It’s been a crazy past few years for Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson. After the demise of Brooklyn’s Pela — which might have been the most underrated band of the 2000s; releasing one of the decade’s best records in 2007’s perfect Anytown Graffiti — the duo resurfaced as Augustines with British drummer Rob Allen. Personal tragedy and triumph followed, which I detailed in an emotional Boston Phoenix article, and after a lawsuit forced them to change their moniker to We Are Augustines, the trio released Rise Ye Sunken Ships.
And all that universal acclaim that incredibly never arrived for Pela was cast upon We Are Augustines: sold-out shows, main-stage festival gigs, global tours, media accolades, radio play… it all came together. Shit, I’m getting misty-eyed just writing this out. Few bands have ever moved me like this.
Now Augustines are back, rising once again: dropping the “We Are,” relocating to Seattle, and preparing the follow-up to Ships. The upcoming self-titled Augustines record is out January 21, and a fall tour with Frightened Rabbit comes to the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on October 21.
About the new record:
“AUGUSTINES” marks a colossal leap forward for the band on virtually every plane. The three musicians – Billy McCarthy (vocals, guitar), Eric Sanderson (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Rob Allen (drums, percussion) – spent an exceedingly productive month woodshedding at Temperamental Recordings, a converted 19th century country church in Geneseo, New York, before recording with co-producer Peter Katis (The National, Frightened Rabbit, Jónsi) at his Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The sessions were marked by a distinctly more optimistic perspective than Augustines’ famously bittersweet debut, echoing the close bond forged on the road between the band members and their increasingly impassioned audience. Songs like the thundering “Cruel City” and the plaintive “Walkabout” are both immediate and engaging, integrating expansive, imaginative orchestrations with McCarthy’s rich, ever-affective lyricism. With its widescreen arrangements, joyous energy, and elegiac grace, the remarkably open-armed “AUGUSTINES” sees Augustines’ ambition and artistry ascending to astonishing new heights.
Here’s Augustines full run of tour dates, as well…
AUGUSTINES 2013 TOUR DATES
* All Dates Supporting Frightened Rabbit
September 24: Edmonton, AB — Union Hall
September 25: Calgary, AB — MacEwan Ballroom
September 26: Spokane, WA — Knitting Factory
September 27: Boise, ID — Knitting Factory
September 28: Sacramento, CA — Ace of Spades
September 30: San Francisco, CA –Warfield Theatre
October 1: Hollywood, CA — Avalon
October 3: Pomona, CA — The Glass House
October 4: Tempe, AZ — Marquee Theatre
October 6: Tulsa, OK — Guthrie Green
October 7: Dallas, TX — Prophet Bar
October 9: Athens, GA — 40 Watt Club
October 10: Jacksonville, FL — Free Bird Café
October 11: Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Culture Room
October 12: Orlando, FL — Beacham Theater
October 14: Charlottesville, VA — Jefferson Theater
October 15: Columbus, OH — Newport Music Hall
October 17: Toronto, ON — Kool Haus
October 18: London, ON — London Music Hall
October 19: Rochester, NY — Water Street Music Hall
October 21: Boston, MA — Paradise
October 24: New York, NY — Webster Hall
October 26: Asbury Park, NJ — Stone Pony
October 27: Philadelphia, PA — Electric Factory
October 29: Washington, DC — 9:30 Club