On April 26th, 2024, Iron & Wine will release his seventh full-length album, Light Verse, worldwide from Sub Pop. The ten-track collection was produced by the band’s principal singer-songwriter Sam Beam and mixed and engineered by Dave Way at Waystation and Silent Zoo Studios in Los Angeles. Light Verse is the first full-length Iron & Wine release in over seven years and follows his two Grammy-nominated releases, 2017’s Beast Epic and 2018’s Weed Garden EP.
With Light Verse, Beam’s lyrics once again draw on a series of fictional and personal insights, filled with desperate characters and wide-eyed optimists, offering promise and a dose of heartache, tears and laughter, life and love. It’s also Iron & Wine’s most playful record, with its title reflecting how the songs were born with joy after the heaviness and anxiety of the pandemic. Where Beast Epic and Weed Garden gave air to the disquiet of middle-aged frailty and brokenness, Light Verse’s songs trade that for the focus acceptance can bring. Moment by moment, they delight in being pointed or silly (or both) and attempt beauty over prettiness.
Light Verse musically was shaped by a cast of deep players who brought their own stamp of authenticity to Beam’s vision. Joining were Tyler Chester (keyboards), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), David Garza (guitar), Griffin Goldsmith, Beth Goodfellow, Kyle Crane (all drums/percussion) and Paul Cartwright (strings). A 24-piece orchestra makes an appearance over four tracks and Fiona Apple lent her voice - that miracle that sounds like both a sacrifice and a weapon at the same time - to a duet called “All In Good Time.”
Fashioned as an album that should be taken as a whole, Light Verse sounds lovingly handmade and self-assured as a secret handshake. Track by track, its equal parts elegy, kaleidoscope, truth and dare.
Iron & Wine is also announcing a North American headlining tour supporting Light Verse, which spans Friday, June 14th in Milwaukee, WI at The Pabst Theatre, and currently runs through Saturday, August 24th in Nashville, TN at The Ryman.
A special fan presale begins Thursday, February 8th at 10 am (local), with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, February 9th at 10 am (local). For regular updates on tickets please visit https://ironandwine.com/tours.
Fri. Jun. 14 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater Sat. Jun. 15 - St Paul, MN - Palace Theatre Mon. Jun. 17 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom Tue. Jun. 18 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union Thu. Jun. 20 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre Fri. Jun. 21 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Sat. Jun. 22 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Sun. Jun. 23 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom Tue. Jun. 25 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater Thur. Jun. 27 - Monterey, CA - Golden State Theatre Fri. Jun. 28 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellweather Sat. Jun. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellweather Sun. Jun. 30 - El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia Tue. Jul. 02 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren Wed. Jul. 03 - Taos, NM - Kit Carson Park * (support for Avett Brothers) Fri. Jul. 05 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom Sat. Jul. 06 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant Mon. Jul. 08 - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed Wed. Jul. 31 - New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theater Thu. Aug. 01 - Houston, TX- White Oak Music Hall Fri. Aug. 02 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater Sat. Aug. 03 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre Mon. Aug. 05 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern Tue. Aug. 06 - Wilmington, NC - Wilson Center at CFCC Wed. Aug. 07 - Raleigh, NC - Meymandi Concert Hall Fri. Aug. 09 - Washington, DC - The Anthem Sat. Aug. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia Sun. Aug. 11 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner Tue. Aug. 13 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall Wed. Aug. 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount Fri. Aug. 16 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS Sat. Aug. 17 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall Sun. Aug. 18 - Detroit, MI - Masonic Cathedral Theatre Tue. Aug. 20 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre Thu. Aug. 22 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre Fri. Aug. 23 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall Sat. Aug. 24 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever soundtrack is also available from Sub Pop. The documentary concert film, which has seen sold-out screenings in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Denver, will continue its theatrical run in select cities throughout 2024 before platforming to streaming services later in the year (see full list of dates here).
Tracklisting: 1. You Never Know 2. Anyone’s Game 3. All in Good Time (Feat. Fiona Apple) 4. Cutting It Close 5. Taken by Surprise 6. Yellow Jacket 7. Sweet Talk 8. Tears that Don’t Matter 9. Bag of Cats 10. Angels Go Home
“It’s a fine close-up, so sharp you can almost catch the dust glinting in the lights as Beam showcases his willowy, supple songs.” MOJO
“The setlist is drawn from a discography now reaching back 20 years, and some of these songs have never sounded better, ‘Last Night’ a fabulous gothic country noir, ‘Thomas County Law’ resembling a Glen Campbell classic.” UNCUT
“serves as an antidote to that kind of engagement and has a way of putting into focus just how much we’ve been overlooking Sam Beam’s genius.” FLOOD
“This double LP refracts and reimagines Iron & Wine’s best-known songs with full, nearly orchestral arrangements realized in the warmth and immediacy of live performance. It’s a superb recap of Sam Beam’s artistic arc so far…” DUSTED
Today, November 17th, 2023, marks the release of Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever, an accompanying live record to a film of the same name, out worldwide from Sub Pop.
Who Can See Forever, the film, is the first ever in-depth look into the life and music of Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam. Initially conceived as a live document, Who Can See Forever grew into a deeper study of its enigmatic subject as director Josh Sliffe spent more and more time on the road. Shot over the course of three years, Sliffe digs into the myth and ethos of Iron & Wine through a series of interviews and unguarded behind-the-scenes footage that welcome the viewer into the center of Beam’s universe.
The Who Can See Forever soundtrack features songs from Iron & Wine’s 20-plus-year career and is drawn from material recorded over a two-night-stand at the historic Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Along with Beam, the band features bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple, Soul Coughing), drummer Elizabeth Goodfellow (Allison Russell, Better Oblivion Community Center), cellist Teddy Rankin-Parker and keyboardist Eliza Hardy-Jones (War on Drugs, Grace Potter).
Produced by Sam Beam and recorded by his long-time live sound engineer Jelle Kuiper, the soundtrack was mixed by Matt Ross-Spang at Southern Grooves in Memphis, TN, and mastered by Richard Dodd in Nashville, TN.
Who Can See Forever will see the first of its screenings in New York City on December 5th at Quad Cinema (more info). The film will screen in theaters in select cities throughout 2024 before platforming to streaming services.
Iron & Wine will also appear at New York’s Beacon Theatre on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 for WFUV’s 17th annual Holiday Cheer for FUV concert. Iron & Wine will perform, along with reunited New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem, dynamic singer and guitarist Grace Potter, and fast-rising San Diego trio Thee Sacred Souls. New Jersey-born, Nashville-based multi-tasking musician Nicole Atkins, who was FUV’s artist-in-residence in 2022, will host the evening.
More on Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever: “All these elements work together to give the songs a new dimension, and whether they top the originals is beside the point; it is exciting enough to hear a band as good as this working with Beam in a live setting, taking chances and reaching deep inside the songs to extract shiny new gold. It’s hard to believe it took so long for Iron & Wine to document their live incarnation, but it is easy to believe that now that they finally have, it’s as sophisticated, burnished, and emotionally true as this.” ★★★★ ALL MUSIC
“Following his muse wherever it leads him, Sam Beam has crafted Who Can See Forever with the kind of care that makes these 19 songs something quite special. He has changed the hues, but the heart and soul of these songs still shine through in ways that reveal what a truly special artist he remains.” FOR FOLK’S SAKE
Iron & Wine Who Can See Forever Soundtrack
Tracklisting: 1. The Trapeze Swinger 2. Boy with a Coin 3. Woman King 4. Thomas County Law 5. House by the Sea 6. About a Bruise 7. Sodom, South Georgia 8. Last Night 9. Monkeys Uptown 10. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog) 11. Grace for Saints and Ramblers 12. Dearest Forsaken 13. Glad Man Singing 14. On Your Wings 15. Passing Afternoon 16. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car 17. Naked as We Came 18. Call Your Boys 19. Muddy Hymnal
On Friday, November 17th, 2023, Sub Pop will release Iron & Wine’s Who Can See Forever, an accompanying live record to a film of the same name. Captured by director Josh Sliffe at Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina, the soundtrack features nineteen songs from the twenty-plus-year career of singer-songwriter Sam Beam. Having found inventive ways to re-invent his catalog live over the years, Who Can See Forever offers new and fresh versions of Iron & Wine songs, including “The Trapeze Swinger,” “Boy With a Coin,” and “Naked As We Came.” Initially intended as a live concert film, the film evolved into a visual portrait capturing Beam during a creative outburst that earned him four Grammy nominations in four years. Like his music, the film touches on universally personal themes as Beam tackles managing his personal and professional life as an artist. Taken as one, the soundtrack and film are a fascinating first-time glimpse behind the scenes of Iron & Wine.
Who Can See Forever is produced by Sam Beam and was recorded by his long time live sound engineer Jelle Kuiper, mixed by Matt Ross-Spang at Southern Grooves in Memphis, TN, and mastered by Richard Dodd in Nashville, TN.
The Who Can See Forever documentary concert film will be screening in theaters in select cities this Fall/Winter before platforming to streaming services in ‘24. Dates are forthcoming.
Preceding the soundtrack’s release, Iron & Wine will perform at the Hollywood Bowl with The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie on Tuesday, October 17th, 2023. Additional live dates will be announced soon.
Iron & Wine Who Can See Forever Soundtrack
Tracklisting: 1. The Trapeze Swinger 2. Boy with a Coin 3. Woman King 4. Thomas County Law 5. House by the Sea 6. About a Bruise 7. Sodom, South Georgia 8. Last Night 9. Monkeys Uptown 10. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog) 11. Grace for Saints and Ramblers 12. Dearest Forsaken 13. Glad Man Singing 14. On Your Wings 15. Passing Afternoon 16. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car 17. Naked as We Came 18. Call Your Boys 19. Muddy Hymnal
Iron & Wine is excited to announce his return to the stage with a back-to-basics tour of intimate venues that brings him across the Midwest and the Northeast starting this November. Ready to engage with fans once again, these solo acoustic shows follow-up Sam Beam’s recent release of Tallahassee, his critically acclaimed, lost-in-time collection of recordings.
As the touring world began to switch its lights on, Beam was thinking of ways to head back out on the road. He factored in as well the expectation of what fans might want to see and hear after so much turmoil and it became clear that a simple return to roots was the answer. This fall, Beam will load up a van with a handful of acoustic guitars, dust off his trusty songbook and offer up some well needed comfort food in the way of the Iron & Wine catalog each night. These shows will take place in some of the smallest and most intimate venues Beam has played in over fifteen years. And while loads of bands are serving the big markets, Iron & Wine will be taking to the back roads of the Midwest and Northeast to bring its gospel to the heartland.
Predating his debut album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, his latest release, Tallahassee, garnered excellent review from critics. Pitchfork raved “… throughout Tallahassee, Beam demonstrates a knack for devastating succinctness […] understanding how to settle into a song and simply let it breathe on its own,” while Uncut noted, “The songs, while still lo-fi, ring out clearer and more confidently than the bedroom recordings of Beam’s debut proper: six-minute opener ‘Why Hate Winter’ stands among his most gorgeous and evocative work.”
Beam has recognized over the years how much these early recordings, many of which were bootlegged, have meant to long-time fans and Tallahassee is yet another way of thanking them for still being on this crazy journey.
A fan presale for the “Back to Basics” Tour begins Wednesday, July 14th at 10 am EST with passcode backtobasics. Tickets are on sale to the general public Friday, July 16th at 10am EST. Support for all dates by Squirrel Flower.
Fri. Nov. 05 – Appleton, WI – The Refuge Sat. Nov. 06 – Davenport, IA – Raccoon Motel Sun. Nov. 07 – Milwaukee, WI – Back Room @Colectivo Wed. Nov. 10 – State College, PA – The State Theater Thu. Nov. 11 – Homer, NY – Center for the Arts Fri. Nov. 12 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm’s Studio Sat. Nov. 13 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Events Gallery Mon. Nov. 15 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall Tue. Nov. 16 – Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Museum of Art Wed. Nov. 17 – Detroit, MI – The Chapel at Masonic Thu. Nov. 19 – Bloomington, IN – Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Tallahassee is the fifth entry in the ongoing Iron & Wine Archive Series and is available on LP/CD/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K. , and the EU.
Iron & Wine Archive Series Volume No.5: Tallahassee
Tracklisting: 1. Why Hate the Winter 2. This Solemn Day 3. Loaning Me Secrets 4. John’s Glass Eye 5. Calm on the Valley 6. Ex-Lover Lucy Jones 7. Elizabeth 8. Show Him the Ground 9. Straight and Tall 10. Cold Town 11. Valentine
Iron & Wine worked with noted multimedia artist Steven Dufala for the video to lead track, “This Solemn Day.” The song’s bare-bones approach to storytelling comes to life as Dufala creates a world of sophisticated simplicity. Using stop motion animation, paper sculptures, and a bit of drawing, the video unfolds with a hypnotic charm carrying you through small town U.S.A. in new and unique ways.
The team behind the video includes animator Josh Coll and cinematographer Drew Saracco, and was produced by Laris Kreslins and All Ages Productions.
Tallahassee documents a window of time (1998-99) in which Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam would make his very first musical recordings while attending Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts. Upon graduation Beam would move to Miami and begin writing new songs utilizing a four-track recorder to make The Creek Drank the Cradle, which would come out three years later.
The songs captured in that house on St. Augustine’s in Tallahassee - preserved on a hard drive by roommate, Tallahassee engineer and one time Iron & Wine band member EJ Holowicki – went largely forgotten for over 20 years.
Beam reflected by stating: “These songs are my first musical recordings. Listening back to these songs, I sometimes hear my younger self trying timidly to imitate musical heroes like Neil Young or Jason Molina with revealing affection. Other times, I hear the room where my friend EJ and I recorded and can easily picture it in my mind. I made many lasting friendships in that time of my life and all their faces come back to me too. One of my very favorite things about music is its powerful connection to memory. Mostly when I hear these songs, I just remember the joy that came with taking these first baby steps…Hope you enjoy them!”
Tallahassee is the fifth entry in the ongoing Iron & Wine Archive Series. It is available on LP/CD/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. The limited Loser edition on yellow-splattered vinyl is still available at megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K. , and EU (while supplies last).
Iron & Wine Archive Series Volume No.5: Tallahassee
Tracklisting: 1. Why Hate the Winter 2. This Solemn Day 3. Loaning Me Secrets 4. John’s Glass Eye 5. Calm on the Valley 6. Ex-Lover Lucy Jones 7. Elizabeth 8. Show Him the Ground 9. Straight and Tall 10. Cold Town 11. Valentine
[Calexico and Iron & Wine photo credit: Piper Ferguson]
Kicks off June 10th and includes appearances at Red Rocks with Neko Case and The Hollywood Bowl with Mandolin Orange JOSEPH to open the first leg of Tour.
Calexico and Iron & Wine are teaming up with Andrew Bird for The Great Summer Stroll tour this June. The coast to coast co-headline tour kicks off in Iron & Wine’s home state of North Carolina and includes stops at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Neko Case, in Andrew’s home state of Illinois at the Ravinia Festival, and culminates at The Hollywood Bowl where Mandolin Orange joins the evening’s proceedings. JOSEPH will open dates on the first half of the tour.
[Andrew Bird photo credit: Michael Schmelling]
Crossing paths at numerous festivals, sharing touring personnel, and being fans of each other’s work, a long-standing friendship has existed between Andrew Bird, Calexico and Iron & Wine over the years. The three acts first shared a bill in Boston last fall where the idea of a co-headline tour arose. As the year came to a close and with the lines of communication fresh, The Great Summer Stroll tour fell into place.
All three artists have earned praise and critical acclaim for their recent records. Calexico and Iron & Wine’s collaborative record, Years to Burn [Sub Pop] received two nominations at the 2020 Grammy Awards, the first for Best American Roots Performance and the second for Best Americana Album. Andrew Bird’s latest release, My Finest Work Yet [Loma Vista], received a nomination for Best Folk Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
A fan presale for The Great Summer Stroll Tour (select dates) begins Wednesday, February 12th at 10 am local time with tickets on sale to the general public this Friday, February 14th at 10 am (local). Check casadecalexico.com for details.
$1 from each ticket sold will be donated to The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign.
Jun. 11 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap * Jun. 12 - New York, NY - Pier 17 * Jun. 13 - New Haven, CT - Westville Music Bowl * Jun. 14 - Kingston, NY - Hutton Brickyards * Jun. 15 - Lewiston, NY - Artpark Amphitheater * Jun. 17 - Toronto, ON - RBC Echo Beach * Jun. 18 - Columbus, OH - Express Live * Jun. 19 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival * Jun. 20 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavillion Riverbend Jun. 22 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant Jun. 23 - Kansas City, MO - CrossroadsKC Jun. 24 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
Jun. 25 - Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden Jun. 27 - Napa, CA - Oxbow Commons Jun. 28 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl #
*with JOSEPH ^ with Neko Case # with Mandolin Orange
Please check local listings for further on sale information on the following shows: Vienna-Wolf Trap, Toronto-Echo Beach, Chicago-Ravinia, Kansas City-CrossroadsKC, Salt Lake City-Red Butte Garden and Los Angeles-Hollywood Bowl
