Adrianne Lenker Announces Solo Album 'Bright Future,' Shares Single and Tour Dates

Adrianne Lenker has announced her fourth (or fifth, depending on how you categorize 2020's songs and instrumentals) solo album — Bright Future is arriving March 22 on 4AD, and she's previewing the record with new single "Sadness as a Gift," which Lenker has performed at Big Thief gigs in the past.

The new song follows previously shared single (and album closer — please stop releasing your closer as the first single! Please!) "Ruined" and expands on that song's piano dirge with guitar and violin. "The seasons go so fast / Thinking that this one was going to last / Maybe the question was too much to ask," Lenker sings.

Bright Future was co-produced by Philip Weinrobe and features musical contributions from Nick Hakim, Mat Davidson and Josefin Runsteen. It was recorded in the autumn of 2022 at the "forest-hidden, analogue" Double Infinity studio.  

"It felt like everyone's nervous systems released," Lenker said in a statement. "Once we were IN the song, somehow we just knew. No one stopped a take. We didn't listen back. I only listened after everybody else left." As a result, Bright Future is full of "details to savour, fingertips on strings, felt pads nodding in the piano, the harmonies a few steps back, all smoothly laid to tape."

The album also features the original recording of Big Thief's semi-controversial 2023 single "Vampire Empire." 

In addition to the new music, Lenker has also announced an upcoming tour that'll include stops in Montreal and Toronto on November 15 and 16, respectively. 

Check out "Sadness as a Gift," plus the Bright Future tracklist and Lenker's 2024 tour dates below. 


Bright Future:

1. Real House
2. Sadness as a Gift
3. Fool
4. No Machine
5. Free Treasure
6. Vampire Empire
7. Evol
8. Candleflame
9. Already Lost
10. Cell Phone Says
11. Donut Seam
12. Ruined

Adrianne Lenker 2024 Tour Dates:

03/21 Knoxville, TN - Big Ears Festival
04/19 Galway, Ireland - The Black Box * (Sold Out)
04/20 Kilkenny, Ireland - St. Canice's Cathedral * (Sold Out)
04/21 Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street * (Sold Out)
04/24 Glasgow, UK - Old Fruitmarket + (Sold Out)
04/25 Manchester, UK - The Hall At Aviva Studios + (Sold Out)
04/27 London, UK - Barbican Centre = (Sold Out)
04/28 London, UK - Barbican Centre = (Sold Out)
04/29 Bristol, UK - Bristol Beacon + (Sold Out)
05/02 Paris, France - Le Trianon +
05/03 Brussels, Belgium - Cirque Royale +
05/05 Amsterdam, The Netherlands - The Concertgebouw = (Sold Out)
05/06 Berlin, Germany - Admiralspalast =
05/07 Hamburg, Germany - Kampnagel =
05/10 Copenhagen, Denmark - The Royal Danish Academy Of Music = (Sold Out)
05/11 Stockholm, Sweden - Berns =
05/12 Oslo, Norway - Chateau Neuf =
06/09 Austin, TX - The Paramount Theatre %
06/10 Austin, TX - The Paramount Theatre %
06/12 Albuquerque, NM - Kimo Theatre %
06/13 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre %
06/15 Los Angeles, CA - The Theatre At Ace Hotel =
06/16 Los Angeles, CA - The Theatre At Ace Hotel +
06/17 Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre =
06/20 Portland, OR - Revolution Hall =
06/21 Portland, OR - Revolution Hall +
06/22 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre +
06/25 Salt Lake City - The Depot =
06/26 Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom =
06/28 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre =
06/29 Minneapolis - State Theatre =
11/11 Northampton, MA - Academy Of Music Theatre ^
11/12 Boston, MA - Boch Centre Shubert Theatre ^
11/13 Boston, MA - Boch Centre Shubert Theatre ^
11/15 Montreal, QC - Olympia ^
11/16 Toronto, ON - Queen Elizabeth Theatre ^
11/19 Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre ^
11/21 Atlanta, GA - The Eastern ^
11/22 Durham, NC - Venue TBC ^
11/23 Washington, DC - The Anthem ^
11/25 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer ^
11/26 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer ^

* with Ellie O'Neill
+ with Nick Hakim
= with Twain
% with Steve Fisher
^ with Suzanne Vallie