Jamestown, NY’s Natalie Merchant debuted her new single “Tower of Babel” recently, alongside a soul-infecting indie video to paired alongside. The single anticipates Merchant’s forthcoming album Keep Your Courage, set for an April 14th release. Merchant stated, “For the most part, this is an album about the human heart.”
“Tower of Babel” is soul-inflecting, featuring horn arrangements by trombone player Steve Davis, and follows the first single and video, “Come On, Aphrodite.”
As much as I had wanted to not let events in the world intrude, I couldn’t disregard the prevailing atmosphere of fear and confusion that we have been living in as a result of the pandemic, climate crisis, economic instability, insane politics, violent insurrection and the shocking fallout from the conservative-stacked reactionary Supreme Court.
Natalie Merchant
Keep Your Courage is the Natalie’s ninth solo studio album, and the latest new material since 2014’s self-titled record. In the words of Uncut, “‘Keep Your Courage,’ almost a decade in the making, finds Merchant as witty and welcoming as always, turning her gaze to what helps us endure life’s ups and downs.”
The eclectic album features contributions from Celtic folk group Lúnasa, Syrian virtuoso clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and jazz trombonist Steve Davis. There are lush orchestrations by seven composers throughout, including: Gabriel Kahane, Stephen Barber, Colin Jacobsen and Megan Gould. The new record is comprised of nine original songs by Merchant as well as an interpretation of “Hunting the Wren” by Ian Lynch of the Irish band Lankum.
In celebration of the new music, Merchant will embark upon an extensive tour this spring, going into the fall of 2023.
NATALIE MERCHANT TOUR—U.S.
April 14—Poughkeepsie, NY—Bardavon, 1869 Opera House‡
April 15—Poughkeepsie, NY—Bardavon, 1869 Opera House‡
April 18—Pittsburgh, PA—Byham Theater
April 19—Charlottesville, VA—The Paramount Theater‡
April 21—Philadelphia, PA—Kimmel Cultural Campus
April 22—Hershey, PA—The Hershey Theatre
April 24—Greenville, SC—Peace Center Concert Hall
April 26—Clearwater, FL—Ruth Eckerd Hall
April 27—Fort Lauderdale, FL—with The South Florida Symphony Orchestra
Au-Rene Theater – Broward Center for the Performing Arts†
April 28—St. Augustine, FL—The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
April 30—Atlanta, GA—with The Atlanta Symphony at Atlanta Symphony Hall†‡
May 9—Portland, ME—Merrill Auditorium
May 10—Boston, MA—Emerson Colonial Theatre‡
May 11—Boston, MA—Emerson Colonial Theatre
May 13—Cleveland, OH—Keybank State Theatre
May 14—Cincinnati, OH—Taft Theatre
May 16—Carmel, IN—The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts
May 17—Ann Arbor, MI—Michigan Theater
May 19—Chicago, IL—Chicago Theatre
May 20—Milwaukee, WI—The Pabst Theater
June 2–3—New York, NY—Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center†
June 25—Newark, NJ—New Jersey Performing Arts Center†
June 28—Providence, RI—Veterans Memorial Auditorium†
June 30—Washington, DC—John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts†
July 1—Washington, DC—John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts†
July 8—Chautauqua, NY—Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater†
September 20—Spokane, WA—Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox
September 22—Seattle, WA— Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
September 23—Portland, OR—Keller Auditorium
September 26—San Francisco, CA—The Masonic
September 27—Saratoga, CA—The Mountain Winery*
September 29—San Diego, CA—Humphrey’s‡
September 30—Los Angeles, CA—Walt Disney Concert Hall
NATALIE MERCHANT TOUR—EUROPE
November 2—London, UK—London Palladium
November 3—London, UK—London Palladium
November 5—Glasgow, UK—Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
November 6—Manchester, UK—O2 Apollo Manchester
November 8—Dublin, IE—Olympia
November 11—Bath, UK—The Forum
November 13—Amsterdam, NL—Carré Theatre
November 14—Brussels, BE—Cirque Royal
*On-sale timing TBA
†With symphony orchestra
‡Sold Out
To listen and watch “Tower Of Babel,” click the link here.
Pre-save/pre-order the forthcoming album here.
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