FATHER JOHN MISTY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM PURE COMEDY RELEASED APRIL 7TH

Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy is the highly anticipated follow-up to his internationally acclaimed album, I Love You, Honeybear. The album will be released 7th April on Deluxe 2xLP / 2xLP / CD / DL / CS in the UK/Europe through Bella Union via [PIAS]. Father John Misty has shared both the album’s title track, which you can listen to via the link above, along with a 30 minute film.
 

Pure Comedy highlights include the title track alongside standouts “Leaving LA,” “Total Entertainment Forever,” “Ballad of the Dying Man,” “When The God Of Love Returns There’ll Be Hell To Pay” and “Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before The Revolution.” Since 2012, Tillman has unexpectedly emerged as a singular (if not undeniably, um, idiosyncratic) voice.  Whether by virtue of his lyrics, which routinely defy the presumed polarities of wit and empathy; his live performances which may perhaps be described best as “intimately berzerk”, or the infuriating line he seems to occupy between canny and total fraud online or in interviews, Father John Misty has cultivated a rare space for himself in the musical landscape - that of a real enigma. Pure Comedy sees Tillman at the height of these powers: as a lyricist, and equally so a cultural observer - at times bordering on freakishly prescient.  Tillman’s bent critiques, bared humanity and gently warped classic songwriting are all here in equal measure and - at 75 minutes - there’s a veritable fuck ton of it. The album navigates themes of progress, technology, fame, the environment, politics, aging, social media, human nature, human connection and his own role in it all with his usual candor, and in terms as timely as they are timeless.
 

Tillman wrote the majority of Pure Comedy throughout 2015 and recorded all the basic tracking and vocals live to tape (in no more than two takes each) at United Studios (fka the legendary Ocean Way Studios, favored by Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys) in Los Angeles March 2016. 
 

Pure Comedy was co-produced once again by Josh Tillman and long-time producer Jonathan Wilson; mixed by Tillman, Wilson and Trevor Spencer, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios. The album features string, horn and choral arrangements from classical iconoclast Gavin Bryars (Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet, Sinking Of The Titanic), with additional contributions from Nico Muhly and Thomas Bartlett.  
 

Tillman and Grant James (“Funtimes in Babylon,” “I Love You, Honeybear”) also co-directed Pure Comedy: The Film. Pure Comedy is a gorgeously rendered black & white document of the live tracking, as well as a surreal look into Tillman’s writing process. A six person crew, complete with cranes in the tracking rooms, captured every moment of the recording, giving the viewer intimate audience to actual album takes, including the one and only 2:00am performance of the 13-minute “Leaving LA.”  It also features the only known recording of Tillman’s love ballad to his sound engineer Trevor Spencer.

Preorders through Father John Misty’s Official Store (https://fatherjohnmisty.merchline.com/) and Bella Union (https://bellaunion.greedbag.com/) and select independent retailers will receive a limited 7” single featuring the first physical release of fan favorite “Real Love Baby” on the A-side and the as yet unreleased track, "Rejected Generic Pop Song, March '15 #3” on the B-side (while supplies last). A new t-shirt design will be available from Sub Pop and Bella Union, in addition to a new line of merch from Father John Misty’s online store. 

Father John Misty’s first live appearance in support of Pure Comedy will be on the Coachella mainstage, Fridays April 14th, and 21st.

Pure Comedy Tracklist:

1. Pure Comedy

2. Total Entertainment Forever

3. Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution

4. Ballad of the Dying Man

5. Birdie

6. Leaving LA

7. A Bigger Paper Bag

8. When the God of Love Returns There’ll Be Hell to Pay

9. Smoochie

10. Two Wildly Different Perspectives

11. The Memo

12. So I’m Growing Old on Magic Mountain

13. In Twenty Years or So