Young Fathers recently took home the prestigious Mercury Prize with their album DEAD, but rather than bask in their glory, the British experimental hip-hop trio have detailed their new album. White Men Are Black Men Too will be out on April 7 through Big Dada, and it will be followed by a North American tour.
The group wrote and recorded the album during their tours in 2014 before polishing the songs off at their Edinburgh studio. The results reportedly jump between genres, although physical copies of the album will apparently come with a sticker saying "file under rock and pop."
For a taste of this eclectic sound, scroll to the bottom of the page to hear the quirky, genre-combining "Rain or Shine." The album tracklist and the band's upcoming North American spring tour schedule are also below; note the Canadian stops in Vancouver and Victoria.
As for White Men Are Black Men Too's title, the band offered an explanation by way of a recent email from band member Alloysious Massaquoi, who shared an exchange with management about whether it was too controversial. He wrote:
I still prefer the first title by far and stand by it.
I'm aware of the points we've discussed but all that sounds like to me is, we are trying to cater to what other people might think, as if it's a negative thing, which it's not. We came at it from a different angle, a positive angle. it's got issues of race and so what? Why should alarm bells start ringing, even though in general conversations race, politics, sex and religion are always the subject matter? Why should it be discussed behind closed doors and never confronted head on?
How do we help tackle one of the biggest hinderances in people's lives and the world by not putting the question forward and not letting people debate positively or negatively about the statement?
Motown music helped change the world, made it expectable for blacks to be on radio and seen on tv, MJ did it too. Martin Luther King wanted equality and achieved it to some degree. But, after all that, are things equal in this world? FUCK NO. I still want to ask for it (equality) backed with the best music we've ever recorded. A pop album, our interpretation of what a pop album should be.
Weight with words, which is the title plus the pop sensibility of the songs (respectively).
I wanna stand for something which I helped make. Folk will complain about absolutely anything... Even if it's it from the purest of intentions you just can't win. We don't make music to please other people or write certain lyrics to do so, either. Why start now?
When the title was first put forward everybody was excited and 100% there was no fear. That same commitment needs be carried on to make it work despite worries after it's been digested.
White Men Are Black Men Too:
1. Still Running
2. Shame
3. Feasting
4. 27
5. Rain or Shine
6. Sirens
7. Old Rock n Roll
8. Nest
9. Liberated
10. John Doe
11. Dare Me
12. Get Started
Tour dates:
04/09 Boston, MA - Great Scott
04/10 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
04/11 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
04/12 Washington, VA - Rock N Roll Hotel
04/14 Raleigh, NC - Kings
04/15 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell Stage)
04/16 New Orleans, LA - Republic
04/17 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds
04/18 Dallas, TX - Trees
04/19 Austin, TX - Parish
04/21 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
04/22 San Diego, CA - Casbah
04/24 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
04/25 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04/29 Portland, OR - Holocene
04/30 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club
05/01 Victoria, BC - Distrikt
05/02 Seattle, WA - Neumos
05/05 Boise, ID - Neurolux
05/06 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
05/07 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
05/08 Lincoln, NE - Vega
05/09 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
05/10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
05/13 St. Louis, MO - Firebird
05/14 Nashville, TN - Exit In
05/16 Gulf Shores, AL - Hangout Fest
The group wrote and recorded the album during their tours in 2014 before polishing the songs off at their Edinburgh studio. The results reportedly jump between genres, although physical copies of the album will apparently come with a sticker saying "file under rock and pop."
For a taste of this eclectic sound, scroll to the bottom of the page to hear the quirky, genre-combining "Rain or Shine." The album tracklist and the band's upcoming North American spring tour schedule are also below; note the Canadian stops in Vancouver and Victoria.
As for White Men Are Black Men Too's title, the band offered an explanation by way of a recent email from band member Alloysious Massaquoi, who shared an exchange with management about whether it was too controversial. He wrote:
I still prefer the first title by far and stand by it.
I'm aware of the points we've discussed but all that sounds like to me is, we are trying to cater to what other people might think, as if it's a negative thing, which it's not. We came at it from a different angle, a positive angle. it's got issues of race and so what? Why should alarm bells start ringing, even though in general conversations race, politics, sex and religion are always the subject matter? Why should it be discussed behind closed doors and never confronted head on?
How do we help tackle one of the biggest hinderances in people's lives and the world by not putting the question forward and not letting people debate positively or negatively about the statement?
Motown music helped change the world, made it expectable for blacks to be on radio and seen on tv, MJ did it too. Martin Luther King wanted equality and achieved it to some degree. But, after all that, are things equal in this world? FUCK NO. I still want to ask for it (equality) backed with the best music we've ever recorded. A pop album, our interpretation of what a pop album should be.
Weight with words, which is the title plus the pop sensibility of the songs (respectively).
I wanna stand for something which I helped make. Folk will complain about absolutely anything... Even if it's it from the purest of intentions you just can't win. We don't make music to please other people or write certain lyrics to do so, either. Why start now?
When the title was first put forward everybody was excited and 100% there was no fear. That same commitment needs be carried on to make it work despite worries after it's been digested.
White Men Are Black Men Too:
1. Still Running
2. Shame
3. Feasting
4. 27
5. Rain or Shine
6. Sirens
7. Old Rock n Roll
8. Nest
9. Liberated
10. John Doe
11. Dare Me
12. Get Started
Tour dates:
04/09 Boston, MA - Great Scott
04/10 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
04/11 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
04/12 Washington, VA - Rock N Roll Hotel
04/14 Raleigh, NC - Kings
04/15 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell Stage)
04/16 New Orleans, LA - Republic
04/17 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds
04/18 Dallas, TX - Trees
04/19 Austin, TX - Parish
04/21 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
04/22 San Diego, CA - Casbah
04/24 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
04/25 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04/29 Portland, OR - Holocene
04/30 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club
05/01 Victoria, BC - Distrikt
05/02 Seattle, WA - Neumos
05/05 Boise, ID - Neurolux
05/06 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
05/07 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
05/08 Lincoln, NE - Vega
05/09 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
05/10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
05/13 St. Louis, MO - Firebird
05/14 Nashville, TN - Exit In
05/16 Gulf Shores, AL - Hangout Fest