North Carolina indie-rock institution Superchunk are back with their 12th studio album, and first in what will be four years: Wild Loneliness is coming Feb. 25, 2022, on Merge Records, and its first single “Endless Summer” is out now alongside a lyric video.
Both titles hit a little too close to home, given the events of the past two years, as Mac McCaughan acknowledges in a statement:
“Endless Summer” was written on New Year’s Day 2020 which was unseasonably warm here in North Carolina. Of course, by the time we recorded it, “endless summer” had other meanings … The 7” sleeve features Roe Ethridge’s beautiful photos of broken beach umbrellas which capture the vibe of the song perfectly.
The band recorded their new LP during lockdown in North Carolina, with Laura Ballance on bass, and Here’s Where the Strings Come In’s Wally Gagel returning to mix the album. Sharon Van Etten, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Wye Oak’s Andy Stack, Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura, Owen Pallett, Kelly Pratt and Franklin Bruno all make guest appearances on Wild Loneliness. So do Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley, who sing harmonies on “Endless Summer.”
Superchunk will tour North America in support of their new album in 2022, starting with a home-state record release day show in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and ending with an April 10 show in Los Angeles. Jason Narducy will play bass in their live lineup. TORRES, Wednesday, Quasi and Mike Krol will provide support for a few shows each. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Dec. 10, at 10 a.m. local time.
Check out the “Endless Summer” lyric video, the details of Wild Loneliness and Superchunk’s tour dates below. You can preorder Wild Loneliness here and revisit our 2018 ranking of their discography right here.
Wild Loneliness Album Art:
Wild Loneliness Tracklist:
01. City of the Dead
02. Endless Summer
03. On the Floor
04. Highly Suspect
05. Set It Aside
06. This Night
07. Wild Loneliness
08. Refracting
09. Connection
10. If You’re Not Dark
Superchunk 2022 Tour Dates:
February
25 – Winston-Salem, NC @ Ramkat*
26 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle*
March
01 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat*
02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer*
03 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel*
04 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts*
05 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club*
07 – Toronto, ON @ Axis Club^
08 – Detroit, MI @ El Club^
09 – Chicago, IL @ Metro^
11 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl^
12 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West^
April
04 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos%
05 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall%
07 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent#
09 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s#
10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom#
(* w/ TORRES)
(^ w/ Wednesday)
(% w/ Quasi)
(# w/ Mike Krol)
