Today is May 14th, and The Bug Club are sharing “Appropriate Emotions,” a new offering and the closing track from the group’s forthcoming new long-player, Very Human Features.
It’s no surprise that, in poking fun at the familiar, the humour is turned inwards and it’s The Bug Club themselves in their own firing line. It’s a rollercoaster unpicking of whatever-it-is The Bug Club do, while at the same time building on the work done in previous albums and presenting us with layers of creativity piled up atop one another.
Sam and Tilly, combined. There’s a name for that - and it’s tempting to think that they might be, given all the joking around. But the multi-dimensional nature to The Bug Club is what makes Very Human Features just as relistenable as their previous work.
The new single tackles expectations and comparisons, with a loud-quiet-loud structure reflecting the ups-and-downs and outbursts unavoidable in frustration and anger. “Appropriate Emotions” manages to be deeply relatable while making its singers sound about as removed from the human experience as possible - perhaps that’s why it’s relatable.
The Bug Club is currently on the road supporting Very Human Features and their previous Sub Pop release, 2024’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System by Means of Popular Music, or the Contemplation of Pretty Faces, Tinned Bubbles and Strife. PLUS! Some of their older songs. Tonight, Wednesday, May 14th they’ll headline L’Aeronef in Lille, France, before a short UK festival run May 15th-May 31st, which includes two appearances at The Great Escape Festival.
Then in June, the band will pair up with Sub Pop label mates Omni for a month-long trek beginning Friday, June 13th in Montreal, QC at Cabaret Foufounes and running through Friday, June 27th in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s.
From July 26th-September 13th, the Bug Club will hit the UK festival circuit once again, with stops at Deershed Festival (Jul. 26th), Utrecht, NL’s Loose Ends Festival (Aug.23rd), End of the Road Festival (Aug. 29th), Manchester’s Psych Fest (Aug. 30th), and Sonic Boom Festival (Sep.13th). They’ll also support Queens of the Stone Age in Sheffield (Aug. 27th). Please find a complete list of current tour dates below.
UK | EU Headlining Dates + Festivals, Spring 2025 Wed. May 14 - Lille, FR - L’Aeronef Thu. May 15 - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival @ Paganini Ballroom (Early) Thu. May 15 - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival @ The Old Market (Late) Sat. May 24 - Walton-on-Trent, UK - Bearded Theory, Festival Sat. May 31 - Cheltenham, UK - Wychwood Festival
North American | UK Headline Dates, Festivals + Support Shows, Summer 2025 Fri. Jun. 13 - Montreal, QC - Cabaret Foufounes * Sat. Jun. 14 - Toronto, ON - The Garrison * Sun. Jun. 15 - Detroit, MI - Third Man Records * Tue. Jun. 17 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle * Wed. Jun. 18 - St. Louis, MO - Sinkhole * Thu. Jun. 19 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR * Fri. Jun 20 - Nelsonville, OH - Nelsonville Art & Music Festival Sat. Jun. 21 - Nelsonville, OH - Nelsonville Art & Music Festival Mon. Jun. 23 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West * Tue. Jun. 24 - Raleigh, NC - King’s * Wed. Jun. 25 - Washington, DC- DC9 * Thu. Jun. 26 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom* Fri. Jun. 27 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s * Sat. Jul. 26 - Thirsk, UK - Deer Shed Festival Sat. Aug. 23 – Utrecht, NL – Loose Ends Festival Wed. Aug. 27 - Sheffield, UK - Don Valley Stadium ^ Fri. Aug. 29 - Dorset, UK - End of the Road Festival Sat. Aug. 30 - Manchester, UK - Psych Fest Sat. Sep. 13 - Burton-on-Trent, UK - Sonic Boom Festival
* w/ Omni ^ w/ Queens of the Stone Age
The Bug Club’s Very Human Features includes the only-very-recently mentioned “Appropriate Emotions,” “How to Be a Confidante,” “Jealous Boy,” and ten other excellent songs. It was produced and mixed by Tom Rees at Rat Trap Studios in Cardiff, Wales, and mastered by Mikey Young.
Very Human Features is available to preorder now on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, MM2 in the UK + EU, and your local record store, will receive the limited Loser Edition on Purple (NA) or Bio Pink (UK/EU) vinyl (all vinyl color editions whilst stock lasts!).
The Bug Club has seen support from the likes of NME, BBC, KEXP, Bandcamp Daily, Brooklyn Vegan, PASTE, Stereogum, see/saw, Dusted, The Stranger Rosy Overdrive, Glide, and more. NME said of their 2024 release On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System…., “…its 11 songs crackle with incisive melodies and funny pop culture-addled lyrics – they reference The Great Escape’s Virgil Hilts one minute, and move on to the horror of Lonsdale slip on daps the next – but they’re in and out in under 26 minutes. Zero fat.”
The Bug Club Very Human Features
Tracklisting: 1. Full Grown Man 2. Twirling in the Middle 3. Jealous Boy 4. Young Reader 5. Beep Boop Computers 6. Muck (Very Human Features) 7. When the Little Choo Choo Train Toots His Little Horn 8. How to Be a Confidante 9. Living in the Future 10. Tales of a Visionary Teller 11. The Sound of Communism 12. Blame Me 13. Appropriate Emotions
Debby Friday is sharing the red-hot official video for “Lipsync,” a new electro-rap single from The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life, her forthcoming sophomore album, available August 1st, 2025, worldwide through Sub Pop and in Canada from Royal Mountain Records.
Co-directed with frequent collaborator Kevan Funk, the striking “iron forged in fire” visual also stars Debby Friday and was shot in 30 minutes at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall.
The electro rap track “Lipsync” follows the release of dance pop single “All I Wanna Do Is Party” and the anthemic and salacious jam “1/17,” and is another fantastic entry in The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life’s universe.
The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life is available to preorder from Sub Pop and Royal Mountain. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in the US, MegaMart 2 in the UK and EU, Royal Mountain in Canada and your local record store will receive the following limited color vinyl versions: the Sub Pop Loser editions on Graphite (US) and Bio Light Blue (EU/UK), and Royal Mountain’s edition on White (Canada) (All vinyl colors whilst stock lasts!).
Debby Friday is currently on tour supporting SPELLLING in the EU/UK, with a show tonight, June 12th in Brighton, UK at Dust and continuing through Friday, June 20th in Paris, FR at Petit Bain. She also has festival shows for the summer and fall of 2025: Saturday, June 21st in Paris at Fête de la Musique; Sunday, August 3rd in Montreal at Osheaga Festival; Saturday, November 14th in Mexico City at Corona Capital—additional live dates to be announced soon.
Thu. Jun. 12 - Brighton, UK - Dust * Sat. Jun. 14 - Brussels, BE - Botanique -Rotonde * Mon. Jun. 16 - Berlin, DE - Lido * Wed. Jun. 18 - Bern, CH - Dampfzentrale * Fri. Jun. 20 - Paris, FR - Petit Bain * Sat. Jun. 21 - Paris, FR - Fête de la Musique Sun. Aug. 03 - Montreal, QC - Osheaga Festival Sat. Nov. 14 - Mexico City, MX - Corona Capital
* w/ SPELLLING
What People Are Saying About Debby Friday:
“The Toronto-based vocalist and producer Debby Friday won the Polaris Music Prize for her sharp 2023 debut album, Good Luck. She returns with the euphoric electro-pop single ‘1/17,’ a dance-floor confessional that shows off yet another side of her multifaceted talent. “I swear you’re a sign,” Friday sings in an airy atmosphere punctured by percolating synths. The track builds layer atop gauzy layer until it explodes in a burst of club-ready catharsis.”- The New York Times
“The song brings back some of that old PC Music feeling. It’s a euphoric, unapologetically cheesy trance-pop confection. As synth-bloops whirl all around her, Friday chants, “Poetry and nude selfies, love the way that you know me.” It feels like it’s heading toward a climactic beat-drop…the drums do eventually arrive, and that moment is awesome. Friday co-directed the bare-bones ‘1/17’ video with Kevan Funk, and it makes a great case for her as a performer.” STEREOGUM
“Last time we heard a single from Debby Friday, the Toronto artist was commanding girls to the dance floor on a minimal club track co-produced by Detroit rascals HiTech. She’s in a totally different headspace on the hyperpop ballad ‘1/17,’ singing about love and sensuality over bubbling synths which eventually give way to a euphoric trance finale.” THE FACE
“It’s a banger” [“All I Wanna Do Is Party”] BROOKLYN VEGAN
“…fully three-dimensional in intent and tone, it finds Debby Friday severing herself from the past. Carnal and exultant…” [“All I Wanna Do Is Party”] CLASH
Today, June 4th, Frankie Cosmos has shared an official video for the album opener, “Pressed Flower,” off the group’s forthcoming long-player, Different Talking, available worldwide on June 27th. Directed by Adam Kolodny, the video stars comedy icon Tracey Ullman alongside the band and others.
Frankie Cosmos’s frontperson, Greta Kline, shares, “It’s a dream come true to have Tracey Ullman star in this video. She’s the funniest person I know, and brings love, depth, and care to every character she plays. Getting to play dress-up with her and find this Manhattanite havoc-wreaker character was a blast. The Director, Adam Kolodny, brought the perfect framework to our crazy concept. This song, for me, is about figuring out who you are, moving on while looking back, and feeling the effects of memories on locations. The video is about someone running around NYC in a disguise, causing a chaotic chain of events for the locals (played by my band).”
Different Talking is the band’s sixth and, so far, best album. It’s a collection of fragments and memories, remembered places, and reinterpreted feelings that adds up to a lucent, humming whole: a sturdy, worldly indie-rock record about aging and the passage of time that nonetheless manages to feel sharply current.
The current configuration of Frankie Cosmos features Greta Kline, Alex Bailey, Katie Von Schleicher, and Hugo Stanley. Kline is the only constant, but Stanley, Bailey, and Von Schleicher are crucial collaborators, and to use the names “Greta Kline” and “Frankie Cosmos” interchangeably would be incorrect. Kline remains the primary songwriter, and the band arranges the music on Different Talking as a whole; however, this is the first album to be self-tracked by the unit, with no external studio producers.
“Pressed Flower” follows the previously released singles “Bitch Heart” and “Vanity” which Stereogum described as “…bigger and more complex than most of what we’ve heard from Frankie Cosmos in the past, without sacrificing the innate warm, DIY quality of Kline’s songwriting.”
The band has announced a World Tour, with the North American dates beginning on September 3 and running through October 25. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart and Moontype will support the first leg, from September 3 to September 20, and Chris Cohen & Emily Yacina will support the second leg, from October 9 to October 25. The band will then return to the UK and EU for 7 shows with Babehoven on main support. See below for a complete list of shows.
North America: Sat. Jul. 26 - Teulon, MB - Real Love Summer Fest Wed. Sep. 3 - Kingston, NY - Tubby’s # Thu. Sep. 4 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts # Fri. Sep. 5 - Washington, DC - Black Cat # Sat. Sep. 6 - Asheville, NC - Eulogy # Mon. Sep. 8 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl # Tue. Sep. 9 - Nashville, TN - Blue Room # Thu. Sep. 11 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon # Fri. Sep. 12 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity # Sat. Sep. 13 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall # Sun. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI - El Club # Mon. Sep. 15 - Toronto, Canada - Great Hall # Tue. Sep. 16 - Montreal, Canada - Bar le Ritz # Thu. Sep. 18 - Portland, ME - Space Gallery # Fri. Sep. 19 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall # Sat. Sep. 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg # Thu. Oct. 9 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room @ Fri. Oct. 10 - San Diego, CA - Quartyard @ Sat. Oct. 11 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriets Pioneertown @ Mon. Oct. 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell @ Tue. Oct 14 - Boise, ID - Shrine Social Club @ Fri. Oct. 17 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile @ Sat. Oct. 18 - Tacoma, WA - The Spanish Ballroom @ Sun. Oct. 19 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom @ Tue. Oct. 21 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s @ Wed. Oct. 22 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall @ Thu. Oct. 23 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Club Atrium @ Fri. Oct. 24 - Ojai, CA - Deer Lodge @ Sat. Oct. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom @
UK/EU Sat. Nov. 15 - Dublin, IE - Button Factory $ Mon. Nov. 17 - Manchester, UK - YES (Pink Room) $ Tue. Nov. 18 - London, UK - Electric Brixton $ Fri. Nov. 21 - Paris, FR - Maroquinerie $ Sat. Nov. 22 - Amsterdam, NL - Bitterzoet Sun. Nov. 23 - Brussels, BE - Botanique $ Tue. Nov. 25 - Berlin, DE - Lido $ # Fantasy Of A Broken Heart & Moontype @ w/ Chris Cohen & Emily Yacina $ w/ Babehoven
Different Talking is now available to pre-order on vinyl/CD/digital formats from Sub Pop. A Loser Edition LP on Opaque Red is available through the Sub Pop Mega Mart (North America) and White Vinyl via the Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and your local record store
Tracklisting: 1. Pressed Flower 2. One of Each 3. Against the Grain 4. Bitch Heart 5. Porcelain 6. One! Grey! Hair! 7. Vanity 8. Not Long 9. Margareta 10. Your Take On 11. High Five Handshake 12. You Become 13. Joyride 14. Tomorrow 15. Wonderland 16. Life Back 17. Pothole
Forth Wanderers – Ava Trilling, Ben Guterl, Zach Lorelli, Noah Yu Schifrin, and Duke Greene – are sharing the animated visualizer for “Bluff,” a new song from The Longer This Goes On, available worldwide through Sub Pop on Friday, July 18th, 2025.
“Bluff” opens with the cool tones of the keyboard and auxiliary percussion, Trilling’s voice guiding the song through to its melancholic core. Under the watchful eye of producer Dan Howard, the song captures the band at their most present and unburdened, creating their sound in real time for the very first time. The visualizer is animated and directed by Guterl.
Last month, Forth Wanderers shared The Longer This Goes On release details with the Bandcamp-only “To Know Me/To Love Me,” and followed it up a few days later by the dizzying official video for “7 Months.”
The Longer This Goes On was produced by Dan Howard at Chateau Grand Studios and Future Sounds in New York, and mixed and mastered by Al Carlson at Gary’s Electric in New York. The Longer This Goes On is the group’s first recorded output since the release of Forth Wanderers, their beloved 2018 Sub Pop debut.
The Longer This Goes On is available to preorder now on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com in North America, MM2 in the UK + EU, and your local record store, will receive the limited Loser Edition on Milky Clear (NA) or White (UK/EU) vinyl (all vinyl color editions whilst stock lasts!).
What People Have Said About Forth Wanderers:
“It’s a pretty, heartfelt indie rock jam with a huge, off-kilter guitar riff, and Ava Trilling sounds great on it.” [“To Know Me/To Love Me”] STEREOGUM
“Grungy, slow-burning” [“To Know Me/To Love Me”] BROOKLYN VEGAN
“Both new tracks are excellent” [“To Know Me/To Love Me” + “7 Months”] EXCLAIM
“Upbeat and playful, a rattling, jazzy snare pattering in the background as Trilling’s vocals and Guterl’s guitar licks glide over it.” [“7 Months”] STEREOGUM
Tracklisting: 1. To Know Me/To Love Me 2. Call You Back 3. Honey 4. 7 Months 5. Spit 6. Springboard 7. Make Me 8. Barnard 9. Bluff 10. Don’t Go Looking
On September 19th, 2025, Nation of Language will release Dance Called Memory, their fourth album and full-length Sub Pop debut. The 10-track effort was recorded, produced, and mixed by returning producer and collaborator Nick Millhiser in New York City and mastered by Heba Kadry in Brooklyn. Dance Called Memory features the current breakout radio single “Inept Apollo,” along with highlights ‘Under the Water,” “In Your Head,” “Silhouette,” and today’s offering, “I’m Not Ready for the Change” with an official video from director John MacKay.
Synthpop, minimal wave, post-punk, goth, new romantic — fans and critics alike have dug deeply into their vintage thesauruses to describe the beguiling work of Nation of Language. And if you can’t precisely define the band, that’s the point. Frontman Ian Richard Devaney has become prodigious in expanding what synthesizer-driven music can evoke, such that his output is as much an extrasensory journey as it is an all-too-human destination. With that experience in mind, he wrote the band’s fourth album — the spectral, spacious Dance Called Memory — in the most humble of ways: chipping away at melancholia by sitting around and strumming his guitar.
Nation of Language’s first three albums, Introduction, Presence (2020), A Way Forward (2021), and Strange Disciple (2023) came as pandemic-era godsends: gorgeous, relatable soundtracks to our collective doldrums.
On Dance Called Memory, Nation of Language once again collaborated with friend and Strange Disciple producer Nick Millhiser (LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!). “What’s so great about Nick is his ability to make us feel like we don’t need to do what might be expected of us,” says synth player Aidan Noell, who, along with bassist Alex MacKay, rounds out the Nation of Language lineup. They imbued Dance Called Memory with a shifted palette — for example, smashing all of the percussion of “In Another Life” through a synthesizer to cast a shade of early-2000s electronic music or by sampling chopped-up drum breaks on “I’m Not Ready for the Change,” for a touch of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine.
Ultimately, the hope was to weave raw vulnerability and humanity into a synth-heavy album. “There is a dichotomy between the Kraftwerk school of thought and the Brian Eno school of thought, each of which I’ve been drawn to at different points. I’ve read about how Kraftwerk wanted to remove all of the humanity from their music, but Eno often spoke about wanting to make synthesized music that felt distinctly human,” Devaney says. “As much as Kraftwerk is a sonically foundational influence, with this record I leaned much more towards the Eno school of thought. In this era quickly being defined by the rise of AI supplanting human creators I’m focusing more on the human condition, and I need the underlying music to support that… Instead of hopelessness, I want to leave the listener with a feeling of us really seeing one another, that our individual struggles can actually unite us in empathy (read full bio at Sub Pop).”
Nation of Language has also added a few new shows to their previously announced international headlining tour dates in North America, the EU, and the UK for the fall of 2025.
The North American shows begin on Thursday, August 21st in Hamden, CT at Space Ballroom and run through Thursday, October 30th in Washington, DC at 9:30 Club. Highlights for this leg include a hometown, three-night stand September 18th-20th at Brooklyn’s Warsaw and a two-night stand on Wednesday, October 15th and Thursday, October 16th at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.
Nation of Language’s UK and EU trek now starts with the addition of the second Dublin, IE show on Thursday, November 6th at Opium and ends Friday, November 28th in Lisbon, PT at LAV. The band will also headline some of their largest UK/EU venues to date on this run, including The Roundhouse in London on Wednesday, November 8th, and Columbiahalle in Berlin on Friday, November 21st.
Support for the North American and UK/EU shows will come from Safe Mind (Aug. 21st-23rd), Deathwish Inc.’s Greet Death (Sep. 20th-Oct. 5th), Sub Pop labelmates Deeper (Oct.16th-30th), and Partisan Records act Westerman (Oct. 8th-16th + Nov. 8th-22nd).
Preceding the late summer/fall headline run, Nation of Language will also support Death Cab For Cutie on its Plans: 20th Anniversary Tour in Seattle at the Climate Pledge Arena (Thu. Jul. 31st + Sat. Aug. 2nd) and in Chicago at Chicago Theatre (Tue. Aug. 5th + Wed. Aug. 5th).
Nation of Language Summer 2025 Support Shows w/ Death Cab for Cutie Thu. Jul. 31 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena ** Sat. Aug. 02 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena ** [Sold Out] Tue. Aug. 05 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out] Wed. Aug. 06 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out]
August - October 2025 North American Headline Shows Thu. Aug. 21 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom ! Fri. Aug. 22 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater ! Sat. Aug. 23 - Portland, ME - State Theatre ! Thu. Sep. 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw % Fri. Sep. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw + Sat. Sep. 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw # Sun. Sep. 21 - Boston, MA - Royale # Tue. Sep. 23 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic # Wed. Sep. 24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall # Fri. Sep. 26 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue # Sat. Sep. 27 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom # Mon. Sep. 29 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown # Tue. Sep. 30 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman # Thu. Oct. 02 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre # Sat. Oct. 04 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory # Sun. Oct. 05 - Missoula, MT - Top Hat # Wed. Oct. 08 - Vancouver, BC - The Pearl ^ Sun. Oct. 11 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall ^ Mon. Oct. 13 - San Francisco. CA - The Fillmore ^ Wed. Oct. 15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theater ^ Thu. Oct. 16 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theater * Fri. Oct. 17 - San Diego, CA - Music Box * Tue. Oct. 21 - Austin, TX - Mohawk * Wed. Oct. 22 - Dallas, TX - The Studio at The Bomb Factory * Thu. Oct. 24 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall * Sat. Oct. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse * Sun. Oct. 26 - Chapel Hill, NC - Cat’s Cradle * Mon. Oct. 27 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry * Wed. Oct. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer * Thu. Oct. 30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
** w/ Death Cab For Cutie ! w/ Safe Mind # w/ Greet Death * w/ Deeper ^ w/ Westerman + w/ Horse Jumper of Love % w/ A. Savage $ w/ Telekura
Nation of Language previewed the release of Dance Called Memory with the aforementioned “Inept Apollo” by sharing the dioramic official video for the ebullient new single, also directed by John MacKay. The song is currently at #27 on the Mediabase AAA chart, seeing airplay from the likes of Live 105, Sirius XMU, KEXP, KCRW, BBC 6 Music, and more.
Dance Called Memory is available to preorder on CD/LP/all DSPs from Sub Pop. LP purchases from Nation of Language’s Offical Webstore, megamart.subpop.com in North America, MM2 in the UK + EU, your local record store, and directly from the band at their live shows will receive the limited “Loser” Edition on Clear + Black & Blue Hi-Melt (NA), Clear Blue w/ White Hi-Melt (Band Web Exclusive) or Corona Red/White (UK/EU) vinyl. There will also be special color variants available, including Rough Trade (UK) and Urban Outfitters (US) (all vinyl color editions whilst stock lasts!).
What People Are Saying About Nation of Language: “An instantly appealing synthpop track, melodic and understated. It’s a grower.” [“Inept Apollo”] BROOKLYN VEGAN
“A percolating new wave track that hits like LCD Soundsystem’s “Someone Great” with more kick.” [“Inept Apollo”] STEREOGUM
“The New York trio capture the tension between the need for creative expression and its futility by offering some romantic, rejuvenating synth pop.” [“Inept Apollo”] “100 Best Songs of 2025 (So Far),” Consequence of Sound
“‘Inept Apollo’ feels like a Gary Numan-meets-Devo-meets-A.G. Cook fever dream. The synths are punchier than ever, the melodies danceable, the vocals mysterious and enticing. The song shapeshifts as it unfolds, becoming its own reflection of the creative process.” “Best New Songs,” PASTE
“There is something instantly transportive about Ian Richard Devaney’s voice, which leaps with an operatic ease, yet maintains a soft-focus diaphanousness as it curls around lyrical transmissions just vague enough to feel applicable to any situation.” [“Inept Apollo”] “Staff Pick,” EXCLAIM!
Nation of Language Dance Called Memory
Tracklisting: 1. Can’t Face Another One 2. In Another Life 3. Silhouette 4. Now That You’re Gone 5. I’m Not Ready for the Change 6. Can You Reach Me 7. Inept Apollo 8. Under the Water 9. In Your Head 10. Nights of Weight
Sub Pop will be the new home for Nation of Language – the Brooklyn, NY-based trio composed of Ian Richard Devaney (lead vocals, guitar), Aidan Noell (synthesizer), and Alex MacKay (bass guitar) – to release their new music worldwide in 2025 and beyond. Today, we’re celebrating the announcement by sharing the dioramic official video for the ebullient new single “Inept Apollo,” directed by John MacKay. The song is available today on all DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop.
Devaney offers this on the “Inept Apollo” song and video: “Work is a respite from pain. Whether it’s a paying job or just the thing you pour yourself into, having a direction to move in, finding a flow state, it can move focus away from the heaviness of the heart. So after life’s losses, in moments of despair, we resolve time and time again to dive headfirst into the work as best we can. But the artistic process also tends to be when imposter syndrome rears its ugly head - when I find my inner monologue spiraling: ‘this is the best coping mechanism I have at my disposal and I’m not even qualified to be doing it.’
“Accompanying the song is a killer music video by our friend and brother John MacKay: it is an homage to creative pursuits, and in some ways came to represent the feeling of living in a city as an artist. The video feels like walking through an old warehouse in Brooklyn, full of practice spaces and studios, each room occupied by artists striving to express and understand themselves and their place in the world. No matter how bizarre the act may seem or how much self-doubt or pain runs through the mind of the creator, the beautiful thing is the striving and continuing on, rather than the final product or any notion of “success.” The power of creation belongs to all of us; requires the approval of none.”
Nation of Language is also announcing international headlining tour dates in North America, the EU, and the UK for the fall of 2025.
The North American shows begin Thursday, August 21st in Hamden, CT at Space Ballroom and run through Thursday, October 30th in Washington, DC at 9:30 Club. Highlights for this leg include a hometown, three-night stand September 18th-20th at Brooklyn’s Warsaw.
Their UK and EU trek starts Friday, November 7th in Dublin, IE at Opium and ends Friday, November 28th in Lisbon, PT at LAV. Nation of Language will headline some of their largest UK/EU venues to date on this run, including The Roundhouse in London on Wednesday, November 8th, and Columbiahalle in Berlin Friday, November 21st.
Support for the North American and UK/EU shows will come from Safe Mind (Aug. 21st-23rd), Deathwish Inc.’s Greet Death (Sep. 21st-Oct. 5th), Sub Pop labelmates Deeper (Oct.17th-30th), and Partisan Records act Westerman (Oct. 8th-13th + Nov. 8th-22nd).
North American fan presales (Pass: APOLLO) are live now, with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, May 16th at 10 am (local). Meanwhile, UK/EU presale tickets (Pass: APOLLO) are also live now, with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, May 16th at 10 am (BST) / 11 am (CEST).
This weekend, Nation of Language will perform at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, CA, on Saturday, May 17th, and at Kilby Block Party on Sunday, May 18th.
Preceding the late summer/fall headline run, Nation of Language will also support Death Cab For Cutie on its Plans: 20th Anniversary Tour in Seattle at the Climate Pledge Arena (Thu. Jul. 31st + Sat. Aug. 2nd) and two sold-out shows in Chicago at Chicago Theatre (Tue. Aug. 5th + Wed. Aug. 5th). Please find a complete list of dates below.
Nation of Language has attracted a rapidly growing and devout international audience via their danceable and impassioned take on new wave, post-punk, and shoegaze. They’ve released three albums, including Introduction, Presence (2020), A Way Forward (2021), and Strange Disciple (2023). They’ve seen coverage from Billboard, The New York Times, Document Journal, Brooklyn Vegan, MOJO, NME, Pitchfork, Stereogum, and have performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Nation of Language’s most recent release, Strange Disciple and its singles appeared on multiple “Best of 2023” lists, earning “Album of the Year” from UK retailer Rough Trade and coming in at #2 on KEXP’s annual listeners’ list. Recently, “Weak In Your Light” was featured in the series finale of the Netflix hit You.
Nation of Language has become a favorite on the international festival circuit, winning over crowds at festivals like Austin City Limits Festival, Desert Daze, Pitchfork Festival, Primavera Sound, Pukkelpop, Corona Capital, Outside Lands, and Bonnaroo, among many others.
Nation of Language Spring & Summer 2025 Festival + Support Shows Sat. May 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Cruel World Fest Sun. May 18 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Block Party Thu. Jul. 31 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena ** Sat. Aug. 02 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena ** Tue. Aug. 05 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out] Wed. Aug. 06 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out]
August - October 2025 North American Headline Shows Thu. Aug. 21 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom ! Fri. Aug. 22 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater ! Sat. Aug. 23 - Portland, ME - State Theatre ! Thu. Sep. 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw Fri. Sep. 19 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw Sat. Sep. 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw Sun. Sep. 21 - Boston, MA - Royale # Tue. Sep. 23 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic # Wed. Sep. 24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall # Fri. Sep. 26 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue # Sat. Sep. 27 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom # Mon. Sep. 29 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown # Tue. Sep. 30 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman # Thu. Oct. 02 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre # Sat. Oct. 04 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory # Sun. Oct. 05 - Missoula, MT - Top Hat # Wed. Oct. 08 - Vancouver, BC - The Pearl ^ Sun. Oct. 11 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall ^ Mon. Oct. 13 - San Francisco. CA - The Fillmore ^ Fri. Oct. 17 - San Diego, CA - Music Box * Tue. Oct. 21 - Austin, TX - Mohawk * Wed. Oct. 22 - Dallas, TX - The Studio at The Bomb Factory * Thu. Oct. 24 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall * Sat. Oct. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse * Sun. Oct. 26 - Chapel Hill, NC - Cat’s Cradle * Mon. Oct. 27 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry * Wed. Oct. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer * Thu. Oct. 30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
November 2025 UK/EU Headlining Shows Fri. Nov. 07 - Dublin, IE - Opium Sat. Nov. 08 - Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz Manchester ^ Sun. Nov. 09 - Glasgow, UK - St. Luke’s ^ Tue. Nov. 11 - Cardiff, UK - Tramshed ^ Wed. Nov. 12 - London, UK - The Roundhouse ^ Fri. Nov. 14 - Paris, FR - Elysee Montmartre ^ Sat. Nov. 15 - Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg ^ Sun. Nov. 16 - Nijmegen, NL - Doornroosje ^ Tue. Nov. 18 - Cologne, DE - Gloria ^ Wed. Nov. 19 - Hamburg, DE - Uebel & Gefährlich ^ Fri. Nov. 21 - Berlin, DE - Columbiahalle ^ Sat. Nov. 22 - Munich, DE - Technikum ^ Sun. Nov. 23 - Milan, IT - Magazzini Generali Wed. Nov. 26 - Barcelona, ES - Razzmatazz Thu. Nov. 27 - Madrid, ES - La Riviera Fri. Nov. 28 - Lisbon, PT - LAV
** w/ Death Cab For Cutie ! w/ Safe Mind # w/ Greet Death * w/ Deeper ^ w/ Westermann
