Toronto alt-folk songwriter Ben Kunder has announced a new album. Searching for the Stranger will be out on October 2 via Comino Music, and Exclaim! has the premiere of the new single "Stranger."
The song puts a very '80s spin on melancholic folk rock, adding wobbly effects to its guitar arpeggios and drenching the harmonica intro in reverb. That '80s aesthetic is further explored in the accompanying video (directed by Christopher Mills), which shows Kunder brandishing a boombox, à la John Cusack in Say Anything.
In a statement, Kunder said, "'Stranger' is me really letting go. It's about exploration, nostalgia, searching for something greater and deeper than anything you've known. The stranger is the unknown, the different, the fight, the human connection we long for but haven't yet experienced. It also represents the strange and weird that exists inside of us, the genetic makeup that we tend to hide but makes us who we are."
Searching for the Stranger was co-produced by Kunder alongside Aaron Goldstein and Chris Stringer. It features guest performances from singer Carleigh Aikins, drummer Loel Campbell (Wintersleep), and keyboardist Anthony Carone (Arkells).
Scroll past the "Stranger" video below to see Searching for the Stranger's tracklist (which includes the prior single "Berlin"), along with Kunder's live schedule. He's got a couple of livestreams planned, while the in-person shows come with the caveat that they may be delayed due to coronavirus.
Searching for the Stranger is the follow-up to 2018's Better Human.
Searching for the Stranger:
1. Berlin
2. Stranger
3. Ghost
4. Year
5. Breakers
6. Lunenburg
7. Seul
8. Colours
9. Tornado
10. Spring
Livestreams:
06/12 - 96.9 FM Radio Humber
06/25 - Side Door
Tour dates:
10/02 Toronto, ON - Baby G
10/10 Wakefield, QC - The Blacksheep Inn
The song puts a very '80s spin on melancholic folk rock, adding wobbly effects to its guitar arpeggios and drenching the harmonica intro in reverb. That '80s aesthetic is further explored in the accompanying video (directed by Christopher Mills), which shows Kunder brandishing a boombox, à la John Cusack in Say Anything.
In a statement, Kunder said, "'Stranger' is me really letting go. It's about exploration, nostalgia, searching for something greater and deeper than anything you've known. The stranger is the unknown, the different, the fight, the human connection we long for but haven't yet experienced. It also represents the strange and weird that exists inside of us, the genetic makeup that we tend to hide but makes us who we are."
Searching for the Stranger was co-produced by Kunder alongside Aaron Goldstein and Chris Stringer. It features guest performances from singer Carleigh Aikins, drummer Loel Campbell (Wintersleep), and keyboardist Anthony Carone (Arkells).
Scroll past the "Stranger" video below to see Searching for the Stranger's tracklist (which includes the prior single "Berlin"), along with Kunder's live schedule. He's got a couple of livestreams planned, while the in-person shows come with the caveat that they may be delayed due to coronavirus.
Searching for the Stranger is the follow-up to 2018's Better Human.
Searching for the Stranger:
1. Berlin
2. Stranger
3. Ghost
4. Year
5. Breakers
6. Lunenburg
7. Seul
8. Colours
9. Tornado
10. Spring
Livestreams:
06/12 - 96.9 FM Radio Humber
06/25 - Side Door
Tour dates:
10/02 Toronto, ON - Baby G
10/10 Wakefield, QC - The Blacksheep Inn
