Adrianne Lenker, celebrated as one of today’s most compelling songwriters and known for her work with Big Thief, has thrilled fans with the announcement of her first solo album in four years, Bright Future, alongside eagerly anticipated 2024 North American tour dates. This exciting news is heralded by her latest single, “Sadness as a Gift,” the second offering from the upcoming LP, following the previously released “Ruined.” While “Ruined” presented a more melancholic and dreamlike piano-driven exploration of love’s intensity, “Sadness as a Gift” emerges as a comforting and earthy tune, enriched by Josefin Runsteen’s delicate violin, reflecting on the inevitable conclusion of a relationship. This contrast between the two singles – one embodying a cool, love-struck sentiment, and the other a warm, yet heartbroken perspective – perfectly encapsulates the core concept of “Sadness as a Gift,” suggesting that even in sorrow, there is something valuable to be found.
The song, built upon gentle acoustic chords, features Lenker’s poignant vocals as she delivers the lines, “Leaning on the windowsill / You could write me someday and I think you will / We could see the sadness as a gift and still / feel too heavy to hold.” These lyrics, central to the song’s theme of embracing difficult emotions, are further enhanced by the contributions of Nick Hakim, Mat Davidson (Twain), and Runsteen, who provide both backing vocals and instrumental textures. Hakim’s piano accompaniment adds a layer of emotional depth as Lenker delves into the heart of lost love with the powerful lines: “You and I could see into the same eternity / Every second brimming with a majesty.” The song concludes with a sudden stop, its melody unresolved, mirroring the abruptness of loss itself. Lenker reflects on the fleeting nature of time and expectations with the lines, “The seasons go so fast / Thinking that this one was gonna last / Maybe the question was too much to ask,” revealing a sense of acceptance amidst heartache.
Bright Future, set for release on March 22nd via 4AD, marks Lenker’s first solo venture since her critically acclaimed 2020 albums Songs and Instrumentals. Recorded in the autumn of 2022 at the secluded woodland analogue studio Double Infinity, the album benefits from the co-production and engineering expertise of Philip Weinrobe, a frequent collaborator of Lenker’s, along with the musical talents of Hakim, Davidson, and Runsteen. Notably, the album will also feature the original recording of “Vampire Empire,” a beloved track from Big Thief’s widely praised 2022 double album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You.
Fans eager to experience Adrianne Lenker’s new music live can purchase tickets for her North American tour now. Tour dates are listed below, along with the complete tracklist for Bright Future. You can explore the lyric video for “Sadness as a Gift” here and stream the track here. Pre-orders for Bright Future are also available here.
Bright Future Tracklist:
- Real House
- Sadness As A Gift
- Fool
- No Machine
- Free Treasure
- Vampire Empire
- Evol
- Candleflame
- Already Lost
- Cell Phone Says
- Donut Seam
- Ruined
Adrianne Lenker Tour Dates:
March
21st – Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, TN, USA
April
19th – The Black Box, Galway, Ireland* (SOLD OUT)
20th – St. Canice’s Catherdral, Kilkenny, Ireland* (SOLD OUT)
21st – Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland* (SOLD OUT)
24th – Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, UK+ (SOLD OUT)
25th – The Hall at Aviva Studios, Manchester, UK + (SOLD OUT)
27th – Barbican Centre, London, UK= (SOLD OUT)
29th – Bristol Beacon, Bristol, UK+ (SOLD OUT)
May
2nd – Le Trianon, Paris, France +
3rd – Cirque Royale, Belgium, Brussels +
5th – The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ (SOLD OUT)
6th – Admiralspalast, Berlin, Germany @
7th – Kampnagel, Hamburg, Germany @
10th – The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen, Denmark @ (SOLD OUT)
11th – Berns, Stockholm, Sweden @
12th – Chateau Neuf, Olso, Norway @
June
9th – The Paramount Theatre, Austin TX, US %
10th – The Paramount Theatre, Austin TX, US %
12th – KiMO Theatre, Albuquerque NM, US %
13th – Rialto Theatre, Tucson AZ, US %
15th – The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles CA, US @
16th – The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles CA, US +
17th – Fox Theatre, Oakland CA, US @
20th – Revolution Hall, Portland OR, US @
21st – Revolution Hall, Portland OR, US +
22nd – Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA, US +
25th – The Depot, Salt Lake City UT, US @
26th – The Mission Ballroom, Denver CO, US @
28th – Chicago Theatre, Chicago IL, US @
29th – State Theatre, Minneapolis MN, US @
November
11th – Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton MA, US ^
12th – Boch Centre Shubert Theatre, Boston MA, US
13th – Boch Centre Shubert Theatre, Boston MA, US
15th – L’Olympia, Montreal QC, Canada ^
16th – Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto ON, Canada ^
19th – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn NY, US ^
21st – The Eastern, Atlanta GA, US ^
22nd – Venue TBC, Durham NC, US ^
23rd – The Anthem, Washington DC, US ^
25th – Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, US ^
26th – Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, US ^
* w/ Ellie O’Neill
+ w/ Nick Hakim
@ w/ Twain
% w/ Steve Fisher
^ w/ Suzanne Vallie
