink Marble in 2016.

Banhart has also released a new video to accompany the album announcement, an abstract and entertaining clip for his new song “Kantori Ongaku.” The video is an homage to legendary experimental pop musician Haruomi Hosono, featuring colorful vignettes. The video also features a brief infomercial for the I Love Venezuela Foundation — Banhart was raised in Venezuela so he has been particularly affected by the turmoil in the country.

The musician has also announced a 24-city fall 2019 North American tour, kicking off in late September and lasting through to early December. He’ll be joined by Black Belt Eagle Scout for the second leg of the tour. Before the starts the tour in earnest in Ventura, CA he’ll perform at the Orange County-based Ohana Festival in Dana Point.

Banhart was once a forerunner in the burgeoning freak-folk scene but has since seen him shy away from his earlier experimentation for a more straightforward sound. That trend will continue on Ma, which is described as exhibiting a shift from sonic experimentation in favor of “intricate, captivating story-telling and emotional intimacy.”

Ma track list

1. Is This Nice?
2. Kantori Ongaku
3. Ami
4. Memorial
5. Carolina
6. Now All Gone .
7. Love Song
8. Abre Las Manos
9. Taking a Page
10. October 12
11. My Boyfriend’s In The Band
12. The Lost Coast
13. Will I See You Tonight? (featuring Vashti Bunyan)

Devendra Banhart North American Tour Dates:

09/27 – Dana Point, CA – OHANA Festival
10/15 – Ventura, CA @ The Majestic Ventura Theater
10/16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
10/18 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/19 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/20 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall ^
10/22 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
10/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
10/25 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Yost Theater
10/26 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
10/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
10/30 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater *
11/01 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown *
11/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater *
11/03 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
11/05 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi Tone *
11/07 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs (Levitation)
11/23 – Leon, Guanajuato Mx @ Tecate Bajio Festival
11/30 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art *
12/01 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *
12/03 – Montreal, QC @ The Olympia *
12/04 – Boston, MA @ The Wilbur *
12/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
12/07 – Washington, D.C. @ 930 Club *
12/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *

* w/ Black Belt Eagle Scout
^ w/ Daniel Higgs