Sarah Beth Tomberlin has shared the third single from her much-anticipated new album i don’t know who needs to hear this…, her follow-up to 2018’s At Weddings, coming April 29 on Saddle Creek. Like “idkwntht” and “happy accident” before it, “tap” finds the singer/songwriter taking a sonic leap forward, albeit in an entirely different way than those previous singles.
Over shifting sands of hand percussion, hypnotic fingerpicking, and sparse flickers of electric guitar, bass, piano and strings, Tomberlin spends “tap” exploring the elements of daily life that make her feel alive—or do the opposite. Her mesmerizing vocals consider social media (“Tap the heart until I hate myself”) and nature (“Do you think about the trees in the breeze / How they swing and scream and talk and breathe?”), internet friends (“Talk to strangers like we already met”) and the communal gift of music (“I love the people playing songs in the park”), “movies that make [her] feel” and “trash TV.” Ultimately, she remembers that these pursuits are hers alone to prioritize: “Remind me that I don’t have to be anything.”
“It was January 2021, my first pandemic winter in New York, when I wrote this song,” Tomberlin recalls in a statement. “I was investigating the things that help in connecting me to myself. I was taking a lot of big 10, sometimes 14 mile walks through the city trying to find my center, while also trying to get ideas and inspiration flowing. It was quite a lonely, uninspiring time and lots of disconnection, so on my walks I tended to observe parts of city life that people were lacking in or sometimes risking for connection. This song shifts through scenes of what does connect and disconnect me from myself. It’s funny because I think releasing music to be consumed by the public does both very strongly for me.”
In addition to sharing “tap,” Tomberlin has announced spring E.U./U.K. and North American tours. Her solo E.U./U.K. run starts in Paris on April 20 and concludes in early May, after which her full-band North American run begins May 13 in Somerville, Massachusetts, running through a June 10 show in Brooklyn. Jana Horn supports on all North American dates.
Below, watch the “tap” video, revisit Tomberlin’s 2018 Paste Studio session and see her tour dates. You can preorder i don’t know who needs to hear this… here.
Tomberlin Tour Dates:
April
20 – Paris, FR @ L’Archipel ^
21 – Utrecht, NL @ Kromme Haring ^
22 – Dortmund, DE @ Kino im U ^
25 – Berlin, DE @ Prachtwerk ^
26 – Leipzig, DE @ Horns Erben ^
27 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique ^
28 – Margate, UK @ Caves ^
29 – Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade ^
May
01 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club ^
02 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Basement) ^
03 – Edinburgh, UK @ Voodoo Rooms ^
04 – Birmingham, UK @ Cuban Embassy ^
05 – London, UK @ St Matthias Church ^
06 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb for Bach ^
07 – Brighton, UK @ Kmedia Studio ^
08 – Dublin, IE @ The Grand Social ^
13 – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre *
14 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA *
16 – Montréal, QC, Canada @ Bar Le Ritz PDB *
17 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ The Baby G *
18 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern *
20 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village *
21 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
22 – Des Moines, IA @ xBk *
25 – Boise, ID @ The Shredder *
26 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
27 – Vancouver, BC @ Canada Wise Hall *
28 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile – Madame Lou’s *
June
01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room *
02 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar *
04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
05 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
07 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar *
08 – Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview *
09 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Music House *
10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
(^ Solo shows)
(* Full band shows w/ Jana Horn)
