David Byrne has announced new album ‘American Utopia’ with a stream of album track ‘Everybody’s Coming To My House’.
The former Talking Heads man recently announced a huge run of shows, set to be his “most ambitious” yet, and has now followed up the tour with the announcement of his first solo record since 2004’s ‘Grown Backwards’.
‘American Utopia’ is led by the epic and groove-laden ‘Everybody’s Coming To My House’, which itself features a co-writing credit with Brian Eno, and contributions from contributions from TTY, Happa Isaiah Barr (Onyx Collective), Mercury Prize winner Sampha and more. Elsewhere on the album, indie troubadour Jack Penate makes a guest appearance. Check it out below.
In a statement released alongside the album announcement, Byrne insists, “the songs are sincere—the title is not ironic. The title refers not to a specific utopia, but rather to our longing, frustration, aspirations, fears, and hopes regarding what could be possible, what else is possible.”
Check out Byrne’s full statement below.
Is this meant ironically? Is it a joke? Do I mean this seriously? In what way? Am I referring to the past or the future? Is it personal or political?
These songs don’t describe an imaginary or possibly impossible place but rather attempt to depict the world we live in now. Many of us, I suspect, are not satisfied with that world—the world we have made for ourselves. We look around and we ask ourselves—well, does it have to be like this? Is there another way? These songs are about that looking and that asking.
This album is indirectly about those aspirational impulses. Sometimes to describe is to reveal, to see other possibilities. To ask a question is to begin the process of looking for an answer. To be descriptive is also to be prescriptive, in a way. The act of asking is a big step. The songs are sincere—the title is not ironic. The title refers not to a specific utopia, but rather to our longing, frustration, aspirations, fears, and hopes regarding what could be possible, what else is possible. The description, the discontent and the desire—I have a feeling that is what these songs touch on.
I have no prescriptions or surefire answers, but I sense that I am not the only one looking and asking, wondering and still holding onto some tiny bit of hope, unwilling to succumb entirely to despair or cynicism.
Previously, it was revealed that Byrne had also been working on new material alongside Oneohtrix Point Never.
Taking part in a reddit AMA last May, Byrne spoke of a new album, saying that he’s currently “finishing it up” and that he plans to release it “early next year”.
“Last week I wrote words and a melody over a track that Daniel Lopatin sent me, so I change depending on the situation,” he said of his songwriting process. “Lyrics are best when the writing is not obvious- when they appear to be naturally occurring.”