Andrew Bird has announced a new album, Outside Problems, a collection of instrumentals that serves as a companion piece to last year’s Inside Problems. It comes out next Friday, July 21 via Loma Vista Recordings, and the new single ‘Mo Teef’ arrives today alongside a video created in partnership with Patagonia by frequent collaborator Tyler Manson. Check it out below.
“There are two notable things about this album,” Bird explained in a press release. “One, none of these songs were recorded with the intent of making an album, I just happened to capture moments of melodic exploration over a period of time. You can hear themes from Inside Problems throughout the album, including on the song ‘Epilogue,’ just without concern for bridges and choruses and the band. I’m able to capture the sound of music in everyday life, a surprisingly hard thing to do. I was playing for the joy of it and to get these ideas out of my head. To hear them in a room. There is no room.”
“Second, these pieces were recorded primarily outside in Ojai, CA,” Bird continued. “I’m no stranger to recording outside as with the Echolocations series. My plan was to record Inside Problems outside but the leaf-blowers made that difficult…Deep in the pandemic, far from the city and album campaigns and Instagram strategies, getting back to the original point of it all.”
Outside Problems Cover Artwork:
Outside Problems Tracklist:
1. Mancey
2. Epilogue
3. Festivus
4. What We Saw
5. Mormon House Party
6. Mo Teef
7. Heaven’s Boughs
8. Improvisation on a Familiar Theme
9. Tik Tok