Sheer Mag have announced Playing Favorites, their third full-length album and first for Third Man Records, out March 1. The album includes this summer's "All Lined Up" plus today's title track, which comes attached to a Craig Scheihing-directed video. "Playing Favorites" is a propulsive, jangly slice of power pop, and it adds just a touch of sheen to Sheer Mag's classic lo-fi clamour.
"After nearly ten years of touring together, we felt qualified to write a song about doing it," the band said about "Playing Favorites." "It's a good introduction to the next era of Sheer Mag."
In a statement about the record, Playing Favorites is described as being "marked by an intensified sense of melancholy" that "takes stock of the confusing flow of daily life without moralizing, refusing to fall into antagonistic cynicism."
Brothers Kyle and Hart Seely tracked the record between 2022 and 2023, after which rhythm guitarist Matt Palmer and vocalist Tina Halladay took the following spring to write and record vocals.
"Those first few records felt like a personal coming out party; they felt like they were an introduction to me and my life story," Halladay said in a statement. "With these new songs, I feel like I'm finally able to move past that — there are parts on this record that I couldn't imagine being able to sing ten, five, or even three years ago."
To accompany the album announcement, the band have also announced a spring 2024 North America headlining tour, which kicks off in D.C. in late March and stops in Toronto on May 1. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, November 10) at 10 a.m. local time, and are available for purchase and pre-order here.
Check out the video for "Playing Favorites," plus the album's tracklist and the band's upcoming tour dates below.
Playing Favorites:
1. Playing Favorites
2. Eat It and Beat It
3. All Lined Up
4. Don't Come Lookin'
5. I Gotta Go
6. Moonstruck
7. Mechanical Garden
8. Golden Hour
9. Tea On The Kettle
10. Paper Time
11. When You Get Back
Sheer Mag 2024 North American tour:
03/29 Washington, DC - Songbyrd
03/30 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle - Back Room
03/31 Asheville, NC - Eulogy
04/01 Nashville, TN - The Blue Room at Third Man Records
04/02 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade, Purgatory
04/04 New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
04/05 Houston, TX - The End
04/06 Austin, TX - Far Out Lounge
04/07 Dallas, TX - Double Wide
04/09 Mesa, AZ - The Underground
04/10 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
04/11 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
04/12 Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room
04/13 Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room
04/15 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
04/17 Portland, OR - Star Theater
04/18 Seattle, WA - The Vera Project
04/19 Boise, ID - The Shredder
04/20 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
04/22 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
04/24 Omaha, NE - Reverb Lounge
04/25 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
04/26 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
04/27 Chicago, IL - Sleeping Village
04/29 Kalamazoo, MI - Bell's Eccentric Cafe
05/01 Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
05/03 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
05/04 Troy, NY - No Fun
"After nearly ten years of touring together, we felt qualified to write a song about doing it," the band said about "Playing Favorites." "It's a good introduction to the next era of Sheer Mag."
In a statement about the record, Playing Favorites is described as being "marked by an intensified sense of melancholy" that "takes stock of the confusing flow of daily life without moralizing, refusing to fall into antagonistic cynicism."
Brothers Kyle and Hart Seely tracked the record between 2022 and 2023, after which rhythm guitarist Matt Palmer and vocalist Tina Halladay took the following spring to write and record vocals.
"Those first few records felt like a personal coming out party; they felt like they were an introduction to me and my life story," Halladay said in a statement. "With these new songs, I feel like I'm finally able to move past that — there are parts on this record that I couldn't imagine being able to sing ten, five, or even three years ago."
To accompany the album announcement, the band have also announced a spring 2024 North America headlining tour, which kicks off in D.C. in late March and stops in Toronto on May 1. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, November 10) at 10 a.m. local time, and are available for purchase and pre-order here.
Check out the video for "Playing Favorites," plus the album's tracklist and the band's upcoming tour dates below.
Playing Favorites:
1. Playing Favorites
2. Eat It and Beat It
3. All Lined Up
4. Don't Come Lookin'
5. I Gotta Go
6. Moonstruck
7. Mechanical Garden
8. Golden Hour
9. Tea On The Kettle
10. Paper Time
11. When You Get Back
Sheer Mag 2024 North American tour:
03/29 Washington, DC - Songbyrd
03/30 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle - Back Room
03/31 Asheville, NC - Eulogy
04/01 Nashville, TN - The Blue Room at Third Man Records
04/02 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade, Purgatory
04/04 New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
04/05 Houston, TX - The End
04/06 Austin, TX - Far Out Lounge
04/07 Dallas, TX - Double Wide
04/09 Mesa, AZ - The Underground
04/10 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
04/11 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
04/12 Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room
04/13 Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room
04/15 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
04/17 Portland, OR - Star Theater
04/18 Seattle, WA - The Vera Project
04/19 Boise, ID - The Shredder
04/20 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
04/22 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
04/24 Omaha, NE - Reverb Lounge
04/25 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
04/26 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
04/27 Chicago, IL - Sleeping Village
04/29 Kalamazoo, MI - Bell's Eccentric Cafe
05/01 Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
05/03 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
05/04 Troy, NY - No Fun
