John Grant Announces New Album 'The Art Of The Lie', Confirms Autumn UK and European Tour
Tuesday, 19 March 2024
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Hörður Sveinsson
John Grant has announced his sixth solo album.
Recorded with producer and composer Ivor Guest, known for his work with Grace Jones, Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey, 'The Art Of The Lie' will arrive on June 14 via Bella Union. Grant commented:
"Ivor assembled a team of incredible musicians. Dave Okumu [from The Invisible] is such an incredible guitar player. He came into the room when we were playing the demo of Father and just immediately started doing what you hear on the record. Robin Mullarkey played fretless bass and blew my mind, and the very talented Seb Rochford was on drum detail. There were a lot of moments of magic from everyone."
It follows the former Czars frontman's work with Wrangler on their Creep Show project, as well as his own 2021 LP, 'Boy From Michigan', and a number of features on tracks by different musicians, including CMAT's Where Are Your Kids Tonight? from her 2023 album 'Crazymad, for Me'.
The new album features a guest appearance from Scottish singer Rachel Sermanni, who contributes backing vocals on the track Mother And Son. Check out a comedic teaser for the record, which plays out a like a mockumentary trailer, below.
Discussing the inspiration for the album, Grant continued:
"This album is in part about the lies people espouse and the brokenness it breeds and how we are warped and deformed by these lies. For example, the Christian Nationalist movement has formed an alliance with White Supremacist groups and together they have taken over the Republican party and see LGBTQ+ people and non-whites as genetically and even mentally inferior and believe all undesirables must be forced either to convert to Christianity and adhere to the teachings of the Bible as interpreted by them or they must be removed in order that purity be restored to ‘their’ nation.
"They now believe Democracy is not the way to achieve these goals. Any sort of pretence of tolerance that may have seemed to develop over the past several decades has all but vanished. It feels like the U.S. is in free-fall mode."
Alongside the news, the Colorado singer-songwriter has shared the synthy, groove-led first single from the record, It's A Bitch. "It was a blast making this track which is just about having fun with words, synths and dope rhythms and bass lines and also making fun of post-COVID malaise," Grant revealed.
"Plus, people get to ponder what a ‘hesher’ is. I loved going to the arcade in the '80s and watching smokin’-hot heshers hold court while playing Tempest, Stargate, Robotron and Asteroids, and while also blasting Iron Maiden and Rush on their Walkmans."
Grant will support the record with an autumn European tour, which includes shows in London, Sunderland, Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff, Bristol, Bexhill-On-Sea, Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool between October 17 and November 2. Tickets go on general sale at 10am GMT/11am CET on Friday (March 22).
'The Art Of The Lie' tracklist:
1. All That School For Nothing
2. Marbles
3. Father
4. Mother And Son
5. Twistin Scriptures
6. Meek AF
7. It’s A Bitch
8. Daddy
9. The Child Catcher
10. Laura Lou
11. Zeitgeist
John Grant Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Thu October 17 2024 - LONDON Hackney Church
Sat October 19 2024 - SUNDERLAND Fire Station
Mon October 21 2024 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Tue October 22 2024 - DUBLIN Vicar Street
Thu October 24 2024 - CARDIFF THE TRAMSHED
Fri October 25 2024 - BRISTOL Beacon Hall, Bristol Beacon
Sat October 26 2024 - BEXHILL ON SEA Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion
Mon October 28 2024 - BIRMINGHAM Town Hall
Tue October 29 2024 - NORWICH Epic Studios
Thu October 31 2024 - MANCHESTER New Century
Fri November 01 2024 - LEEDS Project House
Sat November 02 2024 - LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Hall
Tue November 05 2024 - AMSTERDAM Melkweg (Netherlands)
Wed November 06 2024 - COLOGNE Kulturkirche (Germany)
Thu November 07 2024 - BERLIN Columbia Theatre (Germany)
Sat November 09 2024 - AARHUS Train (Denmark)
Sun November 10 2024 - COPENHAGEN Vega (Denmark)
Mon November 11 2024 - STOCKHOLM Nalen (Sweden)
Wed November 13 2024 - OSLO Rockefeller Music Hall (Norway)
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