Ben Kweller has laid out plans for his seventh studio album.
The Texas singer-songwriter will release 'Cover The Mirrors' on May 30. The date marks what would have been the 19th birthday of his son, Dorian Zev Kweller, who passed away in a car accident in 2023 when he was 16.
Kweller recorded the 12-song LP in October at NoiseCo Studio in Dripping Springs, Texas, with his bandmates Chris Mintz-Plasse on bass and Ryan Dean on drums. It also features contributions from friends and fellow musicians, including Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, The Flaming Lips, and Coconut Records, the musical project of actor Jason Schwartzman. Kweller said:
"This is the most personal, emotionally raw project I’ve ever worked on. When Dorian died in 2023 I was overcome with the need to make music. I didn’t care what came out of me because it was the only way I could find peace in my earth-shattering grief. It’s hard not to focus on everything I’ve lost and in the depths of my sorrow I realized that something was gained. I can only describe it as an additional layer in the spectrum of understanding. My highs are higher and my lows are lower. My love is deeper and my calling is stronger. 'Cover The Mirrors' is helping me cope with my new reality and these songs are part of that journey."
To coincide with the news, Kweller has released the record's first single, Optimystic, a fuzzy, guitar-charged power-pop track. Press play below.
Kweller will support the follow-up to 2021's 'Circuit Boredom' with a North American tour in the spring and summer. Tickets are on sale now. Head here for details.
In 2023, Kweller released a cover of the early Adam Green classic, Her Father And Her, for 'Moping In Style: A Tribute To Adam Green', a compilation album commemorating the work of The Moldy Peaches co-founder.
'Cover The Mirrors' tracklist:
1. Going Insane
2. Dollar Store (feat Waxahatchee)
3. Trapped
4. Park Harvey Fire Drill
5. Depression (feat Coconut Records)
6. Don’t Cave
7. Optimystic
8. Brakes
9. Killer Bee (feat The Flaming Lips)
10. Letter To Agony
11. Save Yourself
12. Oh Dorian (feat MJ Lenderman)
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